Hot wheels: If your company supplied you with a company car of your choice. Which kind would you choose and why?
“A Chrysler 300M, because I’ve always wanted it, just haven’t gotten it.”
—Teresa Mercurio
Re/Max 100 Realty
“Probably a Lexus GS300. A nice car but not overly flashy.”
—David L. Wakefield
Pinnacle Financial
“I would choose a minivan because it would accommodate your buyer and other family members. Sometimes a buyer’s schedule includes taking the children and you want them to feel comfortable. I also like the idea of riding high where as in a car you are low to the ground. Also, minivans give the impression of family as opposed to flashy ride which demonstrates your financial status.”
—Scott Williams
Watson Realty
“I would get a Honda Odyssey loaded to the hilt. it looks nice, can hold a lot of balloons for open houses, is perfect for hauling around a bunch of little kids and is well liked by consumer reports magazine.”
—Kathrin Lancelle
Prudential Network Realty
“Oh, I love that Lexus RX300 in a light color! I think it looks slick. But, it is right out of the budget, so I will pick something else. I do love it, but would rather put the money into real estate!”
—Jenet Cattar
Cattar Realty
“If my company was going to supply me a car I would like to have a 2003 Gold Honda Accord Coupe. I like the body style on that car and it looks good in gold.”
—Debbie Dermody
Northeast Florida Association of
Realtors® Beaches Area Manager
Who is one real estate agent you
look up to and why?
“Norm Gregory. He is a man of integrity. Unfortunately, in these times, it is difficult to trust people based upon their word. Norm is one of those rare individuals that you can trust without putting pen to paper. I have had the pleasure of working with Norm in a couple of transactions. He holds the prestigious Certified Commercial Investment Member designation and as the senior site selector for Mercedes Homes, he is a true expert in land acquisitions. The North Florida community is fortunate to have a man such as this working in the real estate industry.”
—Justin Clark
Skinner Land
“Mike Carter, an agent with Re/Max Real Estate Specialists. He really seems to have it together. In my opinion, he is successful and a true family man.”
—David L. Wakefield
Pinnacle Financial
“My partner, Parker Arruda. While she has not been in real estate sales a long time, she has been in sales a long time. She is a true sales person. She makes sure she is very knowledgeable of our product, the competitors, and what the client wants. She uses all this to make the sale a win-win situation. She has a great attitude, is fair and is forceful enough to follow through in a way that everyone wants to work with her. She inspires me to be a better salesperson myself.”
—Christine Rich
ICI Homes at Turtle Shores
“This is a tough one. I am so fortunate to have joined a company that has more than its fair share of high achievers. Everyone in my office, Prudential Network Realty in Mandarin, is helpful, supportive and patient beyond belief. The one real estate agent, who has my eternal gratitude is Sheron Willson, Prudential Network Realty’s director of training. Somehow she managed to answer everyone of my sometimes very dumb questions. She encouraged me when I was ready to throw in the towel. She sat at my office for two hours while I wrote up my first contract. She returned my calls at all sorts of odd hours. She taught me how to turn an open house into a real event. Without her, I might not have stuck it out my first year. With her, I closed almost $3 million in business in a year.”
—Kathrin Lancelle
Prudential Network Realty
“My broker, Fred Cattar, who is my boss and my husband. He has many gifts, among them wisdom, patience, kindness and care. All the things that a broker needs. And he is honest!! I wish I had a half of his patience. He has a great business mind, too.”
—Jenet Cattar
Cattar Realty
“The agent I would desire others to emulate is Donna Delegal with Re/Max on San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin. Donna is experienced, very professional and has superb interpersonal skills. Additionally, when she is with a client she is very perceptive to their needs regardless of their home buying experience, economic status or cultural background. Prior to viewing any property or meeting another agent Donna has completed her homework and has briefed the home buyer on important factors about the neighborhood, homes, construction, warranties and other relevant social and physical aspects of that area, as well as the builders size, reputation and response to their needs. Donna always sets a standard for other agents and brokers to emulate.”
—June Merritt, D.R. Horton Inc.
What one technological aid can’t you do without?
“Handspring Treo, which is a palm pilot, calculator, and cell phone all in one.”
—Jeff Agar, Ryland Homes
“Equipment choice No. 1 would be a computer, No. 2 would be a cell phone, and No. 3 would be a calculator [although I wouldn’t need that if I had my computer!].”
—Jeanell Wilson, All South Realty, Inc.
“Cell phone is the most important of the tools mentioned.”
—Sandy Holdren
Realty Executives of Jacksonville
“If there were one thing that I wouldn’t want to live without it would definitely be the cell phone.”
—Mike Pellicer
Century 21 Mann-Pellicer Realty
“If I could have only one aide, it would be a cell phone because I remember the days before cell phones, when I would have to stop several times a day and use a pay phone. It is great for time management also. I use it to return calls while on the way to appointments. Also buyers now expect us to call from in front of the house so they can see it now.”
—Julie Thompson
Vanguard Realty, GMAC Real Estate
“My cell phone. I get so much more accomplished while I’m enroute to everywhere. I couldn’t and wouldn’t live without it.”
—Teresa Mercurio
Re/Max 100 Realty
“If I could have only one technological aid it would be my Treo. This combination cell phone, PDA, Internet access device by Handspring does just about everything. It contains my contacts, appointments, phone numbers, to do list, calculator, mortgage calculator, maps, photos, a mirror, access to the Internet and the ability to send and receive e-mail. What else do you need? Once Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service supports pocket real estate and the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Board of REALTORS MLS provides support for Palm O/S, it will have the MLS on it as well.”
—Barbara Jenness
Realty Executives of
Ponte Vedra Beach
“I believe my cell phone is my most valuable asset technologically because you can check on properties, lend it to your customer if they need to make a phone call, call for help if you need it for anything, call on listings to make an appointment of a house you didn’t see, use for emergencies, etc. I would be lost without it!”
—Connie Mabry
Coldwell Banker Walter
Williams Realty
“If I had a new item to select in technology it would be a Palm Pilot because I do believe it is convenient and saves time. I am concerned with reading any more small writing or looking at more screens. Also I like to write, so I do not at this time have a Palm Pilot.”
—Sandra Brown
Prudential Network Realty
“I think the one technological aid I would have would be the cell phone. I currently carry a day planner that has almost everything I need in it so I wouldn’t necessarily need the Palm Pilot. You can also get a cell phone with a calculator in it so you wouldn’t need one of those. Also, I can do crazy math in my head anyway. I don’t answer cell phone calls when I am out on a call. As a matter of fact, I leave the phone in the car.”
—Bob Hillis
Commercial Real Estate agent
“When I started selling real estate, we were in the days of carbon paper. The copy machine and fax has saved hundreds of hours and hassle. And I don’t have blue fingers anymore.”
—Naomi Lumley, Hines
“The only technological aid I couldn’t do without is my cell phone. It is a great time saver and helps me return phone calls in a timely fashion. In 1987 when I started in real estate, cell phones were fairly new and very expensive — over $500. Every time I got paged to call the office or a client, I had to stop and use a pay phone, which was very annoying and not safe in certain situations.”
—Linda Pankake
Re/Max on Park Avenue
“Definitely the cell phone. Years ago, when I first started selling real estate, I got lost one evening after a listing appointment. It was pitch black out there in the country, and I had no idea where I was. My husband kept paging me, and I was unable to respond. Finally, I saw a familiar landmark. The next day, I bought my first cell phone and I don’t leave home without one now! Safety first, of course!”
—Elke McMenemy
Florida Home Realty
“Definitely, most necessary is the cell phone. Convenience, opportunity to contact other agents and vendors and the safety factor in our line of work makes the cell phone my number one choice.”
—Terri Fitzgerald
Prudential Network Realty
“My cell phone is one item I could not do without. It also serves as my voice mail and I can forward it to my home phone if I want to. I can do business while waiting for a train, answer if I paged someone, etc.”
—Toy Scott, Norville Realty
“One technological aid that has helped me in my work would be my cell phone. Let’s face it, these days we rely on a lot of things. Personally, with my cell phone, I have all the essentials I need! I have a built in calculator, which comes in very handy. I have an address book for all my colleagues who can assist me with any challenges that may arise and most importantly I have a phone in case of an emergency. Being in real estate is an on-demand profession and you cannot survive without your phone.”
—Christine Steeghs, ICI Homes
“If I could only have one technological aid, it would be my financial calculator. It’s great to be able to give buyers an idea of what payments will be based on different prices and interest rates, without having to rely on anything except the calculator.”
— Sue Ann Ogden
Suncastle Properties, Inc.