Agent Spotlight: Celeste Purdie with Marchant Real Estate in Greenville, SC!

Celeste Purdie

Marchant Real Estate

Experience: 5 years.

Specializations: Relocations, First-Time Home Buyers, Working with Heroes and Veterans, Certified International Property Specialist, and working with Investors

Areas Served: Greenville SC and surrounding communities like Simpsonville, Fountain Inn, Greer, Piedmont, Pelzer, Gray Court, Duncan, Mauldin, and Taylors.

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Q: What made you interested in Real Estate?

A: I've always been interested in building wealth through real estate and when I left Corporate America to become a full-time entrepreneur I knew one of the things I wanted to do was use my 25 years in HR and my military service to keep helping people. As I enjoy people and helping them reach goals, real estate seemed like a good fit.

Q: What is the most interesting thing that happened during an open house you hosted?

A: It would have to be one of those nosey neighbors that had been super curious about the house with such lively paint colors and they had to see it for themselves. They were very vocal and then at the end of the showing they shared their house was even more colorful and that they were glad to hear there were neighbors like them that wanted bright colors throughout their home. That really surprised me as most of the people that came through mentioned that the bright green wall was just a bit much.

Q: What was your favorite moment in your career so far?

A: I have to say working with veterans with VA loans and purchasing a home for the first time makes me the proudest. First-time home buyers in general inspire me. I love it when they come back and say they are now ready to buy an investment property. These buyers are great to partner with and are so appreciative of the work that we do as realtors.

Q: What do you wish you had known when you first got your real estate license?

A: I think I came into the industry with my eyes pretty wide open. Very similar to my previous profession in human resources, real estate has lots of gray areas and lots of unique situations. There are lots of negotiations and lots of emotions that can be involved. I guess the one thing, I wish I would have known is just how important it is to set boundaries and set expectations right up front when you get new clients. Unfortunately, there are some that just don't understand that we don't get paid until we get to the closing table. After a few times of being taken advantage of, I began to have the expectations conversation early in the relationship versus building trust and then having the tough conversations.

Q: In what ways have you seen the real estate industry change since you started?

A: One of the things I've noticed is that more and more buyers are coming with a pre-approval in hand and then they search out an agent to help them. I think the message that step number one is getting pre-approved before shopping is really resonating. We've all seen the decrease in inventory and the frenzy of multiple offers and working extra hard for your first-time home buyer. I thank listing agents that help their clients understand the value of the buyer's agent. I think it is a nice change to see more transparency around realtor commissions.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

A: I think the most challenging part of the job is working with people that don't trust realtors or have had a bad experience with agents in the past. I often hear that agents don't return calls and have experienced that myself so I work hard to be responsive within the boundaries and expectations I set with my clients. When you have multiple clients at a time, making sure that each feel like they are your top priority can be a challenge at times.

Q: If you could sum up being a real estate agent in five words or less, what would you say?

A: American Dream Home Ownership Guide!