This year, Ocala Realty World’s Elisha Lopez will celebrate her 25th anniversary in the real estate industry. As a licensed Florida real estate broker, real estate school owner and instructor, Elisha has made a significant impact in the industry through her innovative coaching methods and unwavering commitment to her agents’ and students’ success.
ORW consistently ranks among the top 10 brokerages in Marion County and within the top 100 nationwide, offering comprehensive services tailored to properties at every market level.
By far, Elisha’s favorite career aspect has been sharing the “valuable wisdom and resilience” she’s earned through experience with her agents.
“There are many brokers and real estate coaches who do not have the experience that my husband and I bring to the table,” she offers. “We are one of the very few brokerages in Marion County and Central Florida that are successful at what we coach on. It’s no different than a boxing coach. Would you rather be trained by someone who has never stepped in the ring or by a coach who has been in the fight firsthand and has a winning track record?”
With Elisha and her husband Luis serving as guides and mentors, hundreds of agents and students have honed their real estate skills at ORW. Now, thanks to a new partnership with Gold Coast School of Real Estate, Florida’s leading real estate school, Elisha says they will continue to build on what they can offer students of real estate who are intent on increasing their earning potential and financial security despite the fluctuating real estate market.
She adds that she and Luis have, “poured our hearts into not just our agents, but their families, so they could better their lives and experience what we have because of our careers in the real estate business.”
With Elisha’s soft voice and sweet tone, it would be easy to mistake her kindness for weakness.
“I have learned the importance of leading with both heart and head in the real estate industry,” she shares. “I have experienced successes and heartbreaks. I have come to understand that authenticity and staying true to oneself are essential for a fulfilling career. Leading with your heart makes a great leader; leading blindly without experience teaches you many lessons. When you get to that point where you know what you know, and you know who you are and stop caring what everyone thinks or wants you to be, you stay true to your authentic self and life becomes better.”
Through her journey, Elisha has come to understand that being her “authentic self” includes defending and protecting her family, her business and, she adds, her reputation against those who wish to tear her down.
“The thing they don’t tell you when you start is what you should expect as your success grows,” she notes, “such as the list of those who will resent you for it.”
“But, you just have to keep on and not let that list get in your head and accept you were meant to be—equal parts badass to all the sweet,” she offers with a chuckle.
Elisha, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, was raised in Miami. She earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design and says, “My passion lies in design. I am naturally drawn to aesthetics and creativity, and I see the world through the lens of design.”
She and Luis came to Ocala in 2005. They have three children; Roy, 18, Lish, 16; and Rachel, 14.
“They have all grown up in the world of real estate,” she says, “and we have instilled in them a desire to be their own boss and that there are no limits to what they can accomplish in life.”
Elisha’s outstanding contributions have garnered her numerous accolades, including the esteemed title of 2021 worldwide ambassador for Realty World International and she has been honored as an Influential Woman in Business in Marion County during the annual local International Women’s Day event.
Elisha’s expertise and leadership earned her recognition as the cover feature in Exeleon Magazine’s “Transformational Leaders In Real Estate” issue. The editors praised her authenticity and commitment to making meaningful changes within the industry, citing her as a transformational leader.
Her expertise also extends globally through her educational videos and regionally in activities such as being a guest speaker for the November 2023 ninth installment of the TEDx Ocala series. The theme was Acceleration. Elisha’s speech was titled How To Activate Your Happy Bubble, which may be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=hU0PUVLdibI
Earlier that year, in June, the nationally syndicated CBS show Best of Central Florida, with Justin Clark and Makalia Nichols, voted Ocala Realty World the Best Real Estate Business in Central Florida.
“That recognition led to being a weekly guest on the nationally syndicated CBS show You Have Real Estate, with attorney Justin Clark, talking about all things Ocala/Marion County and why our area is growing exponentially,” Elisha enthuses. “Justin Clark stated that I’ve changed the trajectory of the show (youtube.com/@SofilaMedia) and showed viewers that by expanding their search area out of the city of Orlando, they can attain affordable housing.”
Elisha’s dedication extends beyond business success; she’s also deeply committed to giving back to the community through ORW Cares, the brokerage’s outreach program. With a focus on making a positive impact, Elisha and her team organize multiple events each year to support the local community and aid those in need.
For Elisha, leading by example is paramount. With her unwavering dedication and determination, she continues to guide her team at Ocala Realty World, propelling them to become one of the fastest-growing real estate companies in the region.
“I love our Marion County community,” she says with passion. “There’s such a great joy knowing how many families my husband and I have personally helped, and that our team of realtors have helped achieve their real estate goals in our beautiful county. I’ve always said and still wholeheartedly feel that I am the lucky one, the privileged one, who gets to continue to ride alongside my agents on their journeys.”
