Find out how NYC affiliate dealer Maria Daou combines in-depth data with customized service to make a long-lasting impression on purchasers.
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Like cooks, actual property professionals are at their finest when the fireplace is hottest. In the course of the red-hot pandemic market, foodie and New York Metropolis affiliate dealer Maria Daou noticed her enterprise take off, rising by almost 113 %. That’s an enormous bounce for a self-professed “hand-holder from start to finish” who’s at all times accessible to purchasers, day or evening.
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Calling herself “honest to a fault,” Daou believes within the energy of transparency for constructing relationships and protecting repeats and referral enterprise coming. Find out how this dealer combines in-depth data with customized service to make a long-lasting impression on purchasers.
Identify: Maria Daou
Title: Licensed affiliate actual property dealer
Expertise: 25 years expertise
Location: New York Metropolis
Brokerage identify: Coldwell Banker Warburg
Awards:
- Daou has been a top-10 producing dealer at Coldwell Banker Warburg yearly however one since 2017 with none advertising or social media.
- 2024 RealTrends Verified No. 68 New York Metropolis rating
What would you inform a brand new agent earlier than they begin out within the enterprise?
I inform new brokers to be sincere, even when it means killing a sale or not getting a list. It’s important that your buyer trusts you and which you can again up what you’re telling them.
My pet peeve is when brokers level one thing out throughout a displaying, and it’s so clearly not the case. It’s like saying the sky is yellow when it’s blue. Consumers have eyes, and telling them what they’re seeing is just not actually there’s one of the simplest ways to lose their belief.
I level out the failings more often than not earlier than they see them, however then I’m additionally in a position to clarify why that flaw perhaps shouldn’t be a dealbreaker.
What do purchasers must know earlier than they start an actual property transaction?
The most effective recommendation I can provide patrons and sellers is to choose a dealer they like and belief, ideally one really helpful to them, after which hearken to them. In the event that they don’t have a private referral, they need to interview a couple of completely different brokers who both have bought of their constructing or space or have a very good status.
In New York Metropolis, in the event that they dwell in a doorman constructing, they’ll ask the doorman which brokers have bought of their constructing and if they’re pleasant.
The opposite piece of recommendation for sellers is that when they resolve to promote, they need to take away the emotion from the transaction. Their house turns into a commodity.
If you happen to may do something apart from actual property, what wouldn’t it be?
If I may do something in addition to actual property, I’d be a chef and have my very own restaurant. Twenty-five years in the past, I needed to make the selection to enter actual property, leaving my catering job behind as a result of I couldn’t afford to remain in NYC in any other case.
I grew up in Lebanon, the place cooking is an enormous a part of the tradition. I’ve at all times liked going to farmer’s markets after which coming house and cooking up a feast. Whereas it will have been enjoyable to show that into my very own restaurant, it wasn’t life like in NYC 25 years in the past.
I made a decision to enter actual property, and I really like the place it has taken me, all of the attention-grabbing individuals I’ve met, and the superb flats I’ve seen and bought. I nonetheless go to not less than three farmers’ markets every week, and I prepare dinner for household and mates. I additionally serve on the advisory board for Wellness within the Colleges, a nationwide non-profit that conjures up wholesome consuming and health for youths in public faculties.
What’s crucial factor you discovered in class or in your prelicensing lessons?
I discovered that I ought to actually keep on high of nationwide and worldwide information because it pertains to my native actual property market. As a dealer, you actually need to remain on high of the monetary markets, political information, native authorities legal guidelines, and so forth. I be sure I learn the paper each day, verify on the inventory market, observe rate of interest updates, and converse to my colleagues about what they’re seeing in the actual property market.
Being a dealer is actually not simply discovering and displaying flats. To be good, you should be very well-rounded and keep knowledgeable. Once I pitch a possible unique or speak to a brand new purchaser, I can draw from my data to type a convincing argument to again up my pricing or to advise them on what constitutes a “good buy.”
What’s the most effective recommendation you ever acquired from a mentor or colleague?
My mentors (I’ve had a pair at Coldwell Banker Warburg) at all times confused the significance of our roles as brokers. We provide our data, handholding, recommendation, experience and time. In over 25 years on this enterprise, I’ve discovered that it’s by no means only a simple transaction. I’ve taken calls at 6 a.m. and midnight and even helped {couples} work out their variations and compromise.
