COVER STORY

Gina Nocek: Transforming real estate business

Women

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@properties

In the world of real estate, Gina Nocek isn’t the stereotypical male leader. But as an independent realtor, Gina embraces her role as a premier real estate expert that broke the traditional shackles and emerged as a successful professional realtor in the male-dominated field.

Gina has been in this business since 2006 and offers all the resources and information a person needs to buy or sell real estate. Since 2015, she has been working with @properties, a real estate brokerage company. Her company’s motto is to ‘Stop Looking Start Finding and Love Where You Live’. The company strives to provide brokers and clients with the highest level of service in the industry through cutting-edge sales and marketing programs and a culture that values innovation, relationships, and a strong local focus. Her primary work location is Wisconsin, but the company is also located in Chicagoland, Illinois suburbs and Michigan with over 2800 agents within those locations. She is also a member of the Lakes Area Realtors Association, Wisconsin Realtors Association, National Association of Realtors, and Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council.

“The more experience you have the more prepared you are to deal with anything that comes your way.”

Life as a realtor

Earlier in life, as a single parent, Gina decided to have a career that would allow her flexibility to take care of her young children and be more involved in their routine. Believing so, she stepped into real estate and started her career with a company that gave her the required training. After gaining 10 years of experience in the industry she joined @properties to expand her business and revolutionize the real estate industry through cutting edge technology.

The path was anything but easy; the time commitment required of agents can be demanding and sometimes brutal. “In real estate, it’s the 80/20 rule. 20% of the agents sell the most real estate. So, in the beginning, you are treading water trying to make ends meet until you get established,” says Gina. As a working woman, Gina faced several challenges that many of her female counterparts have had to deal with. Additionally, the biggest challenge was raising her kids all on her own while working full time. Then came the Great Recession. “In 2008, the housing market started crashing and it became extremely difficult for those stuck in the housing bubble. So, working with clients became difficult too- trying to do what was best for them in the situations they were in. It was very hard to see people in these difficult situations but you have to work them through it,” shares Gina. “Many agents left the real estate business because it became so difficult. However, for those who stayed in and worked very hard reaped the rewards.”

Gina Nocek, Independent Realtor, @properties

How Gina Nocek hustled her way to the top?

“I think my secrets for success are working really hard, doing what is in the best interest of our client, always being there to answer questions and guide them through the process so it is not a stressful time. When it comes to buyers, I have a few lenders that I work closely with so I can be part of the entire transaction and make sure everything is going smooth,” shares Gina.

The biggest risk of getting into real estate is regularly twisting markets. But if you stay long enough in the game and work hard, Gina claims that one can reap the benefits. She mentions, “In real estate, you are starting over every year. The key is to do the best job possible for your buyers and sellers so you can count on the referral business and past clients.”

Each deal is critical when you work in the estate business. As you gain experience, you learn to deal with various challenges. Precisely, Gina states, “The more experience you have the more prepared you are to deal with anything that comes your way.”

Like any real estate expert, Gina has an appointment book that she uses to write everything down. And because she resides near a tourist destination, she encounters a lot of tourists looking to purchase a new home. She shares, “My busiest time of the year is the summertime because many people are looking to purchase second homes. So, my days in the summer are typically long but most years it balances out when we have more downtime around the winter holidays. I am always on so if there are buyers and sellers that is my top priority. Now that my children are older, I am able to give most of my time to my career.”

When it comes to unwinding her mind, and balancing her work and life, Gina admits having a really hard time. She adds, “I have a great core group of friends I enjoy spending time with, still very involved with my family and like to go to the gym at least three times a week. Otherwise, I feel I need to make the most of my career because these are my working years.”

What makes Gina Nocek an expert player in real estate?

The right focus! Like any industry, consumer satisfaction is the prime requisite in real estate as well. And since buying or selling a home is a huge investment; the stakes for making a successful deal are even higher. It becomes crucial to have contacts and gain expert market knowledge. Having fine negotiation skills, proper listening and effective communication are also very influential in getting positive outcomes. Walking on similar lines and by integrating sophisticated technology; Gina thrives in her local leadership and has attained global outreach. She has successfully sold multi-million dollars of revenue since her first year in business. She keeps herself informed of all the recent market trends and promises excellent customer service from beginning to close. Ultimately, her warm and friendly personality wins her a client for life.

The five-star rating on Zillow.com speaks volumes about Gina’s dedication towards her work:

“I would highly recommend Gina. I have bought and sold many properties thru the last 40 years, Gina was the best professional I have ever dealt with. Gina constantly went over and above to make things happen. Always responded when needed, her follow up is excellent. Which resulted in a successful closing.”

“Gina is fantastic. She helped me narrow down my home search and presented me with homes that fit well in my needs and budget. Gina is always responsive and available when I had questions or concerns, making this process a lot smoother and ultimately used her skills and expertise to help me close timely and get the perfect house for me and my family.”

“Gina was very helpful in every aspect of the home buying experience. She made it a very easy and smooth process and handled everything very professionally. She really knows the area and the market very well.”

“Excellent through the entire process. Gina answered all my requests and questions with the utmost professionalism. She was very patient and willing to help with all my requirements in finding the right house. Highly recommend!”

“Gina helped navigate a VA loan for my townhouse that needed to get association approval also. Every step of the way she was in contact with both myself and the lender in order for the closing to take place on time. I was very very happy with the deal that Gina got for me and cannot thank her enough.”

“I can’t say enough about Gina and her professional knowledge in real estate in general and also her expansive knowledge of the Lake Geneva area. I have had the pleasure of working with her on three different occasions and all wonderful transactions. Her honesty and integrity are second to none. She sold one for me and I bought two other homes through her in the last six years. None of the other realtors I have dealt with have had the energy and can-do attitude that she has shown. I would highly recommend Gina if you are looking to buy or sell a home as she knows how to get it done and I can attest to that. Thank you again, Gina, for all of your hard work and dedication on my behalf.”

Finally, for those considering entering the real estate business, Gina offers this advice: “I think some people have the perception that real estate is easy. It has been a demanding sometimes difficult career if you want to make money at it. But at the end of the day it is very rewarding helping with the purchase and sale of a home, making their dreams come true, listing a home and having your sellers get an offer in record time,” says Gina. “In this competitive market in order to stay in this business, you need to put your customer first. Do the best job possible so you have a reputable name and your customers will always use you as their agent and refer business to you. People like to work with someone they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST.”