Learn the way NYC affiliate dealer Maria Daou combines in-depth data with customized service to make an enduring impression on purchasers.
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Like cooks, actual property professionals are at their greatest when the fireplace is hottest. In the course of the red-hot pandemic market, foodie and New York Metropolis affiliate dealer Maria Daou noticed her enterprise take off, rising by almost 113 %. That’s an enormous bounce for a self-professed “hand-holder from start to finish” who’s all the time out there to purchasers, day or evening.
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Calling herself “honest to a fault,” Daou believes within the energy of transparency for constructing relationships and preserving repeats and referral enterprise coming. Learn the way this dealer combines in-depth data with customized service to make an enduring impression on purchasers.
Identify: Maria Daou
Title: Licensed affiliate actual property dealer
Expertise: 25 years expertise
Location: New York Metropolis
Brokerage title: Coldwell Banker Warburg
Awards:
- Daou has been a top-10 producing dealer at Coldwell Banker Warburg yearly however one since 2017 with none advertising or social media.
- 2024 RealTrends Verified No. 68 New York Metropolis rating
What would you inform a brand new agent earlier than they begin out within the enterprise?
I inform new brokers to be sincere, even when it means killing a sale or not getting an inventory. It’s important that your buyer trusts you and which you could again up what you’re telling them.
My pet peeve is when brokers level one thing out throughout a displaying, and it’s so clearly not the case. It’s like saying the sky is yellow when it’s blue. Patrons have eyes, and telling them what they’re seeing just isn’t actually there may be one of the best ways to lose their belief.
I level out the failings more often than not earlier than they see them, however then I’m additionally capable of clarify why that flaw perhaps shouldn’t be a dealbreaker.
What do purchasers must know earlier than they start an actual property transaction?
One of the best recommendation I can provide patrons and sellers is to choose a dealer they like and belief, ideally one advisable to them, after which take heed to them. In the event that they don’t have a private referral, they need to interview just a few totally different brokers who both have offered of their constructing or space or have repute.
In New York Metropolis, in the event that they reside in a doorman constructing, they will ask the doorman which brokers have offered of their constructing and if they’re pleasant.
The opposite piece of recommendation for sellers is that after they resolve to promote, they need to take away the emotion from the transaction. Their residence turns into a commodity.
For those who may do something apart from actual property, what would it not be?
If I may do something moreover actual property, I’d be a chef and have my very own restaurant. Twenty-five years in the past, I needed to make the selection to enter actual property, leaving my catering job behind as a result of I couldn’t afford to remain in NYC in any other case.
I grew up in Lebanon, the place cooking is an enormous a part of the tradition. I’ve all the time beloved going to farmer’s markets after which coming residence and cooking up a feast. Whereas it might have been enjoyable to show that into my very own restaurant, it wasn’t life like in NYC 25 years in the past.
I made a decision to enter actual property, and I really like the place it has taken me, all of the fascinating folks I’ve met, and the wonderful residences I’ve seen and offered. I nonetheless go to not less than three farmers’ markets every week, and I cook dinner for household and mates. I additionally serve on the advisory board for Wellness within the Faculties, a nationwide non-profit that conjures up wholesome consuming and health for teenagers in public colleges.
What’s an important factor you discovered in class or in your prelicensing courses?
I discovered that I ought to actually keep on prime of nationwide and worldwide information because it pertains to my native actual property market. As a dealer, you really want to remain on prime of the monetary markets, political information, native authorities legal guidelines, and so on. I be sure I learn the paper on daily basis, verify on the inventory market, observe rate of interest updates, and converse to my colleagues about what they’re seeing in the actual property market.
Being a dealer is actually not simply discovering and displaying residences. To be good, you have to be very well-rounded and keep knowledgeable. After I pitch a possible unique or discuss to a brand new purchaser, I can draw from my data to kind a convincing argument to again up my pricing or to advise them on what constitutes a “good buy.”
What’s the very best recommendation you ever received from a mentor or colleague?
My mentors (I’ve had a pair at Coldwell Banker Warburg) all the time pressured the significance of our roles as brokers. We provide our data, handholding, recommendation, experience and time. In over 25 years on this enterprise, I’ve discovered that it’s by no means only a easy transaction. I’ve taken calls at 6 a.m. and midnight and even helped {couples} work out their variations and compromise.
