Newly opened Messina Nord Toscano affiliated agency

Leading the project are Roberta Terranova, head of the Toscano affiliated agency, together with partners Francesco Cozzolino and Ettore Costanza

“I’ll start, since I’m the oldest - jokes Francesco - and not just in age.” With Toscano for more than 20 years (since 2003, to be exact), Francesco Cozzolino, Real Estate Broker Toscano, opened his first agencies in Palermo and in 2009 moved to Messina with a clear development plan, believing in the company and in its particular focus on technological innovation.

In 2015 he met Ettore Costanza, also a real estate broker at Toscano for 10 years. Together they launched a new entrepreneurial project, opening several affiliated offices between the two cities, becoming partners in all the agencies they opened. Up to the seventh one, Messina Nord, opened together with Roberta, a young and promising real estate agent who is now the owner of her first agency.

The meeting between Francesco and Ettore turned out to be more than positive for both. Together, they grew quickly, surrounding themselves with capable and reliable people with whom they chose to open new affiliated offices. Among them was Roberta, who says she is “still very excited about this new adventure.”

Roberta began her career as a real estate agent six years ago, in 2020, at the Messina Centro agency under Francesco’s guidance. She immediately jumped in, determined to learn the real estate agent role, doing so with method and precision.

As she grew within the agency, she became Sales Manager, giving her the opportunity to pass on what she had learned to new team members. “I love being able to teach and always be present for others. Today, I feel ready to train new resources in my office, sharing with them everything I’ve learned over these years of experience.”

A constant growth path that shows no signs of stopping. Because she is now officially the Broker of the Messina Nord agency. “We can finally say: we did it,” she says with a smile and a spontaneous victory gesture.

An important milestone that marks the beginning of a new professional journey as an entrepreneur in the real estate sector. But she is keen to clarify: “Entrepreneur, yes, but I’m still me—I’m not letting it go to my head. Being the owner of an agency also means having more responsibilities, which implies that you must always do more.”

A highly anticipated opening, but as Francesco explains, doing things properly requires time, commitment, and the right mindset. “Human resources are the foundation of our work: when a new agency opens, the key figure of the Sales Manager inevitably becomes missing. In this case, before Roberta opened the new office, we needed to make new hires so we would have capable people ready to step into her role.”

Choosing the right area is also a strategic asset: “We wanted to find the right space and the right location, create the office exactly as we wanted it and in the area that truly interested us.” The new affiliated office is located along the northern coast, in the wealthiest and most desirable part of the city, being a seaside, highly scenic area.

Finally, it was essential for them to open with team members already ready to join the agency. “Roberta, in fact, can already count on a very capable collaborator, with whom we can strengthen the offices.”

All factors that allowed them, even at the opening stage, to already have a good number of listings and to be active in both acquisitions and sales.

Finally, we asked all three what they would say to someone who wants to pursue a career as a real estate agent.

For Ettore, “you need to be tenacious, follow your ambitions and your way of being despite criticism or skepticism from others. And you must never give up—face all the challenges that may arise daily, recharge, and start again even stronger. Resilience always pays off in this profession.”

According to Francesco, it is also essential to help young people understand that the sector offers real career opportunities. “What I tell young people, during interviews and in the early stages of their activity, is to learn as much as possible so they can face their professional path with seriousness and determination. For us, the newest team member is welcomed as the best asset of our agency; we invest in them by defining concrete growth plans, both within the agency and at an entrepreneurial level.”

“Always give it a try, because it could be the job of your life,” says Roberta. “When the first satisfactions arrive, it’s the most beautiful feeling there is, and you realize that what you’re doing is the right thing. The secret is to never stop, always aim for new goals: it’s a continuous but wonderful challenge.”