What Makes A Great Real Estate Agent In Today’s Market

This Patch article is sponsored by Rena Spangler of COMPASS NJ.

Rena Spangler is a founding real estate agent with COMPASS NJ who has deep roots in the South Orange and Maplewood, NJ communities, serving clients seeking and selling properties in the area. She has been working in the real estate industry for over 14 years.

Spangler shared more about her real estate career with Patch.

Having spent most of my adult life in SOMA (South Orange and Maplewood, NJ), supporting local businesses, participating in valuable initiatives and raising three great kids who attended the public schools, this is my home. I’m grateful to be part of a community I know well and love. As a realtor, it's always a joy to share SOMA’s uniqueness with people moving here and to help others who want to stay.

Since I began my real estate career 14 years ago, a lot has changed … and sadly, a lot has not.

Back in 2008, with house prices dropping in an uncertain economy, technology in my industry was in its infancy. Everyone had to rely on realtors for information about finding, purchasing, selling and financing a home.

Today, buyers and sellers are deluged with data and free “expert” advice. Now, the best realtors need to be fierce, knowledgeable and savvy advocates for their clients — staying ahead of local inventory and shifts in the market, keeping in constant communication, negotiating winning deals, and ensuring every step is seamless, transparent and principled.

For me, it’s always been about opening lifelong relationships, not closing the umpteenth transaction of the month.

I joined COMPASS as a founding agent because: 1) its culture reflects my values (i.e., kindness, high ethical standards and elevated professionalism); and 2) its ever-evolving, innovative tech tools allow me to deliver what matters most: helping people get what they need and want during a process that can be emotional, even in the happiest circumstances.

What hasn’t changed enough — to quote from a COMPASS executive — is that “real estate agents generally have a terrible reputation, tarnished by the minority of awful players.” There are too many “salespeople” rather than personal champions committed to their clients’ needs. In addition, so-called real estate “reality shows” have given the consumer a false view of what I do each and every day.

This is upsetting because I truly take pride in my work. Empathy, hard work and honesty have always been my North Star, and coupled with COMPASS’s culture, these are what set my results apart from many other realtors.

Call me today and let’s get started.
973-876-7913 / renaspangler@gmail.com / renaspangler.com