Deborah Phelan has been a Realtor with ERA Fernandina Beach Realty in Fernandina Beach since 2002.
WHERE did she work BEFORE?
She was a sales associate and manager for O’Connor Piper and Flynn, a real estate company in Baltimore, for 20 years. “They were subsequently bought out by Cendant and NRT, which owns the ERA brand.”
AREA SHE COVERS?
All of Nassau County.
MOVED TO AMELIA ISLAND?
She moved to Amelia Island in 2002 with the intention to retire. “I got bored and got a job at a retail store. She wanted me to work more and more hours and I figured that if I was going back to work, I wanted to go back and do something I knew how to do and would make money, so I joined ERA.”
WHAT’S GOING ON IN NASSAU COUNTY?
Phelan said there is a lot of growth in Nassau County with 10,000 homes on the drawing board off the island. “The island is almost saturated. There are a few little projects left to do, but after that the land will be gone. Off the island, there is Home Depot, Target and other shopping centers coming. There is going to be a tremendous growth area between I-95 and the Island. There is a lot of activity out there and the prices are more affordable.”
BEFORE REAL ESTATE?
She was a librarian in a middle school in Maryland. “I had a whole library science program on how to use the library, our filing system and the Dewey Decimal System that I coordinated with the English teachers.”
COLLEGE
She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in institutional technology from Towson State University. “I am currently working on getting my Certified International Property Specialist designation. We are becoming more multicultural, so I feel it is important to be a resource to be able to tap into that market.”
HOW DID SHE GET HER START IN REAL ESTATE?
She and her ex-husband used to drive around on weekends looking at houses. “We got to be known in the area because we looked at homes in local communities all the time. It got to be embarrassing because the Realtors would say ‘Oh, here they come again.’ I needed to find an excuse to go into these houses so that’s when I got my real estate license. I was still teaching at the time but I decided to get my license and learn the business. This was in the early 1980’s when rates were very high so I figured I would learn the business and when the rates came down, I would know what I was doing. In 1986, I decided to do real estate part time and then went full-time.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“I like the challenge of trying to match people with the right property and then trying to make the whole deal work.”
HOW HAS YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP YOU NOW?
“Coming from an educational background, I believe in giving all of my customer’s very detailed information so that they can make informed decisions.”
CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB?
“The challenging part is having a customer who likes everything. Some of them like everything, so it is very difficult to zero in and find them the house that will meet their requirements.”
PET PEEVES?
Phelan said her major pet peeve is how business is not conducted properly. “I come from a very litigious state and one of the things we were always taught to do is to make sure all the I’s were dotted, T’s were crossed, disclosures were given and everything done in writing. What I find in this state is that a lot is not done in writing. For example, there will be a home inspection and someone will come back with a request for certain things to be repaired, but not in writing. They should fill out a form with what they want and have it signed by the seller so you know exactly what they have agreed to do and not do. I find if people don’t do the necessary paperwork it causes other problems. If you put it in writing, there is no question.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“Be patient. Sometimes, patience is not one of my virtues. Also, you can never tell a book by its cover. You have someone walk in who doesn’t look like they can afford anything, only to find out they can afford anything they want. You should never pre-judge.”
BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Don’t spend money or time on anyone until you know how serious they are about buying real estate. A lot of people think that we are tour guides. I bring them in the office and find out what they need and then give them a list of properties that qualify and a map. I tell them to drive around and if they find anything that is interesting to them to let me know I would be more than happy to help them. My time is money. Determine their motivation before spending any money or time on a customer.”
PERSONAL
The Baltimore native lives in Amelia Island Plantation and is a member of the Amelia Island/Nassau County Association of Realtors. Phelan has been married to William for five years and between them, they have five children. When she is not working, she enjoys golfing and going to the beach. A movie she saw recently and would recommend is “North Country.” Two books she recommends are “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand and “The Spiral Staircase” by Karen Armstrong.” When relaxing at home, she enjoys tuning into “Commander and Chief” or “West Wing.” When dining out, she enjoys Bistro Aix in Jacksonville. When traveling, she enjoys Savannah or New York.
- by Michele Newbern Gillis