Above, Shauna Fanning
Shauna Fanning
REALTOR®
Lamacchia Realty, Inc.
Braintree, Massachusetts
https://shaunafanning.lamacchiarealty.com
Region served: Boston’s South Shore area
Years in real estate: 8
Favorite part of your job: The stories, and working with clients who are full of gratitude when they achieve their real estate dreams.
What is the most significant trend affecting your business right now?
With mortgage rates coming down, not only are we seeing people come back out, but we’re also seeing more people get excited about the rate drop increasing their buying power. I would say we’ve got first-time homebuyers starting to come back out because of this. Additionally, we’re seeing many people moving because they have to—and not so much because they want to. They’re moving because they need to downsize, have affordability issues, relocating and so on.
What is your top strategy for closing a transaction?
For the buyers, I do a lot of communicating with the other side, so I’m calling and asking questions to determine what the seller wants and needs. In addition, I’m writing letters to specific neighborhoods for certain buyers to find properties because there’s been such a shortage over the past few years. On the seller side, it’s breaking down the finances—writing everything down on paper for them and determining whether selling is the right decision. From there, it’s helping them strategize as far as the best path for their situation. It’s all about communicating with your sellers and helping them make the best choice for their family, deciding whether it’s time to sell or hold off. I’m constantly strategizing outside the box.
When it comes to dealing with a picky buyer, what are your best tips and tricks?
I think a lot of it comes with gaining knowledge of real estate over time. If a home has every other thing you want, why wouldn’t you move forward if it’s the only thing you need to change? When dealing with a picky buyer, it’s about thinking creatively, because if the property checks nine out of 10 boxes, how can we maybe check all 10 by tweaking one thing?
What is your favorite time-saving tool that you use on a weekly basis?
I use Lamacchia’s services that they offer. I have my own assistant who does all of my paperwork so I don’t have to worry about that. I sometimes also use assistance for showings, because when you have a lot of clients, you can’t be everywhere at once. I also have a marketing assistant who’s specific to me and does all of my marketing. It’s really just asking for help, reaching out to others so that you can give your clients the best quality.
How do you see your market evolving through the remainder of the year and into 2025?
For me personally, the market doesn’t seem to be slowing down. It’s staying at a consistent rate. Because interest rates went down, I think it’s going to go up a little bit. I also believe we’re going to see the market pick up a little bit more than we typically do through the normal holiday season. This increase in activity in conjunction with changing interest rates will keep the market pretty steady through the winter.
What attracted you to Lamacchia Realty?
The support. They offer so much, and everyone helps one another. They make it possible to grow your business and still have a family life. It’s a really good company to work for.
For more information, please visit https://www.lamacchiarealty.com.
