5 minute read
Business Spotlight
“The Right Agent – Every Step of the Way”
Written by Melissa McCance
For the vast majority of people, buying a home is the biggest financial commitment they will make in their lives. A great deal of stress can be relieved if you have an experienced, knowledgeable and committed Realtor to help you through it – someone who listens to what you need and want in a property, knows the area where you want to buy, and is accessible to answer questions and keep you updated. Cathy Galloway, Broker/Owner and her team at RE/MAX Preferred Realty are ready and eager not only to help you find just the right home, farm, vacant land or commercial property, but also to provide you with the information and guidance you need to move the process along as smoothly as possible.
When life nudged Cathy to make a career change 30 years ago, a friend who worked in real estate encouraged her to obtain her real estate license. She has been a top-producing
agent in Hillsdale County every year since. In 1995 she opened RE/MAX Preferred Realty, initially operating out of her home. She chose the RE/MAX Franchise because of their commitment to provide hands-on support to their brokerages and Realtors, and it is also the most tech-savvy franchise, educating and improving their agents’ individual businesses.
Daughter Alicia is an Associate Broker herself with 23 years of experience in real estate. And, continuing the family tradition, Alicia’s daughter Abby is also studying to be a licensed real estate agent.
While working out of Cathy’s home for a few months, they were building their office space at Trillium Plaza, located in the Jonesville Industrial Park. The office moved from there to its current location, a welcoming ranch home at 4140 Beck Road, Jonesville. Cathy attributes the success of their office in part to the personal and professional compatibility of their team, which includes Pat Rising and Ron Aemisegger. Both have been with RE/MAX Preferred Realty from its beginning, which means they have worked together for over 25 years along with Tami Morris who joined the team in 2017. Working as a team for this long has assisted each of them to help one another provide the best service. This high level of service has resulted in many, many repeat customers and customer referrals, and that has helped keep this agency on solid ground for decades.
Cathy and Alicia have earned high honors for their real estate work, having both been inducted into the “RE/MAX Hall of Fame.” Cathy has also received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Hillsdale County Board of Realtors, RE/MAX of Michigan, and RE/MAX International. Both women have been selected as “Realtor of the Year” from the Hillsdale County Board of Realtors and their RE/MAX team has been recognized in the county level “Hillsdale County People’s Choice Award” for several years.
One annual adventure that was interrupted by the pandemic is the yearly RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon launch over the City of Hillsdale, a community favorite that they are planning to resume in 2022. “We have committed balloon chasers, they are so excited to participate,” says Alicia. “They join us at our
office for the test balloon, which indicates the wind direction, then with map in hand, we plan our course to fly over the City of Hillsdale. This large group of on-lookers joins us at our designated starting point, participating in the balloon inflating process and launch. Then, a caravan of cars follows the balloon flight while listening to a play-by-play on WCSR radio, featuring Bob Flynn.” Initially, the agents took turns riding in the balloon; in the past few years there have been drawings for community members to enjoy the ride, which has been very well-received.
Family is important to Cathy and Alicia. Cathy’s husband Bob is co-owner of D-P Equipment in Camden, and the couple celebrated their 45th anniversary in October. Bob lends a hand when needed, which is often. Alicia and her partner Matt have two children, Abby and Graham. She and Matt also own and operate CrossFit Timoro in Hillsdale.
When asked what’s best and what’s hardest about real estate, “It’s not about success, it’s about what we learn”, says Cathy, “every single day is a different challenge, we enjoy solving the challenge, helping families find the ‘perfect house’ is always satisfying.” “We also enjoy seeing other people’s vision for what can be done with older houses or fixer-uppers,” says Alicia. As for the hardest, the women agreed that never really being “off the clock” can be tough. “You never shut off your phone, even on vacation,” explained Cathy, “You are always connected.” But both were quick to say that it is something they are more than willing to do because, whether you’re buying or selling, a real estate agent you can’t reach is not an agent you want.
Selling your home might seem like a simple retirement project when you first consider it. However, once it’s actually time to start the process, the required steps can sometimes seem overwhelming. Here are some tips for seniors selling their homes to help make your transition to a new home or senior living community easier. Get sound tax and financial advice before you sell. Hire the right real estate professional—at RE/MAX, we go beyond listing and selling your home. We provide a current value of your home. If you purchased
your home 25 years ago and haven’t been keeping up with the market, you will need some counseling and advice from a real estate professional because the home buying process has changed radically during this course of time. We can create a timeline to repair and refresh your existing home, assist in making suggestions for downsizing, sorting, decluttering, also packing and moving. Plan for your needs in your next move. How much living space, do you want a ranch style home, do you need financing assistance to purchase a new home? Or, will your next step be senior living or a care facility? Surely, none of us can foretell the future, but when parents are showing signs of slowing down or experiencing difficulty maintaining their home, medications, or finances, it may be wise for family members
to ask mom and dad about plans for the future. Older adults should begin to ask questions and gather information so they are able to make decisions for their own future rather than have others make decisions for them. This is where a RE/MAX agent can help. If you are looking for property in Hillsdale County or are considering selling you home, farm, vacant land, or business, contact RE/MAX Preferred Realty by calling 517-849-0043 or 517-398-3400.
