Mary Glen LaCharite (pronounced La Charity) has been a Realtor with Prudential Chaplin Williams Realty for two years.
BEFORE THERE?
She practiced real estate part-time in Alabama and was licensed there since 1982.
BEFORE REAL ESTATE?
She was in the medical field for 30 years.
WHAT MADE HER GO INTO REAL ESTATE?
“I had just bought my second home and things weren’t quite right at the closing. It made me realize that I needed to learn more about real estate. So I decided to get my real estate license so I could learn more about real estate and protect myself and any future investments I might make.”
HOW DOES YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP YOU NOW?
“It helps me deal with people of all walks of life. I have the compassion and care that goes into helping someone look for a home. Everyone’s needs are different. It also helped me learn to read people’s physical needs such as is it important for them to be close to the grocery story, what amenities do they need to be close to and how they need to think about the future. I ask them to look 10 years down the road and see if they really need that downstairs master bedroom or is a town home OK.”
AREA SHE COVERS?
Since she lives at the southern end of the island, most of her sales have been in that area or in Amelia Island Plantation.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE NASSAU MARKET?
“We have a lot more inventory than we’ve had in a long time, so it really is a buyer’s market. We are kind of a well-kept secret here. It really is a small town community, much like where I grew up.”
WHAT ARE YOU DOING DIFFERENT IN THIS BUYER’S MARKET TO GET BUSINESS?
“I stay in contact with customers and people that I have met. Every couple of months, I call the customers who haven’t purchased yet and see how they are doing. I ask if they are still interested and are still planning on moving here. If not, I have to purge my files. I can’t keep carrying that stuff forward every year. If they are not interested anymore, I need to know so I can move forward. For those still interested, I think the one-on-one service helps. I think picking up the phone is better than just sending out a mass email. They like to hear a voice. I ask them about their property if they have it for sale and I give them suggestions on selling their property that is in another location. “
Did You Know?
• The share of FSBO sales has steadily declined from 18 percent in 1997 to 12 percent in 2006. (The record high was 20 percent in 1987.) One reason could be the considerable difference in the median selling price for FSBO and the final sales price of agent-assisted sales. The median home price for sellers who used an agent was $247,000; the median price for a FSBO-sold home was $187,200.
(2006 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“I like meeting new people, showing property and being a tour guide.”
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED FROM A CO-WORKER?
“Be yourself and be honest. If you don’t know the answer, find it out. Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
COLLEGE
She has a bachelor’s degree in radiologic technology from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
INTERESTING TRIP?
LaCharite went on a medical mission to Brazil in 2000 for 10 days. “I worked in the ghettos delivering healthcare to the indigents in Brazil.”
ADVICE FOR
A NEW AGENT?
“Go to every meeting and Realtor activity that you can. Get as much knowledge as you can. Attend every class, Amelia Island-Fernandina Beach-Yulee Chamber of Commerce meetings and Business After Hours meetings, get your Graduate of the Realtor Institute designation and keep your continuing education up. Take time to call people and you’ll be surprised how you end up networking.”
DAMAGE CONTROL?
LaCharite said people were sold a product a few years ago and now they are coming back saying they want to sell and make their profit. But she has to tell them that that won’t happen right now. “You just have to be honest with people and it is a bitter pill to swallow right for some of them.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“This job is 24 hours a day/seven days a week and you are always working. It’s not easy and you can’t do it part-time.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
Amelia Island/Nassau County Board of Realtors and its Realtor Rep committee and The Amelia Island-Fernandina Beach-Yulee Chamber of Commerce
— by Michele Newbern Gillis