Victoria Carter Team Brings 20 Years of Realtor Experience to Short Hills

Victoria Carter's journey through the world of buying and selling homes began after she first experienced the home-buying process, realizing that a realtor could offer a new level of service. Today, Carter specializes and markets homes in 13 communities throughout northern New Jersey.

Patch: What sets Victoria Carter apart from other real-estate agents and agencies?

Carter: With almost two decades of experience buying and selling homes in northern New Jersey,
I have developed an innate ability to negotiate optimal deals for my clients. Homes within my coverage area are highly sought after, and operating in these communities demands a realtor who can quickly adapt to changing economic realities in the marketplace. I pride myself on the integrity with which I conduct each real estate transaction, and I treat each and every client in a manner that I know I, myself, would want to be treated. I believe my reliability and consistency of communication with clients are also key differentiators. Somewhat like an experienced project manager, I keep real-estate transactions moving ahead to closing. The result is manifested in my transaction statistics.

In 2015, I closed 166 transactions with a dollar volume of 126 million, and in 2016, I will top those figures. In the 2016 Wall Street Journal REAL Trends Survey, I was ranked #78 nationally of 1.1 million real estate agents. My background in retail management has helped me develop a business-like, professional approach, and it distinguishes me from many of my peers. I truly believe that real estate must be done on a full-time basis because a part-time approach is simply not enough. For this reason, I make myself available to my clients 24/7. Another aspect that sets Victoria Carter apart from other real estate agents is my understanding of and financial commitment to an expansive, multi-channel marketing strategy for our properties. Our marketing includes new media. For example, I maintain a daily presence on social media and write a monthly real-estate blog. On Facebook alone, I have over 5400 followers and actively utilize Facebook to market our properties, promote local events and help support businesses in the community.

Patch: What is your advice to a first-time homeowner?

Carter: Many people vastly underestimate the emotional and financial commitment involved in the purchase of a new home. Before making a decision to buy, it is important to explore your motivations and whether a new home will accommodate the changing needs of your family for the long run. Some of the emotional hurdles I have seen people struggle to overcome include moving away from family or a cherished neighborhood, adapting to a new school system or even leaving the conveniences of urban living. The financial challenges inherent in buying a home for the first time can also be very overwhelming. Although buying a home is a financial investment, it still involves mortgage payments, repair and maintenance expenses, property taxes and homeowners insurance. Wanting to purchase a home is distinct from being able to afford one, so first-time homeowners should work closely with a real estate agent to explore all of the financial implications and responsibilities involved in homeownership.

Patch: What advice would you give to someone interested in selling his or her home?

Carter: Before selling a home, make sure to discuss all of the financial implications inherent in the sale process with your real-estate agent. It’s imperative that the many facets of a home sale and its impact on a family’s finances are understood prior to listing. For example, there are capital gains tax exclusions, timing considerations when purchasing another home, sale contingencies and the challenge of choosing the right market price. The timing and logistics of a home sale involve not only the current property, but the one you hope to move into – the classic “sell first or buy first” dilemma. It’s a balancing act, which can be very disruptive to a family’s routine and life when it does not go as planned.

Patch: When did you know you wanted to work within the real-estate field?

Carter: After graduate work, I began a career in retail and rose to become a senior corporate executive at Saks Fifth Avenue. That corporate management and negotiation experience prompted me to consider the real-estate profession. Concurrently, I started my own family and went through the process of buying a home. Based on my own experience as a homebuyer, I came to believe there could be a whole different level of service offered by realtors. It was a natural career transition, and I began working in the real-estate industry in 1998.

Patch: What is the most unusual or extraordinary event to ever happen to you while showing a house?

Carter: Although not necessarily unusual, but perhaps extraordinary, I am always pleasantly surprised when I show a home to a client and they fall in love with the home at first sight. I have even had occasions when I began a day with a list of homes to show, my client and I walk into the first house on the itinerary, and they tell me they want that home. Given the complexities of matching the right house to the right homebuyer, the occasional “one and done” showings are always memorable!

Patch: What is your definition of success?

Carter: My definition of success is quite simple: success is optimizing the outcome for my client. If a family is selling a home, I want to attain the highest possible sale price. If I am representing potential homebuyers, success is when I help them find their dream home. About 60 percent of my business is either repeat or referral business. I believe this high percentage reflects my unwavering commitment to prioritizing client outcomes.

Patch: What are your proudest moments as a real-estate agent?

Carter: My proudest moment as a real-estate agent came at the end of 2015. I was named the top real-estate agent for Weichert Realtors company-wide based on transaction volume and total units. Recognition as the #78 agent nationally in the Wall Street Journal REAL Trends Survey is also an accomplishment of which I am very proud.

Patch: You specialize and market homes in 13 communities throughout New Jersey. How did you come to select these areas for your business?

Carter: I specialize in towns that are directly on or within very close proximity to the Midtown Direct train line. These towns are within a one-hour commute to New York City, door-to-door. As a result, the communities are commuter havens and magnets for families looking to access New York City while maintaining a high-quality life in the suburbs. All of these towns have a strong sense of community and include great parks and recreational facilities, like the South Mountain Reservation. They have an urban feel and are culturally progressive. Another common characteristic of these towns is their outstanding school systems, many of which are nationally ranked. Families moving into one of these communities have the benefit of easy access to New York City and outstanding K-12 school systems. For this reason, my coverage area includes Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Maplewood, South Orange, Chatham, Madison, Livingston, West Orange, Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Montclair and Westfield.

Patch: How does the Victoria Carter Team maintain a competitive edge?

Carter: The members of the Victoria Carter Team are highly professional and extremely knowledgeable about our coverage area. Many of the members have children that attend the local schools. I personally pride myself on being able to say “I live where I work” and believe that the Victoria Carter Team flourishes because we become a critical resource for clients in the home search and sale processes. We are full-time and pride ourselves on staying abreast of the housing market trends and sales data. We know the housing inventory in and out, are well respected and aligned within the real estate community. Our team conducts comprehensive, informative area tours and always provides community and housing options for our buyers based on their particular sensibilities and needs. The members of the Victoria Carter Team are good listeners. In our highly competitive markets, we know how to guide clients successfully through a multiple bid situation and secure the home.

We provide a constant stream of information and support throughout the buying process to ensure the smoothest and most positive outcome for our clients. When selling homes, my deep commitment to properly preparing a home for market includes home staging along with informed and realistic pricing. These two factors are critical to my success in achieving the highest market price in the shortest amount of time. I also ensure that all of our properties are extensively marketed via an integrated, multi-channel strategy, which encompasses the use of new media. As just a few examples, the Victoria Carter Team markets homes with multiple websites, social media and paid social campaigns, video, 3D floor plans, drone photography, print ads, and targeted email campaigns. The expansive commitment to marketing ensures as many people see our properties as possible, and that reach allows my team to sell properties far more effectively and quickly than our competitors. In short, I am a full-service real estate professional and strong advocate for my clients, remaining by their side every step of the way.

Patch: How can Patch readers contact you and learn more about homes for sale in New Jersey?

Carter: Patch readers can contact Victoria Carter at cell [via] (973) 220-3050, office direct [via] (973) 376-6748 or via email [at] victoria@victoriacarter.com.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Carter Team