Partner Spotlight: Kelly Capozzi

Kelly Capozzi: LOVING WHAT YOU DO

FIRST COAST MORTGAGE FUNDING

By Brandon Jerrell

The importance of being genuine in this industry has been stated many times, but it can never be overstated. For every REALTOR®, broker, loan officer, manager or whatever part you play in real estate, the client will always know if you believe what you say. In this industry, you must truly love what you do, or else that insincerity will seep into your business.

That is why there is never a doubt about Kelly Capozzi’s genuine love for her job. Kelly is with First Coast Mortgage Funding (FCMF) and is the relation ship manager for Jason Kindler and Aaron Bacus, the two owners of the company.

“My job is to develop relationships with our REALTOR® partners, grow our sphere of influence, add value and provide support to agents,” Kelly explains.

MILITARY BRAT TO MILITARY SPOUSE

“My dad served 30 years as an officer in the United States Army, so my sister and I were raised as Army Brats,” Kelly shares. “Then I continued my military life by marrying into it! In fact, my dad retired and my husband, Tony, commissioned within only three days of each other.”

Kelly goes on to explain how she has moved a total of 16 times. She has never lived in one spot for very long, with the longest stretch of time being a total of four years for college. “I went to Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA, and I earned a degree in public relations. Although I have lived all over, I claim Georgia as home. My parents were both raised there and always ensured we were ‘home’ in Milledgeville, GA, every Christmas and summer to be with family.

“My husband graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and then served in active-duty Army for 13 years. We have loved our life in the military, but after careful reevaluation of our long-term goals, we decided to transition to the Army Reserves and find a location to put down some roots for our three children.”

They knew that they wanted to be closer to family when they were going to settle down. With both of them being from the East Coast, they decided to take a spring break trip to Jacksonville to check out the area, as Kelly’s sister and her family live nearby. They both immediately knew that this is where they wanted to be, and so they moved to the Sunshine State in January of this year. “We love the area and appreciate the strong military presence and community here in Jacksonville!”

GROWING UP OVERNIGHT

Kelly’s oldest son, Vinny, was born at 28 weeks gestation and weighed only 1 pound, 13 ounces. Kelly admits that this was the most difficult time in her life as her husband was also deployed to Afghanistan at the time. “It was a rough time, and I leaned heavily on my faith to get me through,” she shares. “I was 24 years old at the time, and I pretty much grew up overnight. I was suffering from post-par tum depression. I had a baby in critical con dition and a husband trying to make it back from the other side of the world.

“We were blessed with an amazing NICU staff; one of the doctors was pivotal in getting the emergency Red Cross message started to get Tony sent home. … Tony made it home two weeks after the birth. Vinny stayed in the NICU for two months and four days and still came home three weeks before his due date!”

Vinny is in great health 11 years after his premature birth.

“God has used my situation for His glory many times since; I have become the go-to for anyone who knows someone with a preemie, always available to answer ques tions and offer support! And I am pretty much an open book when it comes to my post-partum anxiety/depression and a strong advocate of mental health aware ness,” Kelly says.

Kelly and her husband, Tony, have three children, Vinny, Juliana, and Leo.

COMING INTO THE INDUSTRY

Kelly was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years as she supported her husband in his full-time military career. “During that time, I served in several volunteer positions, including five years of service as the publicity chair for a military women’s ministry called Protestant Women of the Chapel. In that role, I facilitated their social media page and content, as well as all market ing and print ads.”

Her transition into the real estate industry happened rather quickly. “I happened into this industry purely by accident and through personal connections. I was connected to Jason and Aaron because of my background in communications and public relations. The experiences I’ve had through life as a military brat and then military spouse have developed my skills in relating and connecting to others and building community, which have translated wonderfully into my new role.”

MY JOB IS TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR REALTOR® PARTNERS, GROW OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, ADD VALUE AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO AGENTS.

Kelly explains, “Spending my life as a child, then spouse in the military meant that moving every two to three years was just normal for me. I can say that these life experiences have 100% made me good at what I do for First Coast. I did not real ize that walking into a room of strangers and finding someone to talk to is a skill. Or being able to find some common ground when talking to someone new. Or asking good questions to get to know someone.

“Jason and Aaron are great at what they do — mortgages — but they were feeling like there was something missing. They wanted to be able to go beyond providing excellent service; they wanted to really get to know their agents in order to meet their needs and form strong partnerships.”

It is here that Kelly and her superb communi cation skills come in. “I meet with agents one-on-one to get to know them and learn how we can best support them. I help bridge that gap.”

GENUINE LOVE

Kelly loves meeting new people and learning about them and what they do. “Most people in real estate have had previous careers or jobs, and I’m always fascinated to hear the journey that brought them to where they are now.

“One of my favorite things about working for FCMF is that Jason and Aaron truly care about their team and growing them professionally. We frequently share motivational podcasts or book recommen dations. They encourage me often to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I have already grown and learned so much in my role since I started working for them a year ago.”

It is clear that you will always have an exceptional experience when working with FCMF and Kelly Capozzi. With a pro like Kelly as the head of relation ship building, that love and joy that you expect will always be undoubtedly genuine.

Website: firstcoastmortgagefunding.com