Mercy Lugo-Struthers launched her real estate career in 2008, in the early days of the Great Recession. While the real estate market and the broader economy unraveled, Mercy laid the foundation for what has become a tremendously successful real estate career. She spent the early days of her career working foreclosures and short sales and guiding clients through crises. As the economy improved, so did her business, and she became one of Northern Virginia's top agents.

 

Mercy took the next step in 2019, founding the Mercy Lugo-Struthers Team at Casals, Realtors®. The following year, she had a realization: after selling real estate for over a decade, she was ready to put more of her focus on training and leadership. Mercy transitioned away from helping buyers (she still lists homes) and directed more of her efforts toward fostering the development of her staff and agents.

 

“One day, I woke up and realized my true passion. I understood it was my time to pass on my knowledge. I was finally ready to own my desire to help other agents through training and support,” Mercy explains.

 

“The legacy I want to leave behind is about growing a new breed of real estate advisors. For me, that's huge. I'm growing a team. I’m growing my staff. I’m growing leaders. I’m building a legacy.”

 

The results of Mercy’s transition have been impressive. The Mercy Lugo-Struthers Team has grown from five to 25 agents, closing 200 transactions for over $100 million in 2022.

 

While the group has grown rapidly, Mercy still hand-selects every agent. When interviewing agents, she’s looking for a strong mindset, a passion for customer service, a spirit of gratitude, accountability, and a willingness to collaborate.

 

“The real estate industry is changing and has been changing dramatically,” she explains. “The past few years, things have accelerated. I manage a lot of younger agents that have been struggling but have grit. That grit is extremely important to me. I want to hire the right people with the right growth mindset. Our agents manage a business with a business plan. They are thirsty to learn more. They come to the office four days a week for what we call ‘Focus Time.’ They truly enjoy coming to the office, not only to focus but to collaborate. We have a little work family, to a degree.”

 

Mercy’s primary goal is to become Virginia's top team, but she doesn’t shoot for a number-one ranking in the traditional sense. To Mercy, being number one means being the agent or team that’s top of mind in the market.

 

“To have a client that comes back to us, that refers us to others — that’s being number one, that's being top of mind. I want a group of people that know how to do that,” she explains.

 

Mercy is also proud of her role on the Zillow Premier Agent Advisory Board, a role she shares with 27 other agents. Prior to becoming a Realtor, she spent over 20 years in marketing, so having another outlet for her creative passion has been exciting. She’s able to offer input on how the industry is changing, collaborate, and strategize.

 

Although Mercy’s business model has shifted, her values remain unchanged. The big difference is that now she is aligned with her true passion — to serve.

 

“For me, it’s all about the passion to serve. And the more you give, the more you get. Whether I am focused on delivering an outstanding experience to the home sellers I serve, or whether I’m doing that to help other young people carry on my legacy and be successful — that's what I wake up every day for. My alarm clock goes off, and I am excited about the day I have ahead of me. I have that passion to serve.”

 

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Mercy and her husband, Brent, have two grown children, Brandon (25) and Britton (23). Mercy is having fun with her transition to empty-nester; she and Brent downsized their home and simplified their lives over the past few years. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her two dogs. “I understand sometimes I have to slow down to move forward.”