Marina Ludmilova - for her awards and the key to success

Marina Ludmilova, senior consultant and team leader at Unique Estates has been part of the company's team for almost 10 years. At this year's gala awards ceremony, she received several significant prizes. We meet her to tell us more about them and what makes her one of the most successful brokers in the business.

At this year's Unique Estates awards ceremony, you received many awards. How did you achieve these high scores and what do you think is behind your success in this profession?

The Unique Estates awards ceremony is a truly exciting moment for everyone on the team because at the stage of this wonderful event, we take stock of what we have achieved over the year and receive recognition for the efforts we put into our work. This year I received awards in the categories “Consultant with the largest turnover” and “Consultant with the largest number of transactions” for 2022 sales.

Behind the high results I have achieved are my perseverance, ambition and love for what I do. I believe that career success is a process and everyone has to make their own way, climbing each step with patience. Our profession requires us to be active, flexible and very well prepared, as well as to constantly upgrade ourselves. Commercial skills, diplomacy, knowledge of legal and financial matters, good communication and negotiation skills - these are things that are not learned in a month, they are developed and polished over time. Professionals can expect to be successful only when they gain the necessary experience and master the skills and knowledge they need to be truly good at what they do. Therefore, as a team leader in the company, I try to teach new colleagues in the team to be patient, consistent and motivated in their work. To actively communicate with everyone, including the people on the team, because these are experienced professionals from whom they can learn a lot. I encourage them to be ambitious and follow their dreams.

For these years, you have had many satisfied and loyal customers with whom you maintain long-term relationships. How do you manage to gain their trust and what is most important in this communication?

What is most important for me is to be honest and open in this communication and I believe this is highly appreciated. In my work, I find the right approach to each client and treat each case with the necessary respect and professionalism, regardless of the scale of the transaction. Trust is earned over time and I believe that I have been able to prove myself as a reliable partner and expert that clients can trust. I think these awards speak for themselves.

How has Unique Estates helped you in your professional development and who would you like to thank?

Unique Estates has been firmly behind me for almost 10 years. The company has built me not only as a professional but also as a person. Here I learned how to be ambitious, to know what I want and work on achieving it. This is the place where I have been given the opportunity for development and realization and I have full support. I am happy to work in a united team with true professionals and inspiring personalities that I can have as my colleagues and friends.

I want to thank Galina Grudova, who actually submitted my application to Unique Estates, and Vesela Ilieva and Svetoslava Georgieva for giving me a chance to be part of this team. To Krasi Nikolova, my first manager in the company, for supporting and guiding me all the time. I also thank Evelina Kostakieva, in whose team I work today, for the support in this new role for me - to be a team leader of new additions to the company.

What motivates you at work?

I am motivated by my clients, that they seek me out, that they trust me and know that they can count on me to do my best. I take it as a pleasant challenge to solve the various cases and situations I find myself in daily, and they become more and more interesting and intriguing. I work with desire and passion because I love what I do and I feel satisfied when I prove that I am doing really well.

In my role as a team leader, I am motivated to help new colleagues on the team quickly master the intricacies of the profession, sharing my experience and know-how with them so that they can be successful in what they do.

What are your goals for the future?

My goals are related to the realization of even more successful deals. In addition, I want to continue to prove myself as a good team leader in the company and the people I train to become more and more confident in themselves. Their success fills me with pride and joy. I hope that soon there will be more new colleagues in the company who I will be responsible for introducing them to the profession. The truth is that teaching people has always been something I wanted to do because I love to help and I believe I have something to give in this process. I am currently starting my PhD and hope to soon be teaching future colleagues in the industry from the university bench.

One of my dreams is also to one day have the opportunity to work for a cause related to the restoration and preservation of buildings that are part of the architectural and cultural heritage of Bulgaria. I wish these beautiful buildings would regain their former glory and we would live in a more beautiful environment.