Her Story
About Cindy
I've been working as a realtor for 30 years, specializing in residential real estate and training. I work mostly with sellers in Florida, and I also work with buyers, though I don't do investors. In addition to my real estate practice, I provide continuing education training for the National Association of Realtors and local Florida Real Estate. Before becoming a realtor, I worked in the hospitality industry. What got me into real estate was when my own house was on the market and I didn't think my realtor was doing everything she could, so I decided to get into the business and find a better way. Throughout my career, I've earned 12 to 15 different designations and have been recognized with numerous awards from organizations including the CDBIA Builders Association, the PWB, and the National Association of Realtors. One of my most notable achievements was serving as president of the New Jersey Association of Realtors. I'm actively involved in several professional organizations including the National Association of Realtors, Florida Association of Realtors, AREA, the Punta Gorda Port Charlotte Northport Association of Realtors, and the CDBIA Builders Association.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cindy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to caring about people's lives and helping them to achieve their goals. I'm absolutely an advocate for my home buyers. I think it's such a vulnerable time for anybody when they're buying a home, so having somebody there to help really makes a difference.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received, and what I would tell people, is you need to continue to educate yourself in the field. It's constantly changing. Real estate is an ever-changing business, with laws and government changes, and the market is always shifting, so ongoing education is essential.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenges I've faced throughout my career include the ups and downs of the markets, the crashes, the frenzies to buy, the frenzies to sell. The market's constantly changing and it's very localized, so you need to know your area well. As for opportunities, I think some of the opportunities that are missed are the investment opportunities that are out there to grow your own portfolio through real estate. Most people don't think about that. I have a couple of young couples that, you know, they get married, they buy their first house, and when they have their first child, they buy a rental property with the idea that down the road, when the kid is 18 or 19 and it's time to go to college, well, maybe they can sell that investment property to help pay for education. People don't think ahead and think about real estate. They think more about stock markets and bonds and annuities.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are faith and honesty. I think those are the two most important values, and they can definitely get you very far.
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