Growing up in the smallest state in the country, Rhode Island, Andreas Anusavice was blessed to have been raised by a very loving family. He attended both Bishop Hendricken High School as well as East Greenwich High School where Andreas took part in extracurricular activities such as basketball and football. During his sophomore year of high school, Andreas was given the opportunity to play for one of the best and most well-known basketball teams in the state. Following his success in basketball, Andreas was also ranked nationally as a Kicker in football. On top of participating in sports actively, he was also a member of the Chess Club and spent a lot of his free time volunteering at basketball camps in the summer.
Andreas Anusavice has always been an entrepreneur, even at an early age. Whether it was cutting the neighborhood yards in elementary school, or shoveling snow during the brutal winters to keep him afloat, he always sought ways to make money. Andreas moved out and into the real world at age 18 at which that point started his first business, a tree service company. Andreas put in countless hours of sweat equity and accumulated many of his clients by going door-to-door. He obtained his Arborist License and bought some tree servicing equipment as well as a vehicle to kick-start his business. The shift from growing up as a privileged boy to struggling just to make ends meet taught Andreas to appreciate connections in life and understand the importance of working hard to achieve goals.
In 2016, Andreas officially purchased his first investment property. He sold his Tree Service company and decided to pursue his true passion, real estate. Currently, he conducts business by trying to assist homeowners in selling their property with little to no stress. His business, Zenith Trust, LLC, purchases single family homes, multi-family homes, townhouses, condominiums and vacant land in Florida and Texas.
Andreas’ work ethic and determination is nothing short of outstanding. His perseverance illustrates his desire to succeed in life. One of Andreas’ greatest attributes is his passion for business. Given any challenge thrown at him, he takes it as an opportunity to better himself and strive for even more.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
I got started in this business by researching certain areas and different neighborhoods in which I was looking to purchase an investment property. I began to contact the homeowners directly to see if they would be interested in selling the property. After doing so, I was able to make a couple of purchases and after purchasing a few investment properties, I began to realize I could do this on a full-time basis. Coming to that realization is what inspired me to start the business and I’ve always wanted to work within the confines of real estate.
How do you make money?
In short, I purchase houses in a wide variety of conditions, usually directly from the owner, I then renovate the property and am left with a small amount of equity in the end when all the work is said and done. I have been able to help homeowners who were in some trying situations by purchasing their homes for cash meaning bank loans or inspections aren’t required, which dramatically reduced their overall stress levels.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
It took about a year and a half for my real estate business to become profitable. At the start, we consistently kept re-investing all the money gained on real estate transactions into new investment properties and opportunities. I didn’t want to waste the hard-earned money on anything other than putting it back into the company. After a year and a half, we were able to begin pulling some money out.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
I wouldn’t say I ever doubted it would work out but in every purchase we make, there is a lot of risk involved. Whether it is the purchase price we are buying the property for or the unforeseen repairs we have to make, real estate investing is most definitely considered a risky business. There are no set-in-stone prices when it comes to real estate, there are a lot of variables involved with every house meaning there is no certainty as far as how much someone will be willing to pay when all of the renovations are finished.
How did you purchase your first investment house?
It started when I reached out to the homeowner by mail asking if they were interested in selling the home for cash and in as-is condition. They called me and gave me some information on the property and we gave them an all-cash offer for the home in as-is condition, and they accepted. We still have that as a rental house to this day.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
I’d say the direct mail. A lot of people rely solely on digital marketing strategies in this day and age, thinking that because social media has been dominating the online market, it is the go-to strategy. However, you need to look at your target demographic. We mostly purchase real estate property from homeowners, who tend to be (at least) in their 30s, if not 40s. Using digital marketing strategies may not be as effective as traditional print media like direct mail.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
The hardest decision I’ve made in the last few months was letting go of one of my employees. This particular individual was my first employee that I hired under Zenith Trust. As phone calls and leads became overwhelming, I decided to inquire about an assistant to take some of the pressure off of me. After several months, I was pleased and impressed with her work ethic. However, things took a turn for the worst. She was making excuses every week and her personal life was steering her away from my business. Then, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when I found out that she had been stealing from me. Although it was a hard decision considering her months of loyalty and dedication, I ultimately had to make the choice to let her go.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
I think my drive is what propels my success. I’m very self-motivated and am constantly pushing myself to get better in all phases of my business. I never sit back and say, ok we are at our peak, as there is always room to keep growing. In addition, I’m the type of person that even if I’ve been presented with an obstacle, I’ll work extra hard to get around it, instead of sitting there and blaming my disadvantaged situation on the unexpected obstacle.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
The most satisfying moments in my business are when I am able to help a homeowner out of a variety of different situations such as headache rental properties, distressed houses, homes in foreclosure or other issues a homeowner may be facing. I cannot say there was one time in particular that felt more satisfying than any other so I’d have to say it feels satisfying every time we close on a house in which we knew we made somebody’s life a little bit easier at the end of the day.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
Even though the business is relatively young and I have only been doing real estate investment for a short period, I see a lot of potential as to where this business can go. I have many ideas in mind but at the moment, I think I’m just more concerned about laying down the proper groundwork for my business and having a firm foundation to fall back on in case of hard times. Ultimately, I would love to expand my business across the country and start investing in real estate in more than two states.
What is a recent purchase you have made that’s helped with your business?
We purchased a software recently that maps out the floor plan of houses with exact measurements. The measuring tape is not needed to do that anymore, now it is all done through your phone. The phone camera acts as a measuring tape and we are able to measure every nook and cranny of the floor plan, and afterward, it is put into a file in which we can test different looks as far as types of flooring, cabinets, baseboard and paint among other renovation materials.
What is one advice you would give to future bright minds that are looking to become entrepreneurs?
Being an entrepreneur is not as easy as it looks. A lot of young people look at successful businessmen and think to themselves “oh, that looks like a luxurious lifestyle, I want that”. What they don’t realize is that these businessmen worked hard, moved mountains, and made unimaginable sacrifices just to get to where they are. I’d strongly advise people that are looking to become entrepreneurs to first realize how hard and difficult the process may be, as well as take the time to build their patience, their resilience, and their determination. Without these three things, one cannot hope to become an entrepreneur.