An Interview with Sandra Rathe, CEO of The Sandra Rathe Team

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

Sandra Rathe: Honestly, it happened by accident! I was originally a CPA and worked with companies like Price Waterhouse, Gerber Scientific, and United Technologies as an auditor and controller. After having children and moving across the country for my husband’s job, I realized I no longer wanted the rigid office hours that came with accounting.

While I’ve always been comfortable working hard and putting in long hours, I wanted the flexibility to drop off and pick up my kids, and be present for all their events — from musicals to soccer games and hockey matches.

That’s when I started thinking about a career change and decided to get my real estate license. Initially, my goal was property management, something I had experience with from managing my own rentals. But after getting licensed, I found that most companies were reluctant to take on the liability of property management.

Eventually, I decided to give real estate sales a try — and to my surprise, it took off! Fifteen years later, I’m proud to lead one of the top real estate teams in the country.

Great Companies: What are the various services provided by The Sandra Rathe Team?Sandra Rathe: We offer a concierge-style real estate service, not only to our clients but to anyone seeking guidance — even if they’re not currently buying or selling.

Our philosophy is relationship-first. That means we're here for any home-related questions, whether or not it results in a transaction. While we’re compensated only when we close a property, our services go well beyond the sale.

We want people to think of us as their go-to resource for anything related to their home, their community, or real estate in general. We’re happy to guide, support, and inform — even if someone doesn’t plan to sell for years.

Great Companies: What makes The Sandra Rathe Team different from hundreds of other similar service providers?

Sandra Rathe: Our expertise and service level truly set us apart. We are not just here to close deals — we’re here to build lifelong relationships.

We are highly educated and continuously trained, ensuring that we bring the latest insights in market trends, home maintenance, and property sales. Continued education is a core part of our team culture.

And most importantly, we put people before property. The relationship always comes first, which is why so many of our clients return — and refer others — again and again.

Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

Sandra Rathe: The biggest challenge hasn’t been the home sales process — we've refined that into a well-oiled machine through training and experience, as reflected in our 500+ 5-star Google reviews and over 700 Zillow reviews.

The real challenge lies in building the right team. We’re extremely selective about who we work with. Every team member must uphold our high standards of customer service, integrity, and work ethic.

Hiring the wrong person can hurt the whole team, so we’re intentional about choosing individuals with a can-do attitude who are committed to excellence. From there, we invest heavily in training and development.

Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for The Sandra Rathe Team?

Sandra Rathe: Over the next five years, our goal is to double our team size in the East Boca area while maintaining our core focus on service and relationships.

We’ve identified strong demand in the Boca-to-Pompano Beach corridor for top-tier agents who prioritize customer service — and we’re ready to meet that need.

We’ll continue expanding organically in Broward County as well, always staying rooted in our values of trust, integrity, and client care.

Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Sandra Rathe: Focus on your strengths. Identify your “one thing” and commit to doing it consistently at a high level.

Real estate rewards persistence. You may not see results immediately — but don’t get discouraged. Instead, double down. Keep showing up, keep serving people, and results will follow.

And above all, build relationships, not just deals. When you focus on people and put in the hard work, success will come naturally.

www.SandraRAthe.com