The story below is a preview from our July/August 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
These five young real estate agents are finding new ways to establish themselves in the local market.
Real estate is a notoriously difficult industry to break into. After being licensed, agents have to relentlessly pound the pavement in search of leads on potential sellers and buyers. Listings very rarely fall into their laps.
Additionally, the Roanoke market is saturated with dozens of agencies and hundreds of agents.
Despite the many challenges, a new generation of real estate agents has stepped forward and is attempting to make its mark on the local market.
Thomas Vinopal, The Joe Kraft Team
Twenty-two-year-old Thomas Vinopal is one of those agents. Up until just recently, the member of Generation Z worked as the client coordinator at The Joe Kraft Team, which meant he served as the first point of contact with prospective clients. He assessed the client’s needs, then partnered them with the appropriate specialist.
His title was changed to realtor to more accurately reflect the full scope of his responsibilities.
“I’m Joe’s right-hand man. We work really close together,” he says.
Personability is something, he says, every agent on the team embodies no matter their age or level of experience. That means going above and beyond, even driving a couple of hours to meet a client so that they can sign documents.
“We’re known for buying or selling a house with you,” he says. “Personally, I’m adaptive to whatever the client needs.”
Despite his willingness to drive far distances for signatures, technology like DocuSign makes his life and his clients’ lives a lot simpler. “It definitely helps when you’re dealing with a working professional who doesn’t have time to stop what they’re doing to come to the office to sign a time-sensitive document,” he says.
The Los Angeles native relocated to Roanoke in 2018. He doesn’t regret the move at all. “Los Angeles was too busy for people to talk and socialize. I love talking to people and having that southern hospitality,” he says.
Prior to the move, he dabbled in several different fields, including the running of Italian markets and working as a mechanic.
It was during the weeks that his family searched for houses in Roanoke prior to their cross-country move that Vinopal first met Joe Kraft.
“He kept wanting me to work with him, but I didn’t know a whole lot about real estate. I kept saying ‘No.’ He kept bugging me until I finally agreed to get into it,” he remembers. “It has worked out quite well.”
Since the move, he has immersed himself in the local market.
Despite his energy level and excitement about the industry, Vinopal says his age occasionally puts him at a disadvantage.
“Sometimes people don’t take me seriously. I really study contracts and different aspects of home buying so that when I meet people I come across as very knowledgeable,” he explains. “At the end of the day, they’re hiring us because we’re knowledgeable.”
One thing his experience has taught him is that real estate is a demanding field. “I don’t think people realize how much time and effort it takes to really be successful at real estate,” he says. “You definitely can’t do this part-time.”
Vinopal plans to stay and be part of The Joe Kraft Team for as long as possible.
As for what will happen to the local market over the course of the next couple of years, he believes things will continue to look up. “The local market will stay strong because we don’t have quick rises and falls like other major cities do,” he says.
Kaitlin Sine, Wainwright & Co. – REALTORS
Roanoke native Kaitlin Sine, 25, received her real estate license in June of 2019. The millennial is currently an agent with Wainwright & Co. – REALTORS in Salem.
Prior to entering the industry, she put her mathematics degree from Roanoke College to use as a tutor at local middle schools. Her decision to shift gears came from a realization that investing in real estate is about more than just being a homeowner.
“Real estate is an empowering tool for young people and families,” she says.
While she’s a millennial agent, Sine enjoys getting to work with buyers and sellers of all types. “I like helping people of all ages. I like meeting people of different backgrounds and helping them find something that impacts their future,” she says.
The way she goes about connecting with people from different backgrounds relies heavily on leveraging the tools offered by social media. At least 50% of all of her leads come from social media.
Sine allows her personality to shine through when posting on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. She regularly does playful posts like one she recently did featuring a picture of her and her clients standing in the front yard of a house with a giant sold sign. The caption read: “It’s time to Sine” – a play on her last name. Other posts show her out and about in the local market while wearing whimsical hats and bright suits.
“I’m trying to build a brand, so you might see my face too much on my Instagram,” she jokes. “I try to show people that I’ll take care of you. I give everyone my full and undivided attention when I work with them. I try to communicate that I’ll make the process easy, fun and simple.”
But not all of her posts are as playful. She tries to infuse her feeds with educational content as well, like direct to camera videos in which she explains most mortgages only require a 3% down payment.
“First-time home buyers really appreciate helpful information because they can become overwhelmed by the process,” she says. “I try to introduce fun facts and build up their knowledge over multiple posts.”
Aside from social media, she uses technology in almost all aspects of her job. “It’s so integrated into my life. My phone is basically part of my hand,” she says.
The use of technology doesn’t just help her, she says, it also streamlines the buying and selling process for clients. Instead of having clients drive across town to complete stacks of paperwork, she simply has them sign contracts digitally. “Because of how the market is, everyone is doing a lot of business really fast. Everyone is busy. Using DocuSign is so easy because you just click one button on your phone,” she explains.
Additionally, she’s able to unlock doors to houses her clients want to look at using an app on her smartphone.
Although Sine’s social media accounts make it seem like real estate is fun all the time, she cautions that it’s a difficult industry to break into. “My first two years were pretty hard. Starting out, you aren’t making a lot unless you have a lot of friends and family who are buying houses,” she says.
But despite the difficulties of getting up and running, Sine is hopeful about the future. “I believed in it and stuck it out. I had my best year this past year,” she says.
Meet the rest of our young real estate agents, including Jewell Parfitt of MKB Realtors, Sedia Bonsu of Nest Realty and Tiffany Washington of Keller Williams in our latest issue, on newsstands now, or read it for free in our digital guide link below!
The story above is a preview from our July/August 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
