Today we’d like to introduce you to Sormeh Attarzadeh.
Hi Sormeh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After graduating from LMU in 2015, I set out on a journey to pursue a career in law but soon realized that it was not my true passion. I felt lost and unsure of what my path was supposed to be. Making the decision to leave law school and pursue a different path was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make.
Growing up, I was taught that going to college and finding a stable career was the norm, and the pressure from society, coupled with my parents’ expectations, led me to blindly follow a path that I never truly wanted. However, after taking the leap and leaving law school, I felt a sense of relief and was supported by my parents and closest friends. Nonetheless, I was given the opportunity to intern for an entrepreneur in the real estate industry. Working closely with this individual I was exposed to the exciting world of real estate and technology and I quickly realized the potential for these two industries to intersect in a powerful way. My team and I, all millennials, recognized the inefficiencies in the real estate marketing ecosystem and saw a need for new technology. We noticed that the real estate industry had been heavily reliant on outdated technologies, and with our combined backgrounds in both real estate and marketing, we knew we were the perfect team to tackle this problem. We co-founded Zentap, with the goal to revolutionize the way real estate professionals market their properties and make it more efficient. We saw an opportunity to merge the two and create a software that provides marketing services for real estate professionals across the U.S. by automating the creation and advertisement of data-driven content. This software, now known as Zentap, has helped hundreds of clients understand social media marketing and create a business plan to accelerate their business digitally. My team and I have successfully provided solutions for an industry that has shifted from door-knocking to generating leads through social media. We’ve come a long way and still have so much more ahead of us.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When we first set out to launch our business, we were met with an overwhelming number of challenges. With no funding and no technical co-founder, we had to bootstrap the entire operation and resort to an agency model to get started. It was a daunting task, and we were filled with doubts and uncertainty about whether or not we could make it work. We knew that many of the solutions surrounding real estate marketing were based on outdated technologies and didn’t address the issue of branding. But with more real estate professionals than inventory, we saw an opportunity to help them stand out by enabling them to seamlessly build a brand around education online.
We started getting feedback and making cold calls to realtors in our co-founder’s garage back in December 2017, but it was a rough road. Despite the challenges, we were able to sign up real estate professionals for services we hadn’t even fully mapped out yet. However, with customers now actively paying us, we were forced to execute quickly and finally felt comfortable enough to invest whatever money we had into building the team we needed to start scaling and servicing our customers. It was a challenging journey, we faced many obstacles and it was not a smooth road but we were determined to make it work and we did!
As you know, we’re big fans of Zentap. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Zentap is revolutionizing the way real estate professionals market themselves and their properties. Our all-in-one solution automates the creation and distribution of branded digital content, lead generation, and brand awareness, saving our clients valuable time and money. What sets us apart from the competition is our cutting-edge automated software that makes it effortless for real estate professionals to continuously market themselves, allowing them to focus on what they do best: selling properties. We were one of the first companies to bring data-driven video content solutions to the residential real estate space, and our clients are reaping the benefits.
Our journey began in a small garage, where we started getting feedback and making cold calls to realtors. Although we hadn’t fully mapped out our game plan yet, with paying customers, we were forced to execute quickly and invest whatever money we had into building the team we needed to start scaling and servicing our customers. Within 6-12 months we were already at 150k MRR and growing rapidly.
We made a lot of mistakes along the way, but each one helped us perfect our product and become the industry leader we are today. Our dedicated team stayed positive through all the challenges, which was key to our success. We are proud to have helped so many real estate professionals stand out in today’s competitive landscape, and we are excited to continue growing and innovating to better serve our clients. I am incredibly proud of the brand we have built. Not only have we developed a solution that truly makes a difference in the lives of real estate professionals, but we have also established ourselves as a thought leader in the industry. Our innovative approach to marketing and our commitment to always pushing the boundaries of what is possible has set us apart from our competitors and earned the trust and loyalty of our clients.
I am also proud of the culture we have created at Zentap, where every member of our team is passionate about helping our clients succeed and dedicated to delivering the best possible service. The positive impact that our company has had on the real estate industry is something that I am truly proud of, and I am excited to continue shaping the future of real estate marketing with Zentap.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Identify your goals and the type of mentor you are looking for. This will make it easier to find someone who aligns with your interests and can provide valuable guidance. Look for opportunities to network in your industry. This can be through attending events, joining professional organizations, or even reaching out to people in your network who may be able to introduce you to someone in your desired field. I personally took this route and would not have expected to be where I am today, however, I could not be happier! So with that being said be open to new opportunities and don’t be afraid to reach out to people who you admire or look up to. Many successful people are more than willing to share their experiences and offer advice to those who are just starting out. And be prepared to put in the work and be willing to learn from your mentor. A successful mentorship requires effort from both parties.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zentap.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/zentap.now/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Zentap.Now
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/zentap-now/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@ZentapNow
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/sormeh-attarzadeh-1a5720105
