From this past Sunday's South Florida Sun Sentinel Real Estate Section.
By Garrett A. Foster
A good Realtor® holds his or her own in a market as challenging and unpredictable as the one we've experienced the last few years. An award-winning Realtor® transcends those challenges to keep exceeding client expectations and previous revenue goals.
Bonnie Heatzig of Boca Executive Realty is one of the latter, and the proof is definitely in the numbers. In fact, in the first few months of 2009, she has already surpassed her sales for all of 2008 which, according to Boca Executive Realty Broker/President, Zev Freidus, was itself a "great" year for his Top Producer.
To make her story even more compelling, Heatzig has only been a Realtor® for five years, although she practiced real estate and contract law for 16 of the previous years. It's a combination that, along with her incredible work ethic, confidence and obvious passion for what she does, puts her in a very strong position in this or any market.
We recently had a chance to talk with Heatzig, who specializes in waterfront properties, about who's been the biggest influence on her career, what she enjoys most about being a Realtor®, the kinds of values that exist for today's buyers, and more.
Get Homes: What made you decide to become a Realtor®?
Bonnie Heatzig: I'm very much a people person and, while practicing law allowed me to tap into that aspect of my personality quite a bit, I really thought that being a real estate agent would be something I would be effective doing, and I was right.
Get Homes: What do you enjoy most about your job?
BH: I like the end result - and the journey it takes to get there. I really enjoy meeting so many interesting people from all over the world with such varied backgrounds. They're all fascinating, and I enjoy matching them up with just the right property. When they let me know that I've done that, it's the best feedback I can receive.
GH: Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
BH: I have to say my father. He's a former college president, so I grew up with a role model who was extremely ambitious, held himself the highest standards of integrity and taught me by example the fruits of a strong work ethic. I was also exposed to faculty parties, and accompanied my parents as we entertained lots of interesting, incredibly smart adults in our home. I frequently witnessed my father speaking to large groups of highly ranked professionals and members of government. My own educational background, combined with these invaluable lessons I learned from my father, gave me the confidence to mesh with my highly accomplished clientele.
GH: What makes you qualified as a waterfront property specialist?
BH: For starters, my own home is on the water in Boca Raton, so I have a unique understanding of waterfront living. We're also boaters, which helps me to have a real working knowledge of where the inlets are located, which bridges are fixed, varied community association rules of boat lifts, depths of various canals to clear boat drafts, and more. This is the kind of expertise and knowledge that is extremely important to my clients.
GH: What's your prognosis for the real estate market?
BH: I'm cautiously optimistic, which I couldn't have said even a few months ago. President Obama is speaking of "glimmers of hope"; the banks have set up processes to deal with short sales and foreclosures; Realtors® have gone through the learning curve of dealing with this market; and foreclosures are being bought up, and inventory is starting to burn off.
GH: What one piece of advice do you have for anyone looking to purchase now?
BH: If you're not a cash buyer, you need to have a prequalification letter in your pocket.
GH: How have current market conditions affected your business?
BH: Actually, I'm busier than ever. I'm out there every day trying to find the best deals and values for my clients. I can't really say that my business model has changed, since my work ethic has always been to do whatever it takes 24/7. When I commit to my clients, I'm there for them every step of the way until closing. I have my Blackberry with me at all times, and I'm extremely responsive.
GH: How important is the Internet in the way you do business?
BH: The Internet is a tremendous asset and tool to my business model. I'm really fortunate in that Boca Executive Realty's site is one of the best, and we're constantly improving it. As a testament to that, more people now type in "Boca Executive Realty" in our market when looking for a home than "Boca Raton real estate," which is a huge accomplishment for us. [For more about this, read Zev Freidus' sidebar comments.]
GH: What kinds of opportunities exist for buyers today?
BH: There are tremendous values out there. If you go back to 2005-2006, you'll see a tremendous decrease in prices, due to the fact that sellers have become much more realistic and have adjusted their list prices accordingly. No one has a crystal ball, but most people really seem to believe that we're at or near the bottom.
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Boca Raton Florida Luxury Real Estate specialists with an emphasis on Country Club and waterfront properties.
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