Recently, I got an email from networking associate introducing me to a licensed agent who was looking for a brokerage to call home. In our emails and chats, I learned that some other people had also suggested that she should speak to me, which is a gratifying thing to hear.
When we first met in person, I kept liking what I heard more and more; a professional through and through; a Masters in English from Columbia; a love of real estate; a respect for the profession from her 20+ year PR life (with clientele in all silos of housing and brokerage). Perhaps best of all, a self-effacing sense of humor that reminded me of my mother’s professional group of friends. Someday I’ll have to write about that- my mom had a group of cohorts who were smart, funny and laughed often. They were an admirable group, and Jeannette would have been right there with them.
There is more to Jeannette Boccini than that, but let me indulge in that first conversation. The more we spoke, the more impressed I became that this was a person who would become a big success in this industry. Smart, yes, funny, yes, aware, yes, but the subtext that most struck me was a concern that, given the significance and expense of a real estate transaction, that she would be trained well and supported strongly so as to care for the best interests of her unborn clients. I’ve spoken with hundreds if not thousands of new licensees- they seldom think that profoundly at first. It isn’t their fault, as the fiduciary ethos is too abstract in the beginning, but Jeannette had it before she even got started.
Another thing that speaks to the future success of an agent is their “why,” or their motivation for getting out of bed and making things happen daily. Jeannette’s articulation of her Big Why was eloquent and impactful. The picture being painted wasn’t just that of someone who would render great service and advocacy, but of someone who knew how to convert skepticism to trust. That is a rare gift.
After joining the firm I asked Jeannette to be on my sales team and train with me and Cristina Gameiro. At her own initiative, she also got extra training with the amazing Gloria Hernandez, manager of our Pelham office. Her initiation was punctuated by an aggressive pursuit of learning the business and always asking smart questions. Fast forwarding to this past week, and Jeannette had her first closing, with a happy client and more waiting in the pipeline. I couldn’t be more proud, and I couldn’t be less surprised.
You can reach Jeannette at 914.419.5999 or email her at jboccini@jphilip.com.
You can also give her some Facebook love here at her page.