Realtor/ERA One Source Realty
About
My total focus is my client whether buyer or seller. I am a no nonsense, cards on the table and no BS person. That's the New Yorker in me. It is my job to tell you what you NEED to hear, not what you want to hear. What I bring to the table, no one else in this area can. I am a degreed Accountant with 30+ years experience. Controller level at Non Profits and Public Companies including a local Law Firm where I was the Office Administrator in charge of emloyees as well as our in House Title Company. From 2005 to current I have always been a Multi Million Dollar producer. I work where my client needs me to go. So we may start in Lackawanna County looking for a home and wind up in Monroe. Communication is a strength. I use whatever the client prefers to use. Cell phone, texting, FaceBook Messenger and email. Having other agents work with me I can always assure my client that their needs will always be met. Whether it is suggestions for staging, de cluttering, minor fixes or changes, those services are part of what I bring to a seller. When you are the buyer, I have many professionals that I can recommend for inspections, mortgage, insurance and renovations. All having the same mindset that I do as it relates to my clients. Sellers want a person that is going to help them achieve the sale of their home for the best price. It's my job to get them there with negotiation of the price and helping hold the line on inspections to just what is health and safety. Buyers want me to get them the best, lowest, price and help them navigate inspections for the safety of their family.
I am passionate about working with first time home buyers. Getting them to the finish line and seeing those keys in their hands can bring me to tears. Recently I helped a great couple finally find the home of their dreams after a 2 year search. It was a unique moment for both of us. My belief is that everyone deserves to have a home of their own and I will do everything in my power to help them make it happen. Helping a Seller move on either to a new area whether here or around the world is satisfying. Sometime sellers have to part with a family home and that has a great deal emotions with it. This is another place where I shine. Holding a hand, giving an understanding hug are all part that process.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Meeting a person listening to them. Most agents go in and show charts and have pages and pages of data. I ask a question and listen to the answer. Speaking with a Seller, I want to find out about what their goal is. Why they find the need to sell. What has been their experience in the past if there was another agent that represented, good or bad. Then we take a break and have the Seller give me a tour of their home. As I do that, I make a mental note of things that I see that perhaps need to be fixed, painted, moved, etc. When we sit down again, we will talk about this. The last thing i want is for a seller to spend money they do not have to in getting their home ready for sale. We talk about things that really need to be addressed. One thing I urge sellers to do is have great curb appeal for their home. Flowers and plants are a worthwhile investment and go a long way welcoming buyers to your home. We talk about getting the house ready for the professional photographer. One picture is worth a thousand words. Buyers are shopping on line 6 months or more before they call an agent. A house on line gets 6-7 seconds to grab the attention of a buyer. Those pictures have to be awesome. Once you have them, they will look more and reach out to an agent to see your home. The order of the pictures is important as well. How many times have you looked on line and seen the first 10 pictures of the outside? Most people leave the site then. I have the first 7-8 pictures be the best parts of the home to again get that buyer to want to see more. This is marketing. Knowing what the consumer on the other side wants to see. I also utilize on line marketing through FaceBook, Instagram and YouTube and my personal professional website.
If I am meeting a new person that is looking to buy, I suggest that we meet at a Dunkin. It's friendly there, a great neutral place. I am there to answer their questions and explain how I work with new buyers. I go over the process that goes into finding the right place. No two conversations with new buyers is the same. I want them to know that I am going to educate them during the entire process so that when it come time to make an offer, they may have butterflies, but they will be confident.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Since taking my first real estate classes in 2005, I make sure that every year I take classes or attend a conference to expand on my knowledge and skills.
My Accounting/Business background is extremely important to me everyday. Buying or selling a home is a financial transaction. I need to be able to advise my client of the ins and outs of what their offer means or the offer they receive.
I am OCD where contracts are concerned. An Agreement of Sale is the most important document a buyer or seller can sign. Coming from a businss background, I have a deeper knowledge of this. I have a Fiduciary responsibility to be able to explain these to my clients.
Each year I attend a Marketing Conference to update my skills.
Weekly I take on line classes.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your services? If so, please share the details here.
When listing a house the seller and I discuss my commission. I explain what is common in this area. We also talk about if the seller wants to lower that number what it will mean with attracting other agents to show their home.
How did you get started in this business?
When I moved to this area 22 years ago I went home shopping. There was no sitting down and asking what I was looking for. Just showed me homes.
Several years later I was in the market again and went to an open house. There was a make agent sitting on a folding chair with his feet up on a TV stand. The TV was on and he was watching the game. Walk around he said an let me know if you need anything. WOW. I can do better than this. People need to know about the process. That is when I decided to get my license.
What types of customers have you worked with?
All types. From here, not from here. Moving up, downsizing. Selling and buying investment property, selling a late family members home. People selling a house in one state and buying here later in the day. Relocation to and from here. Friends and family of past clients. Filling vacancies for clients that have apartments for rent that live out of state.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a pro in your area of expertise?
Listen to what they are telling you. Ask them questions about if they have handled a situation similar to yours. Ask them if they are Full Time or they have another job and just do this when they can. Ask them if they have references or review from previous clients. Ask them if they practice Dual Agency and how often they do. Dual Agency is when an agent the is the listing agent can represent the seller as well as the buyer. The agent has to walk a fine line here. In my experience, one of the parties in this situation never walks away 100% happy. I do not practice Dual Agency. You can't serve two masters.