She has been a real estate agent with Arvida for a year and a half.
BEFORE ARVIDA?
She was with Watson Realty for two years.
SPECIALITY?
“I sell a lot of condominiums. It’s not that I specialize in that, I just have sold a lot of them all over Jacksonville.”
WHAT ARE THE
AREAS YOU HAVE
SOLD THE MOST?
“Baymeadows, Arlington and the beach.”
WHO INFLUENCED YOU TO GO INTO REAL ESTATE?
“My dad, Newman Rossie, worked for Watson Realty and now he works for a builder. So, he was a big influence.”
COLLEGE
She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in special education from Florida State University.
DID SHE USE
HER DEGREE?
Yes. She was a middle school special education teacher for three years and after her second child was born she quit working for about a year and a half. Eventually, she decided she needed to get into something different. “I just needed something else in my life where I could interact with adults. I needed something different. I couldn’t be with kids all day and then go back to my kids all night.”
HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?
“I love real estate. I ended up getting a lot of referral business from my father because he went with the builder. So, a lot of his past clients started calling me and I had my foot in the door. That was nice. I love being able to make my own hours and spend time with my children.”
BEST WAY TO
NETWORK?
She and her husband attend social events all over Jacksonville and she just lets people know what she does. “We have a large circle of friends and they know so then they tell other people.”
FAVORITE THING
ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“Being outside and looking at property. I love looking at the houses and meeting new people. Being a teacher, I like helping people. Especially first-time home buyers, they get so excited.”
LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“I don’t like it when people aren’t willing to negotiate a little bit. Sometimes you make an offer and they won’t even come down on the price at all. That is irritating. I also don’t like that I am never off call. That is something I don’t like — how people will call me up until 10 p.m. They think you don’t have a life.”
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW REAL ESTATE AGENTS?
“To listen to the customer. Pay attention to what they are saying. They aren’t going to want to see a bunch of houses that are stucco exterior if they told you brick exterior. Also, keep your decorating opinions to yourself because you might say ‘Oh, look at this carpet, it’s horrible,’ and they might love it. You never want to do that.”
BIRTHPLACE
Jacksonville.
HIGH SCHOOL
Sandalwood.
RESIDES
Arlington, but she and her family will be moving into their condominium at Serenata Beach in June.
FAMILY
Her husband, E. Andrus, is a National Football League and National Basketball Association sports agent. They have three children: Jordan, 8; Jackie, 4 and Lily, 18 months.
HOBBIES
When she is not working, she enjoys working out, cooking, outdoor hiking and spending time with her children.
FAVORITES
Her favorite movie “As Good As It Gets” and her favorite book is “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” When dining out she enjoys Medure’s in Ponte Vedra Beach. Captiva Island is where she and her family like to go to get away. “It has the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The water is so calm and it’s just like paradise.” When relaxing at home, she enjoys tuning into “Sex and the City.”
CHURCH
Holy Spirit Catholic.
—by Michele Newbern Gillis