A native of the Jersey Shore, Denise Oliver has more than 25 years’ experience as a real estate paralegal for a real estate law firm. She has worked as a sales associate for over six years. Denise has an intimate knowledge of the South Monmouth/North Ocean County area as well as keen business insights she uses to serve her clients and customers.
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Denise, how has your background prepared you for your residential sales career?
I know a lot about the process; my experience is invaluable when dealing with attorneys, closings and contracts, and my negotiation skills are very strong. When I changed careers, what really surprised me was how much work Realtors do. There’s a lot of hands-on work involved in creating marketability for a home, as well as advising people at the beginning of the process and discovering their goals.
What is the source of most of your business?
Most of my business is based on referrals. The Internet is where the business is going to be, and that is a key benefit to our new affiliation with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Still, even though the Internet is important for information, real estate is still a person-to-person business. What I can offer is competence, local knowledge, knowledge of the process – a professional who works full time. Their goals are my goals.
Tell me about the market here.
The area in and around Wall, N.J., has mostly established communities with diverse price ranges. It’s a sought-after area about an hour away from New York, minutes to the beach, with a wide range of employers and a mix of professions. Once buyers come into this area, they tend to stay and then look to make an upward move or even decide they want their dream home on the waterfront.
What technology tools do you use in your business?
Right now, my marketing people are working on my Web site, which will be totally separate from the company site. And with more and more people texting, especially younger buyers, I’m very dependent on my BlackBerry®. This, of course, depends on the client’s preference for communication: sitting down face-to-face, calling a landline, cell phone, e-mail or working with people who want to be in constant contact with text messaging.
What is the one thing that differentiates you from other agents?
Creating marketability for the sale of a home – it is a whole package. One ingredient in that package is that I provide a staging service for all of my listings at my own expense. I make suggestions, but then I hire someone.
Every listing?
Everyone feels the same about their home, whether it is a $300,000 home or a $3,000,000 home. Right now, the appropriately priced, staged and marketed homes are being sold. It’s important for sellers to understand it’s not personal; getting a home sold is different than living in it. And getting a service to do the work means it’s not just my eyes looking at the home, it’s someone else’s also.
What gets you excited about your work?
People, working with people and developing relationships is its own reward. Each person has individual needs and goals whether it is a first-time home buyer, retiree or a family at various stages of life. We try to meet these needs, goals, dreams and aspirations.
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