 |
| Home sellers Kirk and Amy Woosley, with son Jonathan, pose with their Realtor. |
 |
| Cathy Staskel (leaning) poses with her team at their new boutique office: (left to right) Ron Staskel Jr., Elizabeth Smith, Valerie Miller, Cathy Staskel, Alison Mathews, Ron Staskel Sr. |
in the city
Local mom and real estate broker
is area’s biggest advocate
A savvy saleswoman, Cathy Staskel has come a long way since she was a mom looking for a part-time job in 1984. She started her career in real estate in Pennsylvania. Today, her University City-based team, Cathy Staskel and Associates, is a top producer with the Allen Tate Co., reporting nearly $38 million in transactions last year.
“I thought (real estate) would be a nice part-time job for me. I went into it under false pretenses,” Staskel reflected, laughing. “The first year I was with the company, I was the top agent of the year. It turned out to be 50 to 60 hours of work a week, but I just loved it from the start.”
When her husband, then an engineer, received an offer from Duke Power, the couple hired an Allen Tate sales agent to help them with their search for a home in Charlotte. They started in south Charlotte, but Staskel kept pressing for something different.
“Our Realtor said, ‘I’ve heard about this subdivision called Highland Creek. I don’t think you are going to have anything around there, but if you want to go up there, I’ll do it.’” Staskel added that the minute they drove into the new golf course community, she said, “This is it.”
Building a team
The Staskels and their four sons have grown up with University City, having moved to the area 14 years ago. “I love it. I think it has grown very nicely. University City has such a different feel. I love the convenience of having all of the grocery stores and restaurants right here,” Staskel said.
Her enthusiasm for the area is part of her success as an Allen Tate agent. “When I was in Pennsylvania, Allen Tate was held as the benchmark of what good Realtors do. Every time a goal was held up, it was always referenced with Allen Tate in Charlotte,” said Staskel. “When my husband was hired by Duke Power, the realty company said, ‘Oh, my God, you get to work with Allen Tate.’ I said, ‘Maybe not — they may not hire me.’”
Staskel added, “I remember in the interview thinking, ‘This is why this company is held up to be the be all of all companies.”
She began her second stint in real estate in 1994 with an earnest enthusiasm for the University City area that also was her home base. Over time, her business grew exponentially, and she carefully considered how to meet her clients’ needs.
Many real estate teams are built by adding buyer’s agents, who can bring even more clients. But Staskel was most concerned about giving her clients exactly what they needed, so she built her team around providing customer service specialists.
Her husband, now retired from Duke Power, is the home inspections manager, helping families navigate the often-intimidating inspection process. Her son,Ron is Staskel’s marketing manager, coordinating the marketing materials for every house the team has on the market. A listing manager and a closing manager make each end of the process run smoothly. Two buyer specialists and a sales partner round out the team. Cathy Staskel and Associates closes out on average, more than 200 homes a year.
“Cathy has taken the wise path of hiring slowly, and she hires based on need — what she needs to create a higher level of customer service,” said John Kindbom, the broker in charge of the University City office and the area manager for Allen Tate’s northeast Charlotte region. “Cathy’s approach is to make sure that the foundation is there first. She has built a very good business model that is extraordinarily efficient.”
Success also comes from how well the team works together.
“We are always willing to help each other out,” said son Ron. “Our team works extremely well that way in terms of covering each other and being there for each other.”
Kindbom agreed, noting, “They are a true team. They trust each other. They are all businesspeople. They all have good work ethic.”
People, not just homes
The real estate company’s faith in Cathy Staskel and Associates has allowed the team to open a boutique office behind Eastfield Village on Arbor Creek Drive, a first for Allen Tate.
“Allen Tate prides itself on being innovative, and when Cathy brought the idea to us, we looked at it and thought it might be the time to see if it works,” said Kindbom.
While the team has been lauded with numerous company awards over the years, it is the daily work that fuels Staskel.
“There is not a day that I get up that I am not anxious to get started,” she said. “Every single day is just a wonder to me. … The day we are not having fun is the day that we quit.”
Staskel added, “I don’t look at the money. I never put it in terms of a monetary reward. It’s the people — just getting to know the people and the families is so rewarding. … It is touching people’s lives.”