Ton Ali first was introduced to real estate through his mother, who earned her real estate license when he was a child.
“We were living in Florida, and when she took the classes I helped her study every night,” says Ali, who opened Cornerstone Group Realtors in 2010 – a business that started in his basement. “I found it interesting.” Over time the company has flourished as the community has recognized the value in what he has created. Focused on hiring agents who are educated and well-trained, he pays his realtors to further their education.
“There are different designations in real estate and I’ve paid for my agents to pursue designations in areas that interest them,” Ali says. “They learn to better serve groups, from veterans to seniors.” Being a broker is the highest level of education you can get in the state, and 40% of the realtors at Cornerstone Group Realtors are brokers.
“We’ve seen steady growth and will end 2022 stronger as a company,” Ali says. “That is because I have the best agents. I love them. They are not only good agents, but good people.”
Though he was eager to start his own real estate company, many questioned his timing as he launched Cornerstone Group Realtors at the height of a market crash. But Ali forged ahead, and having persevered through that period, he says he feels better prepared to help people with whatever the post-pandemic real estate market brings.
“I kind of feel like we have been through the fire already,” he says. “Whatever is coming around the corner with COVID-related unemployment and possible foreclosures, we are ready to deal with that in a compassionate way.”
He recalls the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, when he knew of others in the business who were dropping everything else in order to just handle foreclosures.
“It was very difficult what people were going through, and that’s not how I wanted to make money,” says Ali, who ultimately wanted to help clients in need. “This market is very different and we are ready to take care of people and hopefully get them through the process with minimal loss. We have already had some success. It’s all about taking care of people. You need somebody who is looking out for you, who will sit down and say, ‘Hey, we’re here for you.’”
Years ago Ali came to Louisville as a UofL student and member of the Kentucky Air National Guard. He fell in love with the area, which is why he chose to remain here and start a business.
In 2018 Cornerstone Group Realtors moved into a new retail space that was an empty shell. The agents wanted to help with the build by grabbing a paintbrush and pitching in.
“We all came together with ideas and each person put their mark on it,” Ali says. Ultimately the office, which has a whole wall of glass, turned out beautifully. Though these days most clients call or connect with them online, it’s still nice to have a convenient office in which agents and their clients can convene.
“It’s very tech-oriented and virtually paperless,” Ali says. “We have a video conference room with a 42” screen. In our present environment, clients can meet us, masked, sanitized, and ready to see homes and write offers. It’s a great meeting space.”
Cornerstone Group Realtors is located at 2948 Yorkshire Blvd. in Louisville. For more information, call 502-386-6244 or visit them online at cgr-ky.com.
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