For one-time DJ and concert promoter AnnMarie Janni, founder of the nine-person Element Realty Group in North Carolina’s Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill triangle, (elementrealtygroup.net), music is both a staple in her life and a contributing factor to her success.
“Managing details for major Madison Square Garden entertainers from Madonna to the Rolling Stones to Red Hot Chili Peppers,” said Janni, “ensures you not only hone your organizational and people skills, you also own responsibility for the outcomes.”
When her husband’s job transfer took the native New Yorker to Raleigh 23 years ago, Janni tried her hand at several trades. But it wasn’t until a friend suggested real estate that she knew she had found her passion, first finding success with a small boutique firm and then, for most of her career as a team leader, under the auspices of Allen Tate Realty.
Today, as one of the top 25 real estate teams in the triangle region, with $275 million in career production, Element Realty Group ranks in the top five percent of achievers with Allen Tate Realtors and has earned accolades as a top-achieving team nationwide.
Barbara Pronin: What was it about the real estate industry that clicked with you, AnnMarie?
AnnMarie Janni: The challenge and also the great privilege of helping buyers and sellers realize their dreams and meet their financial goals. Knowing the market. Being a good negotiator. The skills we use every day that make a difference in people’s lives.
BP: You started building a team early in your sales career. Why?
AMJ: I quickly learned that the more successful an agent becomes, the more support they require. Being part of a team gives you bandwidth and back-up, both with paperwork and with client support—and it’s a great customer benefit knowing someone always has their back. It’s been wonderful for me, and once I began managing a team, I found I loved mentoring and the joy of watching agents grow.
BP: How is your team organized and how do you operate?
AMJ: We recently took on our seventh agent, all of us working with both buyers and sellers, and we have two fabulous administrators—a client care manager who is the point person at every stage of each transaction, and a director of operations who keeps us all on track and keeps everything we do moving forward. We are fortunate to have our own space in a lovely historic home here in Apex, where we work within the vibe we’ve created. It’s very informal, we play the music we love, and we often hang out with each other and even with clients on the big front porch. At the same time, we are very much in touch. We have monthly team meetings, plus monthly Allen Tate meetings, and we keep a text thread going all the time. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s informational, sometimes we’re celebrating, or maybe venting a bit. It’s all very friendly, but at the same time, it helps us stay on top of everything we’re doing as a team.
BP: It sounds like a fun way to work.
AMJ: It is. It’s mostly casual. We have team happy hours out on the porch—which we sometimes call ‘date nights’—when we enjoy each other’s company, but also catch up on anything that’s new or needs attention. Sometimes, we host client events out there. We just hosted one recently—a “Music Under the Oak Tree’ event with live music and food. It’s the kind of thing that helps us stay close to our clients, and keeps them in touch with us. It’s what I call the ‘southern charm’ part of how we operate.
BP: And the other part?
AMJ: That’s what I call the ‘northern spunk’—the all-business part of the business—getting every listing is ready to hit the market, negotiating the most favorable terms for every client, keeping every transaction on time and on track. We are without question client-driven and results oriented, and that’s the backbone of our success.
BP: What do you think is your differentiator? What do you think your clients would say?
AMJ: I think every one of them would say they feel welcomed and valued at every stage of their transaction and beyond—that they know they can trust us and the long-established Allen Tate brand to keep their best interests first, to help them make the best decisions, to do the best possible job for them every time.
BP: Sounds like you’re a happy Southern transplant.
AMJ: Absolutely. North Carolina is a great place to call home, close to beaches and mountains, a good place to raise kids—and I manage a team of some of the best REALTORS® in the business. I love what I do every day and derive my joy from the smiles I see on my clients and my agents as they move on, move out, and move up.
Below, from an Element Realty Group listing in Holly Springs, North Carolina. This property sold this past summer for $850,000.
