I always want my firm to be chosen, and that doesn’t just go for consumers. It also goes for licensees who are looking for the right brokerage at which to build their practice. So you can imagine my happiness when a past client joins us as an agent. That’s exactly what happened when Geraldine Bien joined the firm. Geraldine was a client of our own Tom Ricapito, and in the two years since she closed on her home, they remained in touch. When she was considering a brokerage to join, Tom encouraged her to talk with us. It was a counter-intuitive move, as we aren’t in her zip code, but when we spoke and I had the chance to share our digital footprint, we were simpatico.
People get into the business for different reasons, and they aren’t always the right ones. Sometimes, they actually have a great rationale for entering the industry, but they fall short in planning their strategy. I sometimes see deficiencies in both motivation and planning. With Geraldine, however, I see both a plan and a big Why. In our discussions, her focus was almost entirely consumed by a curiosity in how to make this work for her clients and how to get off on the right foot with her particular skill set to do the best job for them. I love that.
Prior to making the decision to join us, Geraldine attended some training meetings and got a feel for how we work and what kind of support we offer our associates. These meetings aren’t commercials; they are work sessions, and sometimes they can scare people away. Not Geraldine- I think they are actually what got her to choose us.
So who is this smart, motivated person?
Geraldine hails from New York City, as many Westchester residents do. Educated with a bachelor of Fine Arts at Bard, she elected to move to the suburbs (or the country, as she jokes) for the fresh air, educational opportunities for her kids, and the Hudson River town lifestyle of nature and people in love with the community. No stranger to real estate, she’s restored multiple properties in Brooklyn, where she hails from, and loves older architecture. Look for her blog soon, which will be at upintheburbs.com, as we both continue to plot out her course. I am certain that anyone working with Geraldine can expect excellent advocacy, empathy, top-shelf professionalism, insight and fantastic results.
To reach Geraldine, just call 917.435.4720 or email her at geraldine@jphilip.com.