When it comes to staying ahead of the competition, real estate professionals are always looking for that one thing that will help them stand out in a crowded real estate market. For Dania Perry, a REALTOR® with CENTURY 21 Jim White & Associates, her background has proven to be one of the biggest things that sets her apart. With a Masters in Electrical Engineering, Perry’s analytical approach to the business—combined with a lot of hard work—has propelled her to the top.
Having gotten into the business in 2006, Perry’s passion for real estate has carried her through a challenging market, setting her on the road to success right from the get-go. In fact, Perry ended her first year in the industry with more than $450,000 in gross commissions. And her success has continued to grow from there. As the No. 1 agent within the CENTURY 21 System for the past two years, Perry is motivated and ready to do it all again in 2013. Having handled $12 million in sales in December 2012, Perry is on track to do about $7.5 million in January (at press time). She’s also been a quality service award recipient every year she’s been in the business, speaking to the way her clients feel about her. Truly passionate about what she does, Perry’s unique approach to real estate provides an invaluable experience for each and every one of her clients.
“Not only do I approach real estate with an analytical, data-driven mindset, I’m always thinking in terms of spreadsheets and providing my clients with the data they need to make good decisions,” says Perry, who points to her background in the corporate environment as setting the tone for how she thinks about and approaches real estate. Putting everything on a spreadsheet enables her to give her buyers and sellers a good, high-level view of the market when it comes to recent sales and how they compare to homes a client may be evaluating. In an industry where knowledge is power, Perry is 100 percent committed to doing her homework so that her clients have all the information they need to successfully get into their dream home or get their current home sold. “I believe in doing my homework up front, early on in the process, so that when I meet with a client, it’s simply a matter of execution,” she adds.
While her approach to real estate may be far from typical, Perry sets herself apart from the competition through her commitment to fully understanding the market. “If you take the time to understand the terrain, you can navigate through it,” says Perry, who devotes anywhere from six to eight hours putting together a typical market analysis on a home. “I believe that you make your money right there at the listing appointment, so it’s crucial that you come to these appointments prepared.” Dedicating so much time to understanding the market enables Perry to talk to buyers, sellers and appraisers honestly about recent sales as well as what’s currently on the market.
As the strongest selling and listing agent within Pinellas County, Fla., one of the biggest challenges Perry has had to overcome since getting her license is the shifting expectations of sellers. While sellers and buyers alike held onto hope that the downturn was going to be temporary, it has now become the new normal; and through the use of hard, concrete data, Perry is able to help her sellers understand the importance of being realistic when it comes to pricing. Perry also works closely with each of her buyers in order to help them see where the value is in terms of homes they’re interested in. “When it comes to buying a house, buyers simply make an offer because they like the house and they want to buy it,” says Perry. “My job is to get them comfortable with the price.”
In the end, it all boils down to simply doing the right thing every day. “If you do something every day, you’re going to be good at it,” says Perry. No matter how the market continues to change, Perry’s clients will continue to get 100 percent from her. “When people hire Dania Perry, they get Dania Perry. Not only will I represent a client throughout the entire process, I treat my job as a profession and my clients know they are getting a true professional when working with me.”
For more information, please visit www.century21.com.
