Anthony Lolli | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Real estate developer |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Rapid Realty |
Anthony Lolli is a real estate developer and founder of the Brooklyn-based brokerage firm Rapid Realty. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Anthony Lolli was born in New York City. His father was a teacher and his mother immigrated from Ecuador. [5] Lolli attended John Jay High School and then went to Brooklyn-based Kingsborough College. [6]
He entered the real estate industry in 1998, at the age of 19. [5] He founded Rapid Realty at the age of 21. [7] [8] According to Lolli, in 2009, Rapid Realty became the first rental-based real-estate franchise system in the US. [7] Lolli has stated that franchising became necessary for growth, because it gave top sales talent the opportunity to own their own business rather than simply managing it. [9] [10]
In 2013, the company expanded to California and Massachusetts. By 2014, Rapid Realty had become the largest rental-based real estate brokerage in New York City.[ citation needed ] The company uses an "assembly line" style sales process, wherein the commission generated from a transaction is split among multiple agents who each played a different role in the deal, as well as their franchisees, and the parent company. [8] Lolli has stated that he hires people with no previous experience, claiming that they have not yet developed any bad habits. [8] That year,[ when? ] Rapid Realty began a policy where sales agents who received a tattoo of the Rapid Realty logo would receive a raise. [11] [12]
Lolli also founded Express Real Estate School, [6] which trains licensed real estate agents. [13] In addition to his rental agency company, Lolli has owned investment properties and a vacation home in Ecuador. [14]
In 2013, Lolli won Golden Bridge's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, [15] [16] the first real estate businessperson to receive the award. [5] He also received a Silver Stevie Award from the International Business Awards. [9]
Lolli's first book, The Heart of the Deal, a memoir of his career in real estate as well as a guide to investing, was published in June 2017. [17] [18]
In January 2014, Lolli became an advisor to the Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. [6] The hip-hop artist 50 Cent filmed commercials for his energy drinks at Lolli's home, located in Bay Ridge. [19]