Joyce Haley has been a Realtor with Watson Realty for almost four years.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
Lists and sells residential real estate in St. Augustine.
BEFORE REAL ESTATE?
Before she started having children, she worked for Clinique as an account coordinator and then as a store manager for a large department store. Before real estate, she worked part-time with her husband, Scott, as an office assistant in his company, Haley
Homes from 1986 to 1999.
HOW DID SHE GET INTO REAL ESTATE?
Her kids were getting to an age where they were a little more maintenance free and she wanted to change her career. She was selling her home and the real estate agent she used suggested that she should go into real estate. “She said I would be good at it.” So she got her license and loves it. “It’s what I was born to do. It’s the career I was always looking for.”
HOW IS SELLING REAL ESTATE IN ST. AUGUSTINE DIFFERENT THAN OTHER AREAS?
“People are drawn to St. Augustine because of the romantic vision of an old city and the historic nature of it. It is out of the realm of most tourist destinations. It’s not like an Orlando, people don’t come here for the theme parks. They come here for the beach, old city and historical value.”
WHO BUYS IN ST. AUGUSTINE?
Haley said there are so many needs that can be met in St. Augustine. Customers typically want beach front property, second homes or condominiums. “I’m getting a lot of Internet leads from people coming from North and South Carolina, Atlanta and Washington D.C. There are a lot of people coming out of those large metropolitan areas that want the ambiance that St. Augustine has. They want that small town setting to get away from the big city.”
INVOLVEMENT IN ST. AUGUSTINE BOARD OF REALTORS
Haley is the chair of the public relations committee which has several projects lined up to promote the Realtors in the community. “We want people to know more about us and do things in the community that will let people know that we care about the community.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“It’s challenging. Every deal is different and yet the same. You can have some consistency to it, but there is always something a little bit different to keep your interest. It’s financially rewarding and something you can do to help people. I’m able to meet a need that they have and help them make one of the most important decisions that they are ever going to make. Sometimes they don’t know what they want, so you have to help them make the decision.”
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW AGENTS?
“Make sure you have some money set aside so you can put a little bit of money into advertising and not panic if you don’t get a sale in the first month or two. Listen more than you talk to your customers and other people you come into contact with.”
HOMETOWN
Connecticut, but moved to Colorado after college.
MOVED TO ST. AUG.?
She first moved there in 1988 for four years. “The real estate and building market were not very good in St. Augustine then.” So, she and her husband moved to back Colorado for four years and then came back again in 1995 when her parents retired in St. Augustine.
WHAT DOES SHE LIKE TO DO WHEN NOT WORKING?
She enjoys running and runs the Gate River Run every year. She also enjoys reading books and spending time with her family. She is in a book club which meets once a month to discuss the books they’ve read.
HIGHER EDUCATION
She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in English from Central Connecticut State. She also recently earned her Broker’s license.
RESIDES
St. Augustine.
CHURCH
Destiny Church International.
FAMILY
She has been married to Scott, who owns Haley Homes, a construction company which specializes in custom homes, addition and renovations, for almost 18 years. They have three children, Ben, 17; David, 16 and Matthew, 11. “My family is very important to me.”
FAVORITES
A book she would recommend is “Boy’s Life,” by Robert McCammon and her favorite book is “Beach Music,” by Pat Conroy. She does not like to watch television, but sometimes she will tune into Fox News or the O’Reilly Factor with her husband. When traveling, she enjoys the Santa Rosa area or Colorado for hiking trips. Her favorite restaurant is La Pentola in St. Augustine.
— by Michele Newbern Gillis