Troy Puste

Pursuing His Passion Through Life Lessons and Mentorship

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Stylish Detroit

More than nine years ago, Troy Puste was a full-time registered nurse with a newfound love for redesigning and renovating properties. As he was completing his first renovation project on a waterfront property, his obsession grew more and more for real estate investing, and soon, he found himself rethinking his future career plans. Once the property closed, Troy was astonished to see the broker’s commission on the sale. From that day forward, he shifted his focus to real estate and quickly earned his real estate license. A few years later, he acquired his broker’s license.

Today, Troy is president and owner of Rise Real Estate & Co., an established boutique real estate brokerage located in the financial district of Detroit. He is also the associate broker for eXp Realty - Detroit and leads a dynamic team of eight agents. His role is to serve as a mentor and coach for all agents with the goal to lead by example. “I’m extremely hands-on with all my clients, and I encourage my team to be the same way,” Troy shared. “I understand many neighborhoods that most agents don’t understand and that has made us very unique. We take a ‘boots on the ground’ approach with our sellers, buyers, investors, builders and developers, and work with a reliable group of contractors to assist our investors with projects.”

Troy is passionate about training and developing diligent agents in the business. His enthusiastic approach and uplifting perspective helps his team understand the importance of relentless hard work and the value of perseverance. As a leader, Troy instills in his agents the mentality that failing is the gateway to thriving. Most importantly, he emphasized the significance for action. “In this business, it’s critical to learn how to fail often while still moving forward — I call it failing forward,” Troy said. “No one has to know all the answers or solutions; however, finding opportunities to learn, grow and improve will always lead to success.”

As an experienced real estate investor and a loyal Detroit resident, Troy has become a trusted source to individuals, developers and investors looking for some of the most sought-after properties in the downtown area, including Midtown, Corktown and other historic district neighborhoods.

Some of the biggest challenges Troy faces in his daily business practice is the need for consistent innovation. “With technology, times change quickly,” he said. “Social media and overall strategies need to stay on trend. My team and I overcome these obstacles by consistently analyzing the industry, brainstorming and learning ways to do better and be more efficient for our clients.”

Troy believes that success without fulfillment is the ultimate defeat. “Success takes massive and determined action,” Troy explained. “I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve.” Troy’s ambition earned him an Icon Agent Award in his first year at eXp Realty, and he was recognized as a Top 3 Broker in Detroit by Three Best Rated.

Additionally, Troy finds fulfillment in coaching other agents to maximize their full potential in both earnings and other professional goals. “Real estate gives back whatever you put in it,” Troy said. “There’s a direct correlation between hard work and income potential — it’s essentially limitless.”

Outside of real estate, Troy enjoys going to the gym, playing golf and hockey, and most importantly, spending time with his family. He and his wife Marissa recently welcomed their first child, Teagan. “Having my daughter brought new meaning to my life,” he said. “We enjoy the power of ‘now’ and the ecstasy of each and every moment together.”

To reach his level of achievement, Troy became his own best advocate. “I was self-influenced by my own experiences,” he said. “While I did read a lot of inspiring books and found really good mentors — which is maybe why I feel so strongly about my role as a mentor to others — I also paid attention to my failures and learned from them. My failures influenced me to become stronger and more consistent in my actions, and above all, it kept me on a path to pursue my potential.”

Celebrating Leaders - Troy Puste