Elvin Villalobos and his wife Jacqueline Acevedo purchase RE/MAX InterAction Realty from his mentor and friend, David Mohabir.
By Saraana Jamraj
For Tamarac residents, Elvin Villalobos is a familiar face—as a neighbor who is always vocal about his love for the city, as a former mayoral candidate, and most recently, as a real estate agent.
On June 4, he’ll take on a new role as owner of RE/MAX InterAction Realty with his wife and co-owner, Jacqueline Acevedo.
Since 2019, he’s been a Real Estate Agent at their location at 7801 W Commercial Blvd, which was owned and managed by David Mohabir.
Under Mohabir’s mentorship, Villalobos learned the ins and outs of serving people going through significant transitions in life. He says that going through the incredibly emotional experience of buying and selling a home requires compassion and empathy.
According to Villalobos, Mohabir is loved and respected by the 31 agents who work at the office. However, after a decade of helping the office grow, he was ready to see RE/MAX InterAction through the next phase of development.
For him, that meant selling the business to Villalobos and Acevedo, who will become the new owners on June 4.
“It is the right decision, the best decision I could have made as I see the full potential in Elvin Villalobos leading RE/MAX InterAction into the future by continuing to serve the community of Tamarac and sister cities with their real estate needs. I will remain manager until the end of the year to see the transition through,” said Mohabir.
The agents at the office have performed hundreds of transactions for both sellers and buyers each year, and are Trustee Members of the Tamarac/North Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.
More than anything, both Mohabir and Villalobos have prioritized making community service an integral part of the RE/MAX InterAction culture. They have invested in the community through food drives with local churches, donations to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, annual Christmas toy drives, and support for various organizations throughout the year.
Villalobos is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Tamarac Historical Society, the Tamarac Census Ambassador Committee, and vice president of the Homeowner’s Associations at Westwood 3.
“It is a must, and I emphasize, a must, to give back, to be there for the community, to serve the community,” said Villalobos.
Villalobos was born in Nicaragua, raised in Miami, and purchased a home in Tamarac five years ago with Acevedo, and their daughters, Leila and Isabella. Since moving here, he’s been passionate about what a great city it is to live in.
Acevedo is a first grade teacher at Central Park Elementary School, and she’ll be joining Elvin as a co-owner of the business he’s worked at for the past year.
Villalobos emphasized that throughout his career at RE/MAX InterAction, he’s realized how much of a lifeline real estate is in the community.
He said that communities need professional realtors to care about the wellbeing of each person they serve and that it’s in everyone’s best interest for clients to be served with integrity.
“Our agents love what they do, which is to serve their friends, neighbors, and loved ones with love – that makes a difference in how we conduct business,” said Villalobos.
People often ask the wrong question when it comes to real estate—looking for a good time or bad time to sell or buy a home, instead of analyzing whether it’s the right time for them, personally.
With the economy hitting record unemployment, the real estate market is evolving with low-interest record rates and a tightening of lending guidelines, which will lead those with qualifying parameters to reap the benefits.
As he moves towards this next phase, Villalobos encourages residents who are unable to make a purchase now to reduce debt, increase savings, and work on a 12-month-plan to improve credit scores.
He hopes to serve Tamarac, the city he calls home and loves, and community members in the surrounding areas, as he takes on this new role.
“We look forward to serving our communities with their real estate needs as we charge into the future,” said Villalobos.
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