Whether you’re refining your business model, mastering new technology, or finding a strategy to take advantage of the next market boom, Inman Connect New York prepares you to take a bold step. The next chapter is about to begin. Please join us. Join us and thousands of other real estate leaders from January 22-24, 2025.
Andrea Wernick of Coldwell Banker Warburg, who has a background in advertising as the founder and former CEO of national storyboarding company Warshaw Blumenthal and now serves as one of New York City’s top listing agents. understands the power of marketing better than most.
Her eye for staging and dedication to her clients has enabled her to successfully process over 40 transactions at 400 East 56th Street, also known as Plaza 400, where she resides. “I am 100 percent committed to this profession and my clients, and truly value each and every transaction.”
Wernick calls himself a “straight shooter.” I don’t gloss over things, I say what I mean. ” She believes in the power of learning to stay on top of the ever-changing real estate industry and is “always” looking for courses and seminars to advance her expertise and stay informed. “I think you need to have an attitude of always learning.”
Name: Andrea E. Wernick
Position: Real estate salesman
Experience: 8 years
Location: New York City
Full name of brokerage firm: Coldwell Banker Warburg
Ranking: Top 4% of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide
What is the best advice you have ever received from a mentor or colleague?
When I started my real estate career, I didn’t have a mentor. I wasn’t part of the team, so I didn’t have anyone to show me the ropes.
The manager at the time guided me when I had questions. As a result, I learned an important lesson: I need to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to learn what you need to know. Find out how to ask questions of managers and other knowledgeable brokers to get the answers you need.
On the other hand, there are big aspects of this career that cannot be taught or answered even if you ask. This career requires learning through experience.
Each transaction is different from other transactions. Every time you trade, you will learn something new or come across a situation you have never encountered before. It’s an evolution and it takes a long time to become a seasoned professional. That can’t be taught. It must be lived.
What does a customer need to know before starting a real estate transaction?
I primarily work with sellers. As a seller, you need to understand the current market. As a seller, you should ask your agent to show you your building and similar properties in the neighborhood to set your expectations. When you’re ready to sell your home, you should consider curbing the appeal.
You need to tidy up your house or paint it. I love staging residences. You can do this on a budget (provide decorative pillows, flowers, and other items that make a big impact).
However, if the seller has the budget, actual staging can make a big difference in a property’s appeal, especially if the location is in real estate condition. Virtual staging is also a useful option to help buyers imagine what the home will look like when physical staging is not possible due to financial constraints.
Make sure you find a broker who is passionate and experienced, especially in your particular market. Find someone who will respond quickly to your inquiries and those of interested buyers/agents, and who will be 100% committed to selling your home.
You should also try to find an agent who will be diligent about marketing your home through social media and, of course, all traditional sales outlets. A good broker will always be there for you 100%.
What do too few agents know to make their lives easier?
I have to get organized. Success cannot be achieved without careful planning. This allows you to have all the information you need for any type of transaction at your fingertips. Being able to respond instantly to customers, brokers, lawyers, etc. is also important. They need to feel that you are always informed and present for them.
It is also very important to listen more than you speak. People, especially buyers and sellers, want to feel heard, and listening can give you a lot of insight into what they really need. My previous career experience before becoming a broker really helped me in this area.
As the owner of a national advertising storyboarding company, my main job was to listen. When the art director gives us input, we need to really listen, focus on the key message, even if it wasn’t articulated at first, and create a storyboard that explains that message in a very short amount of time. There is.
This skill definitely helped me as a broker as it helped me learn to listen to buyers and sellers and respond quickly. It has also helped in marketing the property as it allows you to evaluate and highlight the most favorable aspects of the property.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How does real estate relate to that childhood goal?
As a child, I was interested in art, painting, and photography. However, for a girl of my generation, the only career options were teaching or nursing, so I became a teacher.
I ended up working in the advertising industry, selling retouching services to art directors. I discovered that I had great sales skills and eventually founded, ran, and eventually sold a national storyboarding company.
Ultimately, I realized that real estate was a great combination of my artistic eye and sales skills. I help my clients look visually stunning and know how to sell it expertly.
Tell us about your most memorable transaction.
I had a client who was trying to sell an apartment with high real estate quality. He owned it for decades, eventually letting his children live in it, but never upgraded it. It looked tired and outdated. I offered my client to stage it, but he refused.
After weeks of no interest and no offers, I finally convinced him to let me perform. I painted it as a white box (using a blank canvas allows potential buyers to imagine their own tastes and designs), refinished the floors, and removed all the old furniture. , I had a staging company place a piece that was simple, modern, and classy. I added some touches to the items I have on hand for this purpose, such as attractive pillows, throws, and vases.
When I asked people to take pictures of the place again and post them, interest quickly grew. Within a week, he received a great offer (far exceeding his staging costs) and the apartment sold quickly. The customers were really grateful.
Sometimes clients need to see for themselves whether you know how to make a successful sale. I’m a big believer in the transformative power of staging and simple steps to take a boring apartment from “so-so” to “wow!”
Email Christy Murdoch
