When Dodona Roboci moved to the U.S. from her native Albania in 2007, she had no sense of the life that awaited her. While she relocated across the ocean for love, that relationship quickly fell apart. Yet, Dodona’s journey in the United States continued and, in the end, it’s been more fruitful than she could have imagined.

 

After a short stay in Michigan, Dodona relocated to Naples, where her sister lived. With its pristine beaches and year-round warm weather, Naples offered Dodona new beginnings and ample opportunity. She just had to figure out what she’d do professionally.

 

“There’s a European feel here in Naples — outdoor shopping and dining, a lot of walking areas… Then, there’s the warmth and the beautiful beaches, to be able to swim every day. It was a dream,” Dodona reflects. “But when I moved here in 2008, the employment market was terrible. Even though I had a master’s in business administration and a ton of experience in Albania, none of it translated here. I was either considered overqualified or not qualified and couldn't get a job anywhere.”

 

Dodona was forced to go back to the drawing board. How would she support herself in her new home? Real estate sales surfaced as an intriguing possibility.

 

“Admittedly, I was not too excited about starting in real estate because I was under the impression I was not a good salesperson. I see myself as an introvert. I had the image of a real estate agent, and I was not that. I am someone who enjoys connecting with a few people and going deep,” Dodona offers. “So why did I start in real estate? In real estate, I didn't need to ask anybody to hire me, and maybe I wouldn’t do well right off because I'm not that salesperson, but I saw the possibilities.”

 

Dodona started her career with doubts but plenty of motivation. The market was in turmoil, but she pressed on. As more experienced agents fled the business, she doubled down on her new career.

 

“I just kept doing what I could and not complaining about the market. I was taking it as it was. It started with relationships. An Albanian family was my first client. They couldn't speak English, and I got to feel like a hero. The business grew slowly from there.”

 

Fast forward 14 years, and Dodona is thriving in real estate. She now leads The Roboci Team with Royal Shell Real Estate, a team of four agents she founded in 2014. Dodona’s first team member was her sister, Ornela Dees, who left the banking industry to join Dodona in real estate. Today, the group includes two of Dodona’s sisters, Ornela and Erneta, their friend, Rei, and two administrative staff members, Grace and Jessa.

 

“We have a family culture,” Dodona says proudly. “Three of us are sisters, and one is a friend of ours, becoming like a little brother. He is also from Albania, so we share a culture. We have that family approach, even when dealing with clients, making sure we always do the right thing for them, guiding them as we would guide our family members.”

 

“In fact, we feel as a big family with our clients. Every March for nine years in a row, we get together with our past clients to celebrate with them as a big family. This past March, 140 of us got together aboard Naples Princess for a sunset cruise, exploring together the water views of Port Royal and the beauty that Naples offers.”

 

In 2022, The Roboci Team helped 65 families buy or sell for a total volume of $32.3 million. They are a group with an international reach, collectively speaking five languages: English, Greek, Albanian, Italian, and German.

 

Outside of work, Dodona’s greatest passion is travel. As a young girl, she dreamed (literally) of becoming a stewardess and traveling the world. While she never did work for the airlines, her passion for international travel has remained strong. She enjoys mixing travel with some of her other passions, like personal growth events, ballroom dancing, tennis, scuba diving, and skiing.

 

One of the biggest shifts in Dodona’s life since becoming a REALTOR® has been her mindset.

 

“I was told, when I first started, that the sky's the limit in real estate. Whenever they would tell me that, I would tell myself, ‘Yes, there is no ceiling, but there is no floor either.’ I had negative thinking. Eventually, I learned that the floor didn't matter unless I planned to stay there, and if I forget about the floor, the sky is truly the limit. I can see the unlimited potential for personal and professional growth, for connecting with all kinds of people and growing the business in a way that creates a positive impact in all the circles around me.

 

“Success is not a platform; it’s a ladder. It's a ladder you can go up if you always give more than expected… I didn't realize it at the time, but that's what brought me success — doing more than what's expected, taking care of people that are around me, believing in myself, having a positive mindset, and leaning into the teachings of my mentors.”