Darlene Joseph has been a Realtor with Watson Realty Corp. since 1992.
BEFORE JOINING WATSON?
She lived in Iowa and worked for the Better Homes and Gardens there.
“When I moved to Iowa I couldn’t find a teaching job, so I got a real estate license. When Better Homes and Gardens found out I had a teaching background, they wanted me to teach real estate courses for them.”
She then started selling real estate. “The more I sold, the less I wanted to teach.”
BEFORE REAL ESTATE?
She was an elementary school teacher for eight years.
SPECIALITY?
Joseph does a lot of relocation work. “I moved so many times because my husband was in the military. I can really identify with that type of customer since I was in that situation for so many years.”
AREA SHE CONCENTRATES ON?
Mandarin and Northern St. Johns County.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THOSE AREAS?
“They are really getting full. There is not near as much new construction as there used to be. There are a lot of resales in the area and prices are going up so high it is unbelievable. I never could have foreseen how much they have gone up.”
WHY ARE THOSE AREAS SO POPULAR?
Joseph said that when developments on Country Road 210 and Julington Creek first opened they seemed so remote, but since commercial development and more communities followed, they are not remote any more. “The next big area will be the Nocatee area.”
WHAT ELSE DO YOU SEE GOING ON?
“There are so many condominiums and townhomes going up that it is hard to keep up with all the apartment conversions to condominiums. There is not enough land to accommodate new homes and the prices are so high that people can’t afford single family homes any more. Many are moving into condominiums and town homes because they are more affordable.”
WHAT MADE YOU GO INTO REAL ESTATE?
“My mother purchased duplexes, triplexes and single family homes and kept them as an investment. I watched her purchase them, rent them and then sell them. I thought that was a smart thing to do. My husband and I moved just about every two years with the military and we purchased a home everywhere we went. We always made money by being smart with what we purchased. We never lost a penny. We always made money.”
HOW DOES YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP YOU NOW?
“Education is helpful because I worked a lot with first-time home buyers. Buying a home is a whole educational process. There is so much to learn from the mortgage standpoint to all the particulars about the home. It is a whole educational process and I enjoy working with first-time home buyers and teaching them the process so they would be informed and educated buyers when they made their decision.”
BEST ADVICE FROM A CO-WORKER?
Joseph said when she first started in real estate, it seemed that nothing she did resulted in a sale or a listing. “But my co-workers would tell me to just keep doing what I was doing and it would pay off. Don’t take it personal, just keep doing what you are doing and eventually it will pay off.”
ADVICE FOR A NEW AGENT?
With her 18 years of real estate experience, Joseph is known throughout her office as the go-to person. As a top producer, she has been offered a private desk, but she doesn’t want it. “I’ve stayed downstairs with other people and I’m right outside the floor desk which is where all the new Realtors take their first shift. I am the question-and-answer desk for them. I like getting to know them and helping them. I hope that they will be successful. I always tell them to try to stay upbeat. You can so easily get depressed when things don’t work out. Stay positive because if you stay positive, that positive feedback goes to your buyers and sellers.”
PET PEEVES?
“Punctuality. I don’t get upset if others are late, but if I am late I get terribly upset. I hate to be late.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“Never to assume anything about a buyer.” Joseph said not to judge people by their appearance because people who walk in and look the least like they can buy or afford anything that will be your best prospects.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTAE?
“I like the diversity. You don’t do the same thing every day.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
Northeast Florida Association of Realtors and Women’s Council of Realtors.
HOMETOWN?
Jacksonville.
CHURCH?
Mandarin United Methodist.
COLLEGE?
Joseph has a bachelor’s degree in education from Iowa State.
RESIDES?
Mandarin.
PERSONAL SIDE?
When she is not working, Joseph is very involved in charity work and her church. She sings in her church choir and choreographs the dancing for local Broadway productions performed there. She has been married to the director of military studies at Florida Community College of Jacksonville for 24 years. Between them they have three children, Pam, Erin and Erica, and four grandchildren, Ashley, 15; Chelsey, 10; Jeffrey, 9 and Noah, 6. When dining out, she enjoys the Tree Steak House. She cites her favorite book of all time as “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott and her favorite movie as “The Sound of Music.” When traveling, she enjoys Las Vegas.
-by Michele Newbern Gillis