Episode 16Marko Arsik landed in the United States at 18 years old with no money, no connections, and no plan beyond getting to New York City. His first job was washing dishes on Martha’s Vineyard. He quit on day two.
Today, Marko and his partner Jason Lau rank #19 in New York City real estate. Their team of four crossed $300 million in transactions this year and over half a billion in career sales. They work with ultra high net worth clients, selling penthouses and luxury properties across Manhattan.
“What am I going back to? Serbia. So I have nothing to lose.”
Marko was born in Serbia during a period of instability. His family lost everything and moved four times in one year. He started working at nine years old because there was no other option. By the time he was 17, he had already been working for years. When he heard about a student exchange program to the US, he saw it as his only shot.
In this episode of the Take The Power Back podcast, Marko sits down with Jason Mickool to share how he went from dishwasher to luxury realtor, why he cold called 400 people for one yes, and what it takes to build a career when you start with nothing.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
Marko asked the student exchange program to place him as close to New York City as possible. They sent him to Martha’s Vineyard. He landed in Boston, confused about why they did not fly into New York if it was so close.
His first job was dishwasher at a restaurant. On day two, he walked up to the manager and said he wanted to quit.
“I said, I want to quit. He said, please tell me why. I said, because I need to be around people. I am very good with people. I know how to talk to people. This is not what I should be doing. I know I can do much better.”
The manager let him go. His visa expired in two weeks. He found another restaurant to sponsor him, moved into waiting tables, and started building toward New York.
The lesson: recognize a dead end fast and get out. Marko knew dishwashing would not take him anywhere. He had two weeks and no backup plan. He found a way anyway. If you want to learn more about our mission to connect ambitious people with real opportunity, this is what we mean by taking control of your career.
When Marko decided to get into real estate, a friend told him she knew someone who made $5,000 on a single deal. His reaction was immediate: what if I do three deals? What if I do 300 million?
He got his real estate license while working at a club until 4am, then showing up first to the office at 7am. For a year and a half, he ran on two hours of sleep.
He signed up for a lead program that sent him contacts from people requesting mortgage pre-approvals. He called every single one.
“After maybe 400 nos, I get one yes. This guy tells me, I went to see this house in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It is $1.4 million and I want to submit an offer.”
Marko had never sold a property. He asked his broker how to do it. The broker had never sold anything either and told him to treat it like a rental. At the closing table, Marko was googling what brokers do at closing tables.
The commission check was $40,000. That was more than he had made in the entire previous year.
The math is simple: 400 nos and one yes equals $40,000. Most people quit after 50 nos. The ones who keep going collect the check.
After that first deal, Marko decided he needed to be at a real firm. He targeted Corcoran, one of the most prestigious brokerages in New York City. At the time, Corcoran did not hire new agents. You needed a track record.
Marko started spamming their management with emails.
“I said, hey, I sold a property now. No one else has sold a property in my company. I need to be at the place where everyone sells properties. Can I meet with you?”
A manager named Linda Holland Hoen saw his email and agreed to meet. He got in.
Within his first year at Corcoran, Marko closed a $4 million penthouse deal from an online lead he paid for. That client then needed to sell her current place for $2 million and introduced him to another buyer. In two months, he had done $10 million in transactions. He won Rookie of the Year.
Gatekeepers say no until you give them a reason to say yes. Marko’s reason was simple: I already did something nobody else at my level has done. Let me in. Want to connect with employers who value ambition over credentials? Browse jobs from companies that hire for potential.
Marko does not see himself as a salesperson. He sees himself as someone who lives a certain lifestyle in New York City and shares it with clients.
“I am not showing you an apartment. I am setting you up with an entire New York City lifestyle. Restaurants, museums, hobbies, where to drive, where to go. I am giving you this entire concierge package because it is what I live, and I just show it off to my friends.”
The difference between a transactional broker and a luxury broker is the value beyond the transaction. A transactional broker shows you a property. A luxury broker solves your life. They have a driver pick you up. They send you restaurant lists. They get you into the piano bar that has a line around the block.
This approach did not happen overnight. Marko started with half million dollar rentals. Over years, he built relationships, learned the market, and positioned himself as someone who understands luxury because he lives it. The clients followed.
If you want to hear from more professionals who have built careers in competitive industries, book a speaker for your organization or explore the Incubator Hub to start building your own path.
Throughout his career, people told Marko he was crazy. You need connections. You need to be from a certain class. You do not know the city. You do not know anyone.
His response was always the same: where am I going back to?
“I am either going to make this happen with this new job that I know nothing about, or I go back. There was no going back because what am I going back to? Serbia. So I have nothing to lose.”
This is the psychology that produces outlier results. When retreat is not an option, you find a way forward. Every year of Marko’s life in the US has been better than the year before. That creates its own momentum. You cannot go backward when you have tasted forward.
His advice to young people: go for it. Do not be scared. The fear you have when you are young will stop you from doing anything significant. If something inside you says you are meant for this, put 150% of yourself into it. You are capable of more than anyone is telling you.
It depends on your tolerance for risk and your belief in your own abilities. Salaried roles offer stability and predictable income. Commission roles offer unlimited upside but require you to produce. Marko Arsik chose commission because he saw a ceiling in salary. When someone told him he could make a million dollars, his response was: why not two? If you have a scarcity mindset and need safety, salary may be right. If you believe you can outwork the average person and want uncapped earnings, commission creates that opportunity. Neither is wrong, but they attract different people.
Eliminate Plan B. Marko Arsik arrived in the US with no money, no connections, and no industry knowledge. His advantage was that going back to Serbia was not an option. That removed hesitation. When retreat is impossible, you find a way forward. Start with whatever job gets you in the door, work harder than anyone else, and use every interaction to build toward the next step. Marko went from dishwasher to waiter to club promoter to real estate agent to luxury broker. Each step funded the next. The key is refusing to stay in situations that lead nowhere.
Start at the bottom and let relationships compound over time. Marko Arsik began with rentals and half million dollar properties. Over seven years, he built a network, learned the market, and positioned himself as someone who lives the luxury lifestyle he sells. The shift happens when you stop being a salesperson and start being a concierge. Luxury clients are not buying a property. They are buying a lifestyle. If you can deliver restaurants, connections, access, and expertise beyond the transaction, you become indispensable. That takes years of showing up, learning the market, and building trust one deal at a time.
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“This story was first posted on Take the Power Back on March 16, 2026.”
