JOHNNOLANO KELLER WILLIAMS PHILADELPHIA

REALTOR® and investment guru

John Nolano is a second-generation entrepreneur who draws on years of experience in the service industry. With decades of experience as an employee and an employer, John has a practical perspective on servant-leadership. The soon-to-be broker is passionate about helping real agents and real investors get real results.

Legacy Of Courage

John’s father Pasquale had started working as an apprentice to an auto mechanic in Naples, Italy when he was only eight years old. When Pasquale was in his early twenties, he and his new bride Anna joined her father who had immigrated to South Philadelphia in the late 1960s.

“My Dad is a prime example of the American dream,” John smiled. “He and my mother married in Naples, Italy and came to America with only $50 in their pocket. He worked as a mechanic for Fiat and Alpha Romeo and fixed cars in his spare time for family and friends. When I was in second grade, he and my mother opened and owned a successful mechanic shop.”

John started working with his father at young age, but did not follow directly in his footsteps.

John felt he had a bigger purpose that could not be fulfilled by fixing cars. He found his connection in the hospitality industry.

He enjoyed interacting with the customers and was delighted to discover that providing “extra” service brought joy to clients and staff, and often a tangible gratuity for himself. Regardless of the external outcome, John knew from his father’s example that doing “extra” was always the right thing.

Over time, John advanced from busboy to server, then chef, and finally restaurateur. He found his connection to people through the culinary world in an atmosphere where he enjoyed being part of a team that provided a useful service.

He graduated from high school in 1990 and received an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies from Widener University School of Law, and then earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Government with a minor in Italian.

The Wealth And Health Manager

When John was in his early twenties, he bought his first investment property. A few short years later he was able to use his earnings from the duplex to fund his real dream. He and a cousin formed a partnership and in 1998 opened their own coffee house called Café Pazzo. Within a few years the young entrepreneur was co-owner of two other dining establishments in Old City Philadelphia.

In 2005 John became a licensed REALTOR®. He honed the skills and lessons he had learned in the hospitality industry and found they were a perfect fit for his new real estate career. He had an innate ability to understand his clients and address their wants and needs efficiently and effectively.

He started with a legacy brokerage but continued working in the hospitality industry as a restaurant consultant as well. He tried another legacy brokerage, but he still was not succeeding the way he thought he should. In 2013 John fully submerged himself in real estate and let go of his other jobs.

“I realized that to be a success I needed to sleep, eat, and breathe real estate,” John explained.

Real Results

John enjoys teaching clients and agents how to increase their wealth and their happiness. Because it takes time for an agent to develop their network and client list, John highly recommends that new agents join a team. This gives the inexperienced agent immediate credibility and invaluable access to years of experiential wisdom from their team lead and teammates.

At this stage in the process, John is licensed in three states and is a seasoned investor who has cultivated meaningful relationships with overseas and domestic investors and wholesalers. He is improving himself by studying for his brokers exam and plans to be licensed this spring.

“Having a real estate license is like being an undergrad,” he observed. “Becoming a broker is like getting your master’s degree. It’s going to help me help my clients and my team in greater ways. Real estate is not a Walmart purchase. You can’t just bring back your receipt and say you changed your mind or it’s not working out for you. It is an important investment for equity and capital. That is why it is so critical to work with clients to pinpoint their true needs, understand their wants, help them process relevance and market knowledge, and always talk them through the entire process as if it were their first time.”

John, his team of agents, and the partners that specialize in mortgage and title believe that the client’s process should always start with pre-approval. Otherwise, John noted, it is like shopping with an empty wallet. He has found that having real, honest, frequent conversations with clients often creates a connection that causes clients to move out of the “work zone” and into the “friend zone” and even then, progress to family-like status.

Real Life

John and his wife Jennifer met at a happy hour at Alpha, a bar and restaurant located on Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia at the time. She worked in retail and her seductive, hippie swager caught his eye (as did her crystal blue eyes and her beautiful smile). She eventually joined him in the kitchen as one of his sous chefs.... 16 years later, the couple still enjoys cooking together, and family dinners are highly treasured.

John unashamedly admits that his wife is the glue that holds their family together. She keeps the chaos of their three handsome sons at bay, when they turn into a whirlwind of trouble and adventure. To keep the sparks flying, the couple still frequents Il Ghiottone, the restaurant where they had their first date.

They also enjoy the authentic Italian food at Cicala Restaurant, owned by Chefs Joe and Angela Cicala. Their beautiful venue reminds John of his parents’ hometown and tastes like it was made from his Nonna’s cookbook. John is grateful for the Cicalas’ friendship and food that reminds him of his heritage. He is also grateful that they allowed him to conduct his photo shoot in a place that reminds him of family.

One of the ways that the Nolano family gives back is through participation in fundraisers and food drives for the local private school that their

WITHOUT CONSISTENCY YOU WILL NEVER ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.