NORTH CAROLINA EDITION
SUCCESS–
THESE 7 HABITS ARE THE REAL SECRET TO SUCCESS
Uncommon Contact:
CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
3 EASY AT-HOME
DIY PROJECTS TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE
SMALL YARD? BIG STATEMENT:
FEATURED AGENTS
How to Make the Most Out of Micro Outdoor Spaces
EMIR PORTANOVA MARISOL ALVAREZ
COVER STORY
KELLY PEEDIN
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Uncommon Contact:
Connecting with Clientele Through Social Media Social media is one of the newest and most powerful tools in an agent or mortgage professional’s arsenal. With just a few keystrokes, you can stay top-of-mind with buyers, sellers, and borrowers near and far, past and present. The key is knowing how to use these mediums to your advantage, working smarter instead of harder to keep the thread of professional relationships intact. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize the pull and power of social media by shifting just a few of your ideas and practices for the better. 4
Not everything has to be about business. While your relationship with a client or fellow vendor began over the course of business, your relationship going forward doesn’t have to be limited. One of the great things about social media is that’s it’s social. Not every comment, post, or communication has to revolve around your business, its metrics, or turning a sale. In fact, you should do your best to branch out and curate a brand and online identity that’s about who you are and
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the lifestyle you’re authentically interested in living. In that vein, consider interacting with clients in an organically-driven way, encouraging them during life’s milestones, reaching out with a local event, restaurant, or news item that’s relevant to their interests or neighborhood. The goal is to be a persistent presence in their lives without feeling like a talking head. Engage as you would like to be engaged with, as a human being with interests and needs and boundaries. Keep that personal thread in mind and your dynamic will shift from past business contact to present resource.
Expand your medium. Many Realtors are comfortable on Facebook as an interactive meeting to connect with clients, but there are several other mediums where you can connect with clients both past and present, as well as future. Particularly when courting Millennial clientele, the fastest-growing segment of the buying market, a presence on Instagram and Snapchat are key to finding new faces, demonstrating hot properties, and creating an interactive brand as an agent. Not only does this help when you’re listing a property and seeking potential buyers, but it also serves as a perusable portfolio of your work and real estate prowess. You can also use these mediums to interact with clients on an outlet they might feel most comfortable in. Liking pictures, commenting, streaming Instagram Live home tours and Stories are all ways you can build engagement by simply spreading your social media presence around. Likewise, Top Agent Magazine
these photo and video driven mediums are popular for home design ideas, and before and after renovation pictures. When you expand from Facebook into these new platforms, you’ll already have plenty of visual content ready to be transferred and consumed by an expanded audience.
Don’t just react. Create your own content. It’s easy enough to post a link to a new listing, or retweet a helpful article on real estate news. Creating your own organic content is a different story, but worth its weight in gold when it comes to luring engagement, ranking higher in search fields, and overall crafting an interactive presence for yourself and your business online—which is where more than 90% of homebuyers and sellers begin their process. Creating your own content can seem risky, or else like no one is listening in a digital world already crowded with information. However, original content is sure to boost personal engagement with your social media pages, guaranteed. Instead of recycling content, consider posting a video with a Q+A theme for first-time homebuyers, or perhaps posting a live tour of a new listing will perk up your clientele surfing at home. No matter how you decide to expand your social media presence when it comes to interacting with clients, consistency is key. Find the ways that work best for you and stick to them, and you’ll watch your audience and business grow in tandem.
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Small Yard? Big Statement: How to Make the Most Out of Micro Outdoor Spaces When house-hunters compile their lists of musthave home items, a dreamy backyard space is often near the top. After all, who doesn’t want an outdoor oasis of their very own? From summer barbecues to open space for your dog to frolic— everyone has their own aspirations when it comes to creating the perfect backyard paradise. But as homebuyers seek properties deeper within city limits, and Millennials opt for properties with 6
urban amenities and access, home-connected outdoor spaces are becoming a bit smaller in stature. Of course, size isn’t everything when it comes to outdoor space. Even balconies, rear patios, and ultra-tiny yards can provide homebuyers with the outdoor reprieve they crave—even on a smaller scale. For a few ideas that can help you envision all the possibilities of a micro outdoor space, read on for inspiration.
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Think vertically. When space is at a premium, think up instead of out. In other words, make the most of small spaces by capitalizing on your backyard, balcony, or patio’s overhead height. Mood-setting string lights, hanging pocket or wall gardens, floating shelves, and modern overhead hangings can create a sense of privacy and luxury without cluttering the square footage on the ground.
Soothing sounds set the mood.
Upgrade the look of structural components. Not in love with your patio pavers? Don’t have the sweetest view off your balcony? Whatever your small backyard living space gripe may be, there’s always a solution if you go back to the basics. Consider the structural components of your outdoor space that you aren’t in love with and there’s likely an affordable, eye-pleasing solution. For instance, plenty of home goods Top Agent Magazine
retailers make a variety of punchy or luxe outdoor rugs that can disguise stained or lackluster outdoor flooring. Power-washing is another great solution for old grime and dirt that’s an eyesore. Don’t have a great view? Planting ivy on bare walls, installing adjustable mood lighting, or hanging planters can create a more inviting ambiance.
While there may not be room for a swimming pool or pond in a micro yard or balcony, you can still bring the calming presence of water to your outdoor oasis. Fountains run the gamut in sizing and price, making this amenity an easy acquisition. What’s more, a running fountain not only adds a soothing sound to your space, but it also helps drown out noise from the street or the neighbors—making your space entirely your own and stress-free.
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Don’t compromise on your culinary dreams. If you love to entertain in outdoor spaces or relish the chance to man the grill—small outdoor spaces don’t have to trip you up. Grill options (both propane and charcoal) come in a range of sizes, many of which can be outfitted securely to balcony posts or be tucked away and out of sight when out of use. Consider nesting tables or those with a removable leaf to adjust your seating and dining options depending on company.
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Another trick? A small, oscillating fan can keep air flow moving in a small space during grill season—and can be easily affixed to walls or posts, as well. Don’t let yourself or clients be discouraged by spaces with more limited square footage in outdoor areas. Furniture and design trends have already begun shifting toward providing better small-space options, and at the end of the day, a backyard space is all about providing an area for relaxation. With a few well-placed, strategic choices, you can still have it all.
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KELLY PEEDIN Top Agent Magazine
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Top Agent Kelly Peedin of Hampstead, North Carolina, has grown to be a critical member of The Castro Team at Coldwell Banker Seacoast Advantage. She proudly serves the burgeoning military population, champion both the citizens and wildlife that share her hometown. Kelly Peedin of Hampstead, North Carolina, fuels a blossoming real estate career by prioritizing candid communication, frequent community engagement, and other people’s needs. “You don’t have to be in service or healthcare to make a difference in someone else’s life. You just have to listen, be present, and give it your all each and every day!” Prior to formally entering the world of real estate, Kelly studied art and enjoyed a lengthy 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
career in the non-profit and healthcare industry. “I was an Executive Laboratory Manager at MGH / Harvard Medical School before accepting an offer with the Peace Corps, Nicaragua. “I lived there with the locals for three years – two years with the Peace Corps as a Health Volunteer and then one serving as the Co-Country Program Director with Natural Doctors International. Immersing myself in the Nicaraguan culture and language was a once in a lifetime experience. When I left the Peace Top Agent Magazine
Corps, my family - originally from Boston - had all moved to Wilmington, NC. I didn’t expect to stay long, but I quickly met my husband and the past ten years have flown by. I tried to stay in the medical field, but after becoming emotionally drained with the denial of insurance claims, I knew I needed to change course. In what felt like a serendipitous turn of events, three of my
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closest friends and family all said in the same week that I would be a great REALTOR®, so I took the plunge, which was a scary leap initially, but I never looked back.” Since that decision over five years ago, Kelly has grown to be a critical member of The Castro Team at Coldwell Banker Seacoast Advantage.
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Kelly’s dedication to fostering neighborhood community and consistently going above and beyond the call of duty has Kelly steadily averaging over $12 million in annual volume, bolstered by a book of business that is over sixty percent repeat and referral clients. “I’m really fortunate that I found Coldwell Banker and The Castro Team. I found out I was two months pregnant when I was on my way to take my real estate exam, and I know I wouldn’t be here without their constant support. I actually interviewed with one agent who suggested that I hold off on starting my career in Real Estate until my children were older. I was told that a pregnant woman in Real Estate could be viewed as “undesirable”. This took the wind out of my sails for a moment, but boy did I prove her Wrong. The Castro Team and Coldwell Banker Seacoast Advantage knew how hard I was ready to work Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12
and took me under their wing”. Today in 2023, Kelly’s sphere extends throughout the North Carolina coast, and her knowledge of the legal restrictions surrounding beachfront property makes her an ideal specialist for Surf City and surrounding beach towns. “Buying a beachfront property - though exciting - can be very overwhelming. You need the right agent guiding you every step of the way.” Kelly also proudly serves the burgeoning military population, and she and The Castro Team champion both the citizens and wildlife that share her hometown. “We’re a medium sized beach Top Agent Magazine
town, and we take our responsibility as stewards of the ocean very seriously,” she exudes. “ The Castro Team is a big sponsor of Ocean Fest – we like to go the extra mile bringing the community together for a good cause and our cute little turtles.” As a brokerage, they collectively support several safe havens and women’s shelters, and educate women on the pathways that are available to homeownership and financial freedom. “For me, it’s all about empowerment and making my clients feel heard and valued. I have a special client right now who is a marine veteran in Holly Ridge, NC. He confided that he had several agents turn down his request for help because his home needed too much work and would be too time consuming for them. This broke my heart and I could never imagine turning someone away. I love solving complex issues and I feel that our job is also to serve. It has been an honor to work with him and we collaborated as a team to get his home photo and market ready. This is the most important
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investment in his life, and he deserves the same care and attention as all of my clients. I know all the right vendors and connections, so I was determined to make it happen.” This dedication to fostering neighborhood community and consistently going above and beyond the call of duty has Kelly steadily averaging five-star reviews and over $12 million in annual volume, bolstered by a book of business that is over sixty percent repeat and referral clients. It’s no surprise that, when asked about the future of her business, Kelly aims to stay the course: “I feel like I’m really hitting my stride, which is gratifying to finally say in my forties. I have a career that I love, my two year old and four year old are finally in a full-time daycare. I've got my groove in the industry and a phenomenal team. When you hire me, you get a team of twenty people all looking out for you – we have no doubt that there are plenty more homeowners who still desperately need our services.”
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For more information about Kelly Peedin, please call 910-233-8802 or email kellypeedin@seacoastrealty.com
Photography by Brittany Lineberry, brittanylineberry.com www.
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3 Easy At-Home DIY Projects to Increase Property Value Most homeowners have a lengthy list of chores and bit projects they intend to accomplish around the house. Oftentimes, those to-do items are completed piecemeal over a long stretch of time, or else sometimes not at all. However, when it comes time to prepare a home for market, all those tasks begin to pile-up and overwhelm. The Top Agent Magazine
list of things to do before the photographer comes or the first open house is held might seem endless, but not if you tackle just a few things here and there as you go. These sorts of projects—easy, DIY, at-home tasks you can accomplish in a few hours or less, with tools you most likely have on hand— go a long way with marginal effort.
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Complete a quick rehab of closets and storage areas Many agents advise clients to declutter and depersonalize their spaces ahead of professional photography and home showings. The idea is to provide prospective buyers with a neutral palette. Not only does this allow them to imagine their own lives unfolding within those four walls, but it also helps make a home’s square footage stand out. One way to add visual space to your home without calling in the contractor is to declutter common storage areas and closets. When buyers can get a complete look at a closet’s capacity, or a pantry’s depth, or the garage’s full functional potential, they get a better sense of a home’s potential and thus, its value. In that vein, consider decluttering and cleaning your high-traffic storage spaces: the garage, pantries, closets, attics, and basements. Besides, organizing and discarding unwanted items help you prep for a move anyway, while giving potential buyers a peak at how spacious your home really is.
Add easy curb appeal with a bit of sweat equity Sure, curb appeal can arrive in the form of a new mailbox, pathway lighting, or updated house numbers, but it can also come cheaper than that. Curb extends to the upkeep of your lawn, landscaping, and home’s façade, and there are plenty of ways 16
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you can give these zones a refresh without spending anything but time. Keeping your front and back yard green and uniform adds a lux layer to exterior square footage. Likewise, polishing the outside of your windows, trimming hedges, and sweeping the walkway can make a tidy and wellcared for first impression. There are other measures you can take too. Planting wildflower seeds in empty beds, or collecting some landscaping rocks to frame mulched areas can add a bit of character to your residence. Repainting the front door, ensuring trees are trimmed, and keeping back patios Top Agent Magazine
neat and uncluttered also underscore a home at its finest, which is ripe for buyers to snatch up.
Transform tiled spaces into sparkling clean surfaces. Bathrooms and kitchens are where sellers can stand to add plenty of value in the process of selling a home. While pricey renovations might be out of the question for some, there are still affordable and time-effective ways you can transform for these spaces for the better. Cleaning,
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bleaching, or redoing your tile grout—in either kitchens, bathrooms, or other tiled spaces—can give these high-trafficked areas a new lease on life. Ensuring windows, mirrors, stainless steel appliances and backsplashes are streak-free and polished also demonstrate to buyers that your home is well-cared for and practically move-in ready. Sometimes, the devil is in the details. You might consider relining drawers, changing out knobs and fixtures,
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or else decluttering cabinets and shelves for a fresher look. No matter the challenges ahead as you prepare your home for sale, completing a few small tasks every weekend or so can put you miles ahead of the competition. Without spending a dime, you can add serious value to your home’s bottom line, setting you up for success as you begin your own home-shopping adventure.
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EMIR PORTANOVA Have you ever wondered what the key to success is? The answer is you have to enjoy the process instead of the results. That can be applied to anything in life, as well as in real estate. You have to enjoy learning and expanding your mind. Having to adapt to market changes. As well as having someone you can trust and can provide information promptly. You have to always be accessible, it’s as simple as “Answering the phone.” That is the main reason people look to work with Emir Portanova, time and time again. For Emir, it’s not about transactions, it’s about building relationships. It’s not always about the numbers. Emir’s journey to a successful career in real estate started uniquely just like everyone else’s. Emir had just left UNCC and just left his manager position at Best Buy. It was Emir’s mother, who’s been a REALTOR® for a decade at the time, who first encouraged him to get his real estate license back in 2018. Now he serves buyers, sellers, and investors in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the real estate market is booming and home prices continue to rise. “It’s been busy for the last three years. There’s a lot of new construction, and I have a lot of new clients who are investors or homeowners looking for homes in the outskirts of Charlotte in the smaller cities. They like to find those diamonds in the rough.” Emir enjoys a repeat and referral business of more than 90% and is on track to close $15 million in sales this year. “This is shaping up to be one of my most successful years. I’ve already closed almost 35
properties, and at least 25 of them have been with my own clients.” To market his listings, Emir relies heavily on Facebook, open houses, and personal relationships. He’s developed a bit of a niche working with the Hispanic population and other native Spanish speakers. He enjoys helping educate them about the home-buying process so they can make the best financial decisions. “Sometimes there’s a bit of a language barrier, so a client might not know exactly how to go about purchasing a property. I’m that middle person on the bridge who can help connect all the dots for them.” One of the things that Emir likes best about his job is the opportunity it provides to have a positive, tangible effect on his clients’ lives. “Whether they’re buying their first home or it’s their 10th home, it’s always a life-changing decision for people. That’s what gets me going. I like helping people obtain a property that helps their family or helps them reach another goal. I love being part of the solution that helps them get where they want to go.” An active supporter of the community, Emir participates in a number of festivals and local fundraisers every year. When he’s not working, he’s busy being a family man with his three girls, playing sport, and enjoying the outdoors. “I’m trying to maintain consistency with both real estate and my family. If everything goes well in the future, I plan on opening up my own firm soon. It’s going to be small at first while I build the business and gain exposure. But I’ll be helping out the families that I serve, and that’s all that matters. I want to do my very best for them.”
For more information about Emir Portanova, please call 704-763-1852 email emir@paolaalbanrealtors.net or visit facebook.com/EmirPortanovaRealtors www.
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Success– These 7 Habits Are the Real Secret to Success What makes somesome people so sucWhat isisit itthatthat makes people so cessful andand others not? successful others not?Is Isthere thereaa secret secret recipe recipe one one can can follow, follow, as as easy easy as as baking baking aa cake, cake, which which will will give give them them the the strength strength to to achieve achieve their their ultimate ultimate goals goals and and have have ititall? all? The The answer answer is is that, that,in inaamanner, manner,there thereis. is.The The trick trick is is in in how how you you think think about about success success and and what what itit means means for for you. you. Many Many people people define define success success as as achieving achieving their their personal personal goals, goals, but but could could this this be be leading leading them them to to look look atat the the world a little too narrowly? The people people that that are are truly truly successful successful in in every every aspect aspect of of 20
don’t stop stop at at simply simply achieving achieving their lives don’t their personal goals. goals. They They succeed succeedin inmany many job,job, reavenues of of their theirlife, life,including includingtheir their lationships, health, andand family just to name relationships, health, family just to a few.a few. name ultra-successful people tend It turns turnsout outthatthat ultra-successful people to have quite quite a number of things in comtend to have a number of things in mon. One One main main skill many possess common. skill seem many toseem to is high emotional intelligence, or the abilpossess is high emotional intelligence, or ity to manage your emotions so that you the ability to manage your emotions so can you staycan calm focused even even in high that stayand calm and focused in
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high stress situations. Luckily, it seems not all of them are simply born with this ability, but have many strategies they use to help them achieve higher emotional intelligence. Here are seven strategies and habits that will help you achieve success in every area of your life.
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BE COMPOSED The first thing successful people always seem to have under control is their composure. Successful people stay calmand composed when the going gets tough and fingers start pointing. They don’t panic. The secret? They understand that in life things are always changing.It doesn’tmatter if something is bad at the moment because that will change soon enough. In this topsy turvy life all you can really do is adapt in order to stay happy and remain in control of how you react.
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BE KNOWLEDGEABLE Have you ever noticed how successful people always seem to have such awide range of knowledge and interests? Successful people do know more because they are always working to grow and learn. They strive to constantly increasetheir self-awareness. If a spare moment exists,then they will fill it with some kind of self-education. They do this because they are passionate about learning new things and ways to improve their life. Ignore the fear of being judged and ask questions, because that is the only way you can learn. Successful people don’t
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fear asking questions. They fear not asking those questions and growing stagnant.
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BE DELIBERATE It is important to think and reason before you come to a decision. Successful people don’t rush. They seek out advice from others, they think of all the aspects, and sleep on their thoughts before finally making their decision. Your gut instinct can be misleading, and lead you to make a rash decision that you will come to regret later.
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BE CERTAIN, AND SPEAK WITH CONVICTION Successful people speak with certainty. Unless you communicate your ideas with conviction and certainty, then you will have a hard time getting people to listen to them.
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BE POSITIVE Successful people use positive body language when they are talking to draw other people in. Their tone is enthusiastic, they maintain eye contact, leaning in towards the person speaking to show interest. Successful people use it to draw those other people in. How you say something can be just as if not more important that what you say to people. Positive body language can completely alter how your speech is perceived by others, and helps to keep attention on you and what you are saying.
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BE MEMORABLE BY BE MEMORABLE BY LEAVING A STRONG LEAVING A STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION FIRST IMPRESSION You only have once to make a first impresYou only haveare oneincredibly time to make a firstas sion, and they important, impression, and they importthey are closely tiesare to incredibly positive body lanant, as You theyhave are around closely 7tied to positive guage. seconds to conbody language. 7 seconds vince a person toYou likehave youaround after you initially to convince a person to like after them you meet them. That is how longyou it takes initially a person to decidemeet whenthem. they After meet that, you. After that simplyisspending the rest ofthe therest converaisperson simply spending of the sation justifying that initial reaction they conversation justifying that initial reaction had. You yousure make a good they had.can Youmake can sure make you make impression by having strong strong posafirst good first impression by having ture, a firm handshake, a warm smile,smile, and posture, a firm handshake, a warm openopen shoulders. and shoulders.
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BE FEARLESS BE FEARLESS Successful people know that to give in Successful peopleThey know that let giving to fear is a choice. don’t the into fear fear a choice. They don’t let takeisover, instead focusing onthe thefeart rushake of over, instead, they focus on the rush of euphoria that comes with conquering fears. euphoria that comes with conquering fears. All of this adds up to having a high emotionAll of this addsWhat up tohelps having emoal intelligence. you atohigh succeed is tional intelligence.What helps you toemosucthe ability to control those whirlwind ceed theyou ability control whirlwind tionsisso can to stay calmthose and focused on emotions so you can stay calm andcan focused actually succeeding. These habits help on Theseintelligence, habits can youactually gain a succeeding. higher emotional help a higher emotional intellibut asyou yougain probably already know, anything gence, but dealing as you probably know, involving with youralready emotions in anything dealing with your a healthyinvolving manner takes serious work.emoSo, tions healthy takestime. serious don’t in givea up if you manner fail the first You work. So, don’t up again. if you fail the first must always try give and try time.You must always try and try again.
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MARISOL ALVAREZ Marisol Alvarez of Raleigh, North Carolina, combines a client centered approach with over a decade of industry expertise to fuel her thriving real estate business in The Triangle. “I find helping people with the process very fulfilling – particularly the working class. Getting my clients from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point Z’ takes a lot of knowledge and guidance. I enjoy educating my first-time home buyers and investors on things that can be good (or bad) for resale down the road.” Marisol’s journey started in 2012 when she joined a local REMAX office in Raleigh and quickly discovered her passion for the field. In the ensuing decade, Marisol found herself serving as a transaction coordinator, listing specialist and broker. Today in 2023, she proudly stands as the broker-owner of Triangle Residential Realty, and her geographic range spreads throughout Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding areas. “My business has been steadily growing for the past five + years,” she exudes. “I don’t want to grow too quickly though – I always keep my clients at the forefront. I think a few additional agents are in the cards in the upcoming year.” As her business blossoms alongside the growing Triangle area, Marisol manages to maintain a book of business that is over ninety-five percent repeat and personal referral clients. Her investor testimonials broadcast a dedication to problem solving and a commitment to candid, transparent communication. “I’m very detail oriented, and I’m patient. I never try to pressure anybody into making a decision – this is one of the biggest decisions they’ll ever make, so I make sure it happens on their time. I don’t consider what I do as sales – I’m providing a service.” This disposition has helped Marisol grow sustainably, and in 2022 she cleared $8+ million in collective volume. Marisol adds, “I also just received my Military Relocation Professional Certification and would love to assist more military clients in the upcoming year.” Top Agent Magazine
In addition to helping her clients and investors with seamless and sound business decisions, Marisol goes to great lengths to spread her knowledge and prosperity with the greater community. She regularly collaborates with investors to provide affordable housing solutions and support those facing various challenges. “I take my problem solving with me everywhere I go, and there are always more opportunities to help. We like to make sure we give back any way we can.” When she’s not networking or supporting her clients, Marisol enjoys traveling and cooking for friends and family. You can also find her spending her down time with her high energy pittie, Macho. “I’m a real estate nerd. I love seeing how architecture varies in different locations when traveling.” Marisol looks forward to closing another year with continued climbing sales volume and hopes to establish a brick and mortar in the near future.
For more about Marisol Alvarez, please call 919-805-2378 or email marisol.ncrealtor@gmail.com 23
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