Business Philosophy/Areas of Expertise

Since obtaining my real estate license in 2012, I have had the privilege of working with my sellers and buyers and have learned from every transaction both professionally and personally. I am a true believer in evolving and learning through my experiences and with that philosophy in mind, I have been able to serve my clients well. I attribute my ongoing success in real estate via a combination of strong organizational skills, open and constant communication with my clients, emphasis on efficiency in getting deals closed as timely as possible and effective management for all parties involved.

I began my work career as an auditor for Deloitte Touche after graduating with an Accounting degree from Boston College. I have always been an organized person capable of multi-tasking various responsibilities. While at DT, I was able to further develop those skills as well as strengthening my interpersonal skills. My accounting and financial experiences at Sony Electronics further enhanced my interpersonal and communication skills not only externally with clients but developing intra-personal skills as well. It became an invaluable lesson to me that goals were met not only through client satisfaction but also working as a team with internal departments. My personal success were achieved not only through my own hard work but also the work of other departments that assisted in achieving the overall goal for the company. The concept of "it takes a village to succeed" resonated with me throughout my corporate years and helped me to have the proper outlook in other aspects of my life. It "takes a village" to have a family and manage a smooth running household; it "takes a village" to lead and participate in volunteer opportunities; and most importantly, it "takes a village" to balance work and personal goals. Being able to always be present for my clients is of upmost priority to me as a professional real estate agent and I believe that realizing that as long as all parties work as a "team" success is attainable. I have also found true enjoyment and satisfaction in giving back to my community. I strongly believe in paying it forward through any acts of kindness. In the past I have volunteered my time with the local school system by being a founding member of the Watchung Educational Foundation and instituting hot lunches at the elementary and middle schools. I also helped to form a revolving list of volunteers (as Team Captain) to prepare and deliver meals to St. Ann's Soup Kitchen in Newark and dedicated my time to that for 12 years. I am currently on the Board of Trustees for Bloomfield College located in Bloomfield NJ. Giving back to the community continues to be a daily goal for me. I believe acts of kindness in life plays a large role of who I am as a person and how I portray myself professionally and personally.

Community Involvement

Participating in community service has always been a large part of my family's motto. I believe giving back to the community in every possible way is extremely important to self-fulfillment as well as our overall duty. My community involvement includes the following:

Watchung PTO : I was a member of the Watchung PTO for 9 years. I was heavily involved in PTO events such as being chairperson of the food sales committee along with being the co-chairperson for the 8th grade graduation celebration that involved working with other committees and outside vendors to ensure a safe and successful event.

Watchung Educational Foundation: I was a founding member of the Watchung Educational Foundation. I helped to establish a platform that allowed grants to be submitted by Watchung school staff and administration that further enhanced educational opportunities to the students of the Watchung schools. These programs, funded through multiple fundraising events, include a guitar program for the music department, smart boards for the classrooms, and electronic readers for the early intervention reading program.

St. Mary's Stony Hill: I was an assistant catechist for the St. Mary's Stony Hill CCD program for 4 years and was a Eucharistic Minister.

St. Ann's Soup Kitchen in Newark, NJ: I was a captain for a team of 6 to 8 volunteers and was responsible for the coordination of volunteers and purchases of healthy food items to be provided to the clients of the St. Ann's Soup Kitchen. It is the goal of the soup kitchen to provide a healthy and safe environment to its clients along with a hot and healthy meal. Since its inception 12 years ago, St. Ann's Soup Kitchen has grown to be the largest (in terms of meal served) in Newark, NJ. I continued to prepare meals during the pandemic at an ad-hoc location in the basement of a local church.

Bloomfield College: As a Board member, my goal is to assist Bloomfield College in its educational and financial endeavors to better serve its students. I am currently serving on the Academic Affairs Committee as well as the Development and Public Affairs Committee.

Education and Training

I graduated with a degree in accounting from Boston College and have worked in both public and private sectors. At these corporate environments, I have had the opportunities to not only work with my clients closely but to play an active role in satisfying various objectives. My corporate background has allowed me to learn the importance of communication among team members and with outside clients and to solve issues effectively while maintaining a timeline. My many years of experiences gained from being a Homemaker and coordinating volunteer activities for various communities helped to further develop those skills as well. My personal philosophies of applying the "Golden Rule" and "it takes a village to be successful" helps me to be achieve goals that are important to me professionally and personally.

Testimonials:

"Facing the prospect of moving my in-laws from their five bedroom home seemed a daunting task until Mary helped us break down the process and set up a plan. She eased our anxiety and created attainable goals to prepare the house for the market. With her keen eye for design, we decluttered and simplified the home with truly remarkable results. Her guidance and expertise in the market was invaluable. Mary actively promoted the home, followed up on all details, and above of all she was willing to answer the smallest of questions. She maintained great communication no matter the time of day! This made a potentially stressful process go as smoothly as possible. Mary’s energy and professionalism facilitated a quick sale. We are truly grateful and will certainly seek her out when we are ready to sell our home. Sincerely, Patricia Hahn"

"I'm writing in response to our experience with Mary during the searching purchasing of our home. Mary was wonderful! She patiently swiftly responded to our inquiries making showing happen within hours. Mary is very responsive and eager to help in anyway. She was extremely helpful during the closing process we really appreciated all she did to help us out. Sincerely, Linda Young"

"Karen and I could not be happier with how things turned out, both buying and selling homes with Mary's play-by-play guidance for the last year. She was with us all the way. When we had questions, she would either have the answers or would do research and get right back to us. She’s very responsive and works hard for her clients. She helped us with staging our house for sale, advised us on selling it and buying another home. She understands the market and works diligently for her clients. Mary was always our advocate, making recommendations that was in our best interest. She’s the best! Sincerely, Tom and Karen Kurtz"

"We had two difficult transactions due to COVID-19 and the emotion it created. This is where Mary's skills helped us through to complete the transactions created by a difficult seller and inexperienced buyer. Mary was exceptional at bringing her knowledge of the real estate market with her caring and understanding of our family needs. We would not have purchased a new home without the skills and caring she brought to every discussion." ~ Brian and Tina

"I had a great experience with Mary. She is kind, responsible and responsive. Every step of the process, she provided timely support or directed me to someone who could help. I am a first-time seller. I felt she went above and beyond to attend to my needs."~ Dina