I read somewhere that the average person is friends with 5 real estate agents. If that’s true, the good news is you'll have 5 people you know and trust who can help you buy or sell your house. The bad news is you can really only work with one of them.

The other bad news is that most newbies don't last very long in the business. The attrition rate is high, with 87% dropping out in the first 5 years. And of the agents currently working, most of the real estate “business” that you see around you (an estimated 80%) is being conducted by the top 20% of the agents in the area.

Listing with a friend can be a high-pressured situation, especially if he or she is new to the business. Of course, you want to help them but the truth is, they are learning the ropes on your largest financial asset – and that’s something you need to be aware of going in. Because an agent’s “education” can hit a seller in their wallet.

We’ve all gotten the call from someone we adore: “Hey, I just got my real estate license!” But it’s still wise to ask ourselves: Of the 5 real estate agents you may know, who's still learning on the job? Who's getting ready to drop out because it just isn’t as easy as it looks? Who's in the 80 percent, struggling to put together a few deals a year?  Who's selling real estate only on weekends and after their day job on Tuesdays?

I can tell you from my 13 years experience and over 200 homes I’ve sold, the more you’ve “seen” in real estate deals, the better equipped you are to service your clients. Contact me to learn more about what I can do for you whether you're buying or selling. 

People often ask me to explain how “teams” work in real estate agencies, and what it means for them as clients. The short answer is, it depends what kind of team it is.

“Small Teams”
Many agents discover that, while they may be great at educating clients about homes and negotiating deals, they are not as well-suited to the administrative [...]

As a destination suburb, It’s not unusual to find an article that features Montclair in the New York Times real estate section. But it’s not often that I come across two pieces on the same day. [...]

The forecast is for snow this weekend, maybe the last of the season. It doesn’t seem like it's going to amount to much, but if it did, my (big) kids would be spending some time on one of Montclair’s sledding hills. You never seem to outgrow sledding.

I remember as a young mother, feeling so grateful to live in a town that had so many sledding options. Because when it’s cold out, the number of outdoor activities for kids really dwindles. In fact, it’s one of the things that worried me about raising kids here versus in the city, where there’s always something to do.

Over the years, things have changed. Now, if one of my clients with young children has the same concern, I could probably talk for an hour  straight about all the things available for kids here -- even in the cold. Sometimes it seems like Montclair was designed for kids.

There are two indoor skating rinks (plus a pond that sometimes freezes deeply enough to safely skate on), an indoor soccer facility and indoor swimming at the YMCA and Montclair State University. There are art classes galore -- at the Montclair Art Museum, Studio Kids Art, and Fern Bass Studio, to name a few. There are two martial arts dojos in town, and more close by. There are two YMCAs in town, one devoted specifically to children and families; two library branches, each with story times and kids programs; and two locations for the renowned Music Together programs as well as a School of Rock.

One of my favorite additions has been the indoor play spaces, such as Kidville and The Little Gym. Those weren’t around when my kids were small. You can take your kids beading, or make some pottery, or even go on a pizza tasting extravaganza – I like Mr. Dino’s, but that preference is often contested in my house.

There aren’t enough hours in the day to take advantage of all the kid-centric offerings here in town. I’ve barely scratched the surface in this post. Feel free to help me out and leave your favorite kid activity in the comments!

Once upon a time, I lived in a big house by the park. It was the perfect place to raise my children. Then one day, with my children older and beginning to leave home, my house seemed too big for my life. So I moved to a smaller [...]

I’m not sure exactly when I became so interested in bees. But I do remember the day, a few years ago, at the local farmer’s market getting into a conversation with the honey vendor that kept me rapt for almost an hour.

We talked primarily about hive society and hive politics, but then he started explaining how eating local honey can be beneficial for seasonal allergies. Growing up in New York City, we did not have many local hives in the neighborhood, so it was a bit of a thrill for me to walk out the door the other day and stumble upon a sign for local honey right on my block.

I not only bought a jar, I also learned that many families around town host hives for local beekeepers – usually in exchange for honey. Hives need to be spaced a certain distance from other hives so the bees are not all trying to collect nectar and pollen from the same flowers.

My bee neighbor told me a funny story about how one day a whole swarm of bees came buzzing right down the length of our street, something I’ve never seen in the over 20 years I’ve lived here. He thought they might be coming from Van Vleck House – another beekeeping site – though frankly, I don’t know why they would ever want to leave there; it’s one of the most beautiful public gardens I’ve ever seen.

I love living in a town that is home to an art museum, an indie movie theater, an indoor soccer field, and strategically placed honey bee hives. And even more, I love being able to walk to all of them. If you want to find out more about the magic of living in a walkable suburb, give me a call!

When I moved to this area, close to 30 years ago, it was all about the detail. Whether a home was big or small, most of us were looking for craftsmanship -- a house with good bones. And this area is brimming with [...]

Practically every time I open a magazine or click online these days, I am confronted with hygge. And my first thought is: Finally, someone is speaking my language!

Hygge is a Danish word that's started getting a lot more airplay lately, especially as winter comes upon us. Pronounced hue gah or hoog uh, it’s often translated as a kind of [...]

I just read a piece in the New York Times about how today’s buyers are more interested than ever in homes “close to town,” further supporting my theory that walkability is, in fact, the new black.

On December 16, Marcelle Sussman Fischler writes, “With an uptick in buyers wanting to live within walking distance of restaurants, shops, [...]

The other day, I drove into Manhattan on Saturday morning and headed to a block that, in the past, I’ve had good luck finding on-street parking. But not this time. Because, apparently, since my last time here, a big swath of curb space had been allocated for Citi-bikes.

Despite the inconvenience of an extended parking search, I was happy to see the city giving up parking spots in favor of bikablity. I am always on the lookout for examples of how walking and biking are supported.

So I was delighted to learn that our own Bloomfield Train Station is about to get a great bikability upgrade. It’s called a Bike Depot and, according to this month’s NJ Bike&Walk Coalition newsletter, it’s slated to be operational next month.

We already have a Bike Depot in the parking garage of the Bay Street Train Station in Montclair, and for many it has been a game changer. A portion of the garage is reconstructed to securely store bikes while their owners are away. Aside from keeping the bike safe and dry, there are also lockers where riders can stash bike shoes or helmets.

The Bloomfield Station Bike Depot is going up in the Glenwood Garage in downtown Bloomfield, so members can use it for commuting or while they’re shopping. Of course, I’m waiting for the day that every train station in the area has a section devoted to bike parking. But my habit of choosing to walk or bike over driving whenever I can has made me more patient overall.

If you’re looking for a home in an area that supports a smaller carbon footprint, let me tell you more about all the walkability and bikability benefits in living in Montclair and our surrounding towns. Next to finding people homes, it’s my passion. Call or text: 973-809-5277