A Brazilian with more than 10 years of extensive experience in the Florida real estate market, Andrea Pointon has distinguished herself at the helm of Pointon Realty—among other reasons—by making her real estate agency one of the top five highest-rated in the region and earning awards such as “Best of Winter Garden 2020 and 2021” from the Winter Garden Award Program.
Pointon Realty recently won one of the industry’s most coveted awards—presented by ORRA (the Orlando Regional Realtors Association, with 20,000 members) — which honors the real estate agents with the highest sales volume for the year. “In 2021, we were about 50% above the previous year’s figures. I was very happy to see that, as a small company, we’re among the top 2% in sales. So far in 2022, we’re nearly doubling last year’s results,” says Andrea Pointon.
With in-depth knowledge of the region and close relationships with the largest local developers, Andrea navigates the various areas and intricacies of this industry with unparalleled ease. The expert has been increasingly sought after by American and international investors, including those from Brazil (a country that accounts for 18% of Orlando’s international real estate transactions), to provide comprehensive support to those looking to buy and sell properties. “I work with families who want to move to Florida and who often purchase multiple properties—one to live in and others to generate passive income and protect their assets.”
According to Andrea, investment clients are not very emotional and are very analytical. “I find it easy to connect with people; I enjoy talking and conducting financial and investment analyses. I think many people are surprised, because they expect me to be more emotional and less rational. I usually end up building long-lasting relationships.”
The real estate specialist explains that, time and again, before these clients came to her, they had sought out other professionals but, for one reason or another, were not satisfied or did not trust them enough to close a deal. “Every day, we have new prospective clients contacting us, and more than half of our sales come from client referrals. We have clients who have been with Pointon for over 10 years and have already completed more than 10 transactions.”
One example was an investor who bought a property in the Winter Garden area in 2016 for $269,000 and just sold it for $500,000—an 85% increase in value over five years. On average, property values range from $470,000 to $800,000.
To beat the fierce competition in Orlando in this industry, in addition to possessing basic qualities such as transparency, honesty, and competence, Andrea also has extraordinary expertise in the field and knows how to communicate brilliantly and in an educational manner. “I try to focus on facts and reality, not sensationalism. I have a genuine interest in helping the client, regardless of commissions. My approach is not to rush clients; I understand that everyone works at their own pace. I like to explain the entire process—how it works and why it works that way. As a result, these conversations usually instill a sense of confidence.”
Career Path
With a degreein Tourism from Anhembi Morumbi (SP), Andrea has been living in the U.S. for 20 years. She lived in several countries before settling in Orlando. Fearless, she went on an exchange program to Australia right after graduating at age 20, where she completed internships. She worked at Disney and Reebok before starting her own exchange company and traveling the world. An entrepreneur from a very young age, Andrea points out that her departure from Brazil marked a time without the internet, cell phones, or GPS. “I felt alone and had to learn to fend for myself—both personally and professionally—all in another language.”
She says that the exchange program, where she took courses at Disney University—such as “Once Upon a Magic”—opened her eyes to the importance of customer service, teamwork, and planning. “My experience as a tour guide was also valuable; when I was 20 years old, I was responsible for groups of 60 people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, financial situations, and interests and expectations. All of this taught me to think quickly, be adaptable, interact with the public, and demonstrate leadership. It’s challenging because you have to stay in control and follow the rules, while still being fun, motivating, and pleasant.”
In addition to living in Australia for nearly a year and in the U.S. (Orlando) since 2000, Andrea has visited more than 10 countries: Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Thailand, South Korea, London, the Czech Republic, and South Africa.
When she ran her company, CSI— Choice Students International, which recruited students (from Korea, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, and other countries), Andrea brought them to work at companies in Orlando (a total of 300 students for 3 months, over 3 seasons per year)—the so-called Work and Travel Program. “I even drove all the way from New York to Orlando, visiting nine cities along the way to pick up students. It was a massive logistical undertaking, involving a great deal of responsibility and very little room for error.”
While working in the exchange program industry, the need to find housing for students led her to the real estate industry. “With my first pregnancy in 2009, I decided to stop traveling, and the transition to real estate came naturally.” Today, Andrea is constantly studying the real estate market, gaining experience, and earning important industry certifications, such as the Platinum Key Certificate (PKC), Gold Key Certificate (GKC), Resort & Second-Home Specialist (RSPS), Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA), Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (RES).
The expert describes her day-to-day work at the helm of Pointon as “crazy, but fascinating.” According to her, the real estate market is always on the verge of “exploding,” no matter how much you plan. The company has operational systems that allow for excellent tracking of each client’s entire process, since every property has different deadlines and characteristics. Andrea leads the administrative and marketing teams while serving clients and searching for properties. She still finds time to record informational videos, ensuring that Pointon’s social media content remains consistent, up-to-date, and very useful to those looking to buy or sell real estate in Florida.
Florida is one of the world’s largest tourism markets, driven largely by theme parks, corporate events, and business tourism. It is also the country’s hottest real estate market. “We’re seeing an economic and real estate boom, and the main reasons Brazilians are investing in Orlando’s real estate market are the dollarization of their assets and financial security,” explains Andrea.
In addition to her hectic office routine, Andrea has her family to take care of—a husband who travels a lot for work and her children, Vincent, 9, and Alec, 12. “Staying calm, dealing with insecurities, trusting your instincts… It took me a while to learn, and I believe I’m still working on it. Mistakes are lessons and part of life. Focus on the result,” she concludes.