Anne Barbanel has been a Realtor with Century 21 John T. Ferreira & Son, Inc. for three and a half years.
BEFORE CENTURY 21?
She was with Watson Realty in Fernandina Beach for three and a half years.
HER HISTORY?
Barbanel has been a licensed Realtor since 1977 in Pittsburgh. She’s been a Realtor in Atlanta and Pennsylvania before moving to Amelia Island in 1996. Before real estate, she taught school for 10 years and was also a flight attendant with Delta Airlines.
WHY GO INTO
REAL ESTATE?
“I was always intrigued by the business and loved houses. People say I am a people person and I really enjoy people’s satisfaction when they buy a house.” Barbanel had also moved a lot and bought and sold several houses. She said she really enjoyed the entire process.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“Trying to achieve 100 percent customer satisfaction.”
HOW DID YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP YOU IN REAL ESTATE?
As a flight attendant and teacher, Barbanel had a lot of experience serving and teaching people prior to entering real estate. She said those experiences helped her immensely. “People seem to think a real estate agent’s job is easy, but it’s not. You have to be able to recognize what people are looking for even if they don’t realize it at first. You have to have a lot of patience.”
TOP PRODUCER?
Barbanel has been a top producer for years in real estate. “Last year I was a $10 million producer and this year I will be at $20 million. I work 24 hours a day and seven days a week. I don’t take anything for granted. I think you must be very knowledgeable about your area and know what you are doing. It’s not a part-time job. It is a full-time job. My job is to make the profession much more professional.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
The Amelia Island/Nassau County Board of Realtors and the Amelia Island-Fernandina Beach-Yulee Chamber of Commerce.
INVOLVEMENT IN THE BOARD?
Barbanel is the current chair of the communications committee for the board. “I wanted to get more involved in the board and communications was one of the fields that I was interested in. My job was to communicate and if anyone had any events going on, I was to make sure they went out on our e-mail newsletter. Also, I sent articles to the local newspaper. What we want to do is to show the community that the Realtors are involved in the community and not just here to sell homes.”
ADVICE FOR A NEW AGENT?
“Learn the area that you are working in and your contracts.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“To not depend on anything another agent says and to always verify. The bottom line is that the buck stops with you when it comes to your customer.”
COLLEGE
Barbanel has a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Georgia.
HOMETOWN?
Atlanta.
RESIDES
Oyster Bay Harbours.
PERSONAL STUFF
When she is not working she enjoys taking cruises, traveling and spending time with her three grandchildren. She has been married to Sid, her marketing manager, for 43 years. She has two daughters, Amy and Bonnie. She cites “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell as her favorite book. Her favorite getaway spot is Italy. A movie she saw recently and recommends is “De-Lovely.”
-by Michele Newbern Gillis