Gaithersburg MD Real Estate: Team Member Spotlight- Tina Grohowski

Team Member Spotlight- Tina Grohowski

Tina was the first Salesperson to join my Team and I consider myself very lucky to work with her on daily basis. She is intelligent, organized, and dependable. Most of all, she genuinely cares about her client's satisfaction. It's been a pleasure to watch Tina build her career over the last 11 years and I'm proud to have her as member of Andy Werner & Associates. In this Team Member Spotlight, Tina explains in her own words how she began her Real Estate Career and gives advice to buyers and sellers in 2011.

Why did you choose to become a Realtor and how did you get your start?

It was 1999 and I had just finished a year of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Melanoma and was re-entering the job market looking for a new profession. I earned a Bachelors degree in Business Marketing in 1990 and had an 8 year background in retail management as Store Manager at Victoria's Secret. I wanted to find a way to marry my people and time management skills with my degree from The George Washington University. My cousin referred me to her RE/MAX Sales Consultant and mutual friend who happened to be looking to hire an Assistant to help with his and another fellow RE/MAX Agent's businesses. Agent, Ruth McArdle was preparing for retirement and wanted to find someone to help organize her business so it could be sold to another Agent seamlessly, with her systems in place, while maintaining a very healthy stream of business. Suffice to say, I had a lot to learn in a short amount of time; I caught on quickly. After a year of processing transactions for Ruth McArdle and Doug Lewis, handling all of their marketing needs, etc...I got a crash course in Real Estate 101; I knew this was the career path for me!
Ruth's hope was to have an experienced female REALTOR® step in and take over to help her future clientele. I possessed the desire to be this person but didn't have the experience necessary to take over the successful business she had built over the years. Long story short, Ruth McArdle eventually sold her thriving business to my current Team Leader and mentor, Andy Werner. However, I was written into the contract and was appointed the woman that was to help the clientele that was generated from Ruth's sphere of influence. I received my Maryland Real Estate License in 2000 and joined Andy Werner & Associates and have never looked back. By and far, it was the best career choice I have ever made.

Prior to becoming a Realtor, did you have a career that provided you with any unique experience or skills that you apply to your current profession?

As a Retail Sales Manager, I had grown accustomed to a non-traditional work schedule. I was already used to working odd hours, nights, weekends and holidays. In order to be truly successful Sales Consultant, you have to be flexible and willing to work when your clientele is available. If I had a normal 9-5 job coming into this profession, I think it would have been very difficult for me to acclimate myself to what amounts to a somewhat hectic and sometimes unpredictable work schedule. I feel like I had a head start in terms of preparedness for what it takes to be a successful real estate professional.

Is there anything about being a Realtor that has surprised you?

Yes, that more people don't know how rewarding a career as a REALTOR® can be. "I want to be a REALTOR ® when I grow up", is not often something you often, if ever, hear. It is our best kept secret so shhhhh, don't tell anyone!

What sets RE/MAX apart from other Real Estate brokerages?

Entrepreneurial- Excellence - Experience. Since RE/MAX agents have a desk fee and owe money at the beginning of every month whether they sell something or not, it takes an exceptional person with a strong business ethic and motivation for success to take on that kind of risk. Most Agents do not begin their career at RE/MAX; they aspire to be a RE/MAX agent as they are building their business to be big and strong enough to join the ranks of the RE/MAX professionals.

In what areas do you specialize?

As a Montgomery County native, most of my experience is there. I grew up down county in Silver Spring, lived in Washington, DC for 11 years and now reside up-county in Germantown for 12 years so I can honestly say I'm an expert in the entire County as a whole. Due to rapid increase in sales prices in the early 2000's, many of my clients looked to move further north into Frederick County because it was more affordable so I have become very familiar with the neighborhoods there as well. I am now licensed in Virginia so I will be venturing across the river to represent buyers and sellers over there as well.

Do you think there are unique challenges to buying and selling Real Estate in your market area?

We live in a unique, diverse and rapidly changing environment which in great in some respects and challenging in others. Montgomery County is a very litigious so it is a constant battle to keep up with all the changes in legislation and rules that pertain to selling real estate. This is wonderful in that our elected representatives pay due diligence to their constituents by insuring that their rights are protected. However, by doing so it means that the real estate environment and the rules that we need too .Thankfully, I am associated with a Brokerage firm, RE/MAX Realty Group, who is committed to staying on top of this ever changing environment and helps to provide the education and tools necessary to insure that their Agents remain on the cutting edge of the marketplace.

What advice do you have for buyers and sellers in 2011?

Stop relying on the news, your co-workers, friends and family for answers to your real estate related questions. Instead, talk to a licensed REALTOR® for your real estate needs. There are too many people who believe they are experts in real estate but are not licensed to sell. Plus, the media often reports only the negative aspects of the market place and in many instances they are reporting statistics from other parts of the county which do not necessarily apply to what is happening in our market. Pick up the phone and call or email and experienced RE/MAX Sales Consultant, preferably me!

You can contact Tina at grohow@mindspring.com