I recently had a chance to talk with Mike Tinsley, Managing Partner at Longwood Residential to get his insights on how his experience selling and renting real estate has been an exciting trip, in order to help his clients achieve their dream of home ownership.
Here's what he had to say.
How long have you been selling real estate?
I’ve been in real estate since 2008, and selling real estate since 2011.
What is your background?
Prior to forming LR, I was a property manager for a luxury mixed-used development in the Fenway. Before that, I was a restaurant manager. Both jobs helped teach me how to deal with people, which I believe is the #1 skill in real estate.
How does your background help shape your approach to selling real estate?
When I managed the mixed use property, it was a lot of problem solving. As a property manager, people come to you with their problems all day long. So you learn to think outside the box and creatively solve problems, which is certainly a great skill in the world of negotiating real estate, where solutions to problems may not be in front of your face. You might have to think creatively to make everybody happy in any given deal.
What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to run and watch documentary films. I also follow boxing pretty closely.
How long ago was Longwood Residential founded and what's your mission?
We started Longwood Residential in April of 2011, and our mission from day one has been to simplify the real estate process for people. It can be a very messy world to navigate, so we try to make it as easy as possible for our clients to achieve their real estate goals.
Where is your office located and how many associates work from that office?
We have one office, in the heart of Coolidge Corner, in Brookline, on Beacon Street. We have 8 total associates; we’re a small boutique office.
How would you encourage an agent to become involved with Longwood Residential?
We’re always open to growing our team with hard working, enthusiastic agents. I’d say we’ve got a very fun and collaborative culture in the office. If someone is interested in joining LR, we’d be excited to sit down and talk.
How is Longwood Residential & yourself personally, involved in your local community?
I volunteer with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of MA. As a company, Longwood Residential has a great relationship with the nearby hospitals in the Longwood Medical Area (LMA). We’re always looking for ways to donate and help out through different fundraisers and non-profits affiliated with any of the many medical institutions in the LMA. Contact us if you’d like to inquire.
How do you market properties online?
We do all the traditional marketing methods; posting to MLS, Zillow, Trulia.. But we recognize that the old way of doing things isn’t enough in today’s fast-paced environment, so we invest heavily in our Social Media presence, website, SEO and other online marketing channels.
Are you hosting/attending any exciting events over the next couple of months?
We’re celebrating one of our founders’ 40th birthday party this Saturday, but keep an eye on our Facebook page, where we’ll be posting details for our next Homebuying Seminar!
Is there one thing you can do for buyers/sellers that nobody else does?
I’d say that all real estate agents really provide fundamentally the same services, but what sets us apart is our local market knowledge and our focus on implementing cutting edge technology. We compete against a lot of older, traditional offices (especially in Brookline), so we try to stay ahead of the curve.
If you were to give your readers one insider’s tip they wouldn’t get anywhere else, what would that be?
I would tell people to keep in mind that buying and selling real estate is a highly emotional ordeal and to not get bogged down with small details. Keep your eye on your long term goal of either buying or selling your home, because once the deal is over, you won’t ever think back to the negotiation or the details of the transaction. Stay focused on the big picture, and try not to let the small details of the negotiation become too overwhelming.
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