It’s been a long time since I sat in Real Estate School classes, gulping down the many facts and rules and equations necessary to get my licensure. But like any job, many of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an agent were not taught in the classroom.

They were taught to me by my clients – buyers and sellers, alike.

Yes, agents have to know the most up-to-date information about oil tanks, and yes, it’s handy to have a list of great vendors for clients – from floor finishers to structural engineers. However, there are a few things that may be more important, and I know that because clients have come to me with these complaints about their previous agent. Here are the top five:

1. "After we signed the listing papers, our agent handed us off to others." One client told me she never saw her agent again after her house was officially listed. Instead, she was assigned to a listing manager, a stager, and various office assistants. There is nothing wrong with having an assistant follow up on details. However, I consider my listings my direct responsibility, and I make sure to be in touch with sellers regularly throughout the marketing and sale of their home.
2. "My listing agent would schedule house showings and then no one showed up." To be fair, buyers often change plans, even after a seller has filled the morning tidying, stashing kids’ toys, and relocating a pet to the neighbor’s. It's understandably annoying to ready a house that no one comes to see. If a buyer cancels, I consider it my first responsibility to let the seller know  – whether they are my clients, or theirs is a home was going to show my buyers. Having sold my own house recently, I am very attuned to the effort that goes into a showing.
3. "The agent who was showing me houses didn’t know the town." It’s easy to show homes in your own town, especially if you’ve lived there awhile. However, if agents are showing homes in an unfamiliar town, they have to do their homework. A good agent should be able to tell you distances to grocery stores and have a working knowledge of commuter options. I live in Montclair, but spend a lot of time in Glenridge, Cedar Grove, South Orange, Maplewood and other nearby Essex County suburbs for the sole purpose of providing my clients with the most accurate information possible.
4. "I felt constant pressure to increase my bids." Buying a home can be stressful and, in my opinion, an agent’s job is to try and reduce that stress. Not add to it. We should provide data, insight and knowledge. We should not make a client feel insecure about a bid (which, apparently happens a lot). My only agenda with my clients is that they find the home that suits them best. 
5. "My agent never answered my calls." I will confess: I do not answer the phone while driving, but beyond that, I respond to my clients – calls, texts, and emails – immediately or, at least, quickly. That’s just good business.

So, as you can see, I’ve learned a lot over these 14 years. If you want to put me to the test, I’d relish the opportunity. Then again, maybe there are a few things I could learn from you too!

Call or text:  973-809-5277  If I'm driving, I'll call you back!

Most people I talk to have some kind of relationship with Facebook – they love it, or hate it, or…it’s complicated. I’m a Facebook enthusiast. My business page is a great, easy way to disseminate information about real estate issues; community pages provide quick access to all the local goings on; and local “swap” pages allow my clients to get rid of some of their excess stuff before putting their homes on the market. 

But nothing quite compares to the Facebook moments where I’ve found myself “tagged” in someone’s post and then gone on to read a comment like this one:

“If you want someone super smart, who doesn’t just know the market but has fully analyzed it (she has an MBA) AND who knows everything about things like the value of your particular boiler, then please choose Paulina “Lina” Panza – Walkable Suburb. I’ve sold a home and bought a home with her, my mother just bought a home with Lina, and one of my closest friends bought and sold with her. She is amazing.” 

Reading that felt great. 

If you know me at all, you know that it’s not really my style to point out a comment like this, but I’m biting the bullet today because I think it’s important for every buyer and seller to know that picking an agent to work with can be complicated – and checking out an agent’s areas of expertise can provide you with a partner that goes beyond merely showing homes and negotiating contracts. 

First, I just want to go on record as saying I do not know the exact value of every particular boiler off the top of my head. But I usually get pretty close. I do not consider this a superpower as much as the result of my innate interest in houses and homes. My father, Paul Weidlinger, was a noteworthy architect and engineer – designing and teaching design at some of the world’s most respected universities. So, maybe it’s in my DNA. But the fact is, I was brought up by a man that saw the world through the eyes of a structural problem-solver. I think this is what led me to study architecture as an undergrad, and also what fostered my lifelong passion for understanding the structural aspects of renovation.

Meaning: when I walk through homes with my clients, we can really get into what kind of changes can be made and how. 

Helping people find their right home – and helping them make their home right for them – are two things I love spending my time doing. If you or someone you know could benefit from my expertise and passion, give me a call. I can help you find (or create!) the house of your dreams!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I (like most) spend a lot of time thinking about food, but even more time thinking about all I’m grateful for. Work-wise, I immediately think of the people who have entrusted me to help them buy or sell their homes. (Thank you!) And my colleagues, who offer advice and guidance when I’m faced with a challenging [...]

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. 

When you're pricing your home, it's always tempting to ask for a bit more than you expect - to leave a little room for negotiating. But this strategy actually doesn't work.

According to industry experts, houses priced 10% over their ultimate selling price typically receive no offers. In fact, even houses priced a mere 5% too high will [...]

There isn't much more stressful in life than buying a home - and especially buying your first home. You can get a sense of what it's like to work with me if you spend some time reading [...]

One of the most frequent pieces of feedback I get from my clients is that I'm very knowledgeable about and good at explaining the ins and outs of real estate sales. I think that's probably true, largely because I believe the more people know, the better they are at both buying and [...]

This LA Times article about Zillow estimates is from a year ago, but it recently resurfaced on my social media pages and seems worth sharing. For homeowners, Zillow seems like the best thing since sliced bread. A do-it-yourself tool to determine home values. Unfortunately, it's not the last word in valuation and is often [...]

Tiny houses seem to be all the rage right now. I'm intrigued by the idea of people living in a 200-250 square-foot house, although I can't imagine doing so myself. I recently came upon [...]

One of the many things I love about Montclair is its creative vibe: How many other suburbs can boast an art-house cinema, an internationally-recognized annual film festival, a jazz club, and a dozen or so art galleries?  Next month, though, my town will be focusing more on the sciences than the arts when it honors a hometown [...]