Although moving can be exciting, it is also one of the most emotional life changes that a person can experience, and a major decision. That is one of the reasons why broker and owner of Home & Heart Realty, Rose Simila, opened her office with a personalized approach in mind.
“Kindness and putting others first is important. Often, we assist behind the scenes – chatting with our clients at all hours, assisting with estimates and needed repairs, scheduling inspections and meeting inspectors. There are many moving parts during a transaction that many people do not know about,” Simila says.
Voted “Best of Gloucester County” three years in a row after launching in 2019, Home & Heart currently has 65 licensed realtors – all of whom have the same friendly and intimate home-selling perspective that encompasses the values of the company. They have full awareness of the many components that moving requires and how it is a full change in lifestyle. Perhaps a location change affects a family with children starting school, a new job or a plethora of other influences. Selling or buying a home shouldn’t exponentially add to the anxiety.
“There are many great realtors who have a true passion for real estate, and they want to be by their clients’ side through the process,” says Simila. “If something doesn't feel right in the transaction, if a change has to be made, if the sale is not going to go through, we don't push it to go through just to get a paycheck.”
With more than two decades of experience, Simila has seen the industry through housing market fluctuations and from the perspective of working at both boutique and corporate offices. She decided to undertake the ambitious venture of starting a humanistic real estate business of her own, where she refuses to make promises that she cannot keep—something she has seen practiced by larger brokerages. Home & Heart Realty is also averse to imperious egos or flashy displays of wealth, working to change the common perception of real estate brokerages with a primary focus on helping people in the South Jersey community. Her passion is undeniable as she discusses interacting with her clients – something she says is her favorite part of her job.
“We hold their hand and help them, and we have a great staff that takes their calls and assists with their immediate concerns. We have that old- school mentality where we believe that a client should not be pushed around from person to person,” Simila emphasizes. “There's a lot of emotion involved in it… Some people are buying their first home, while others may be selling a home they’ve lived in for 25-plus years, and both are making huge decisions and life changes. You have to deal with the mortgage and title process, making sure that everything is ready in a 30 to 60 day timeframe. So they're making big decisions in a short amount of time… they worry about a lot of different things and ultimately, they have to get a lot done to get to that closing table and be ready.”
That old-school method combined with an evolution of techniques to meet the current industry standards are invaluable with the current state of the New Jersey housing market, with high demand, low availability and intense competition since around the time Home & Heart Realty opened.
“We've had to change our negotiating skills quite a bit. It's been a real tough market here in South Jersey for the last four years and it does require knowledge, skill and ethics. I think buyers and sellers really need to work with realtors that have that knowledge and can help them if they're selling someone's house, get them the most money and if they're working with a buyer, getting their offer accepted,” Simila says.
Ethics and integrity are synonymous with Home & Heart Realty, and clients’ trust in the brokerage is proven by frequent referrals, something that Simila finds “more important than a commission.” Despite its increasing client base, a one-on-one, individualized experience with realtors who care is guaranteed for years to come at Home & Heart.
Home & Heart Realty
975 Bridgeton Pike, Suite C, Sewell
(609) 364-4916
RoseSimila-HomeAndHeartRealty.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 14, Issue 5.
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