Real Estate Insights- With Outstanding Folsom Realtor Adriana Grieco

Choosing a local realtor to help find your dream home can be a challenging process in any economy, especially this one.  Before making your choice, it’s a very good idea to learn as much as possible about your prospective realtor to make sure there’s good chemistry going forward.  We’ve sat down with one of Folsom’s best, Adrianna Grieco of Better Homes Realty.  I’m sure you will be as impressed with her passion and knowledge of real estate in the Folsom area as we were.

Why did you choose to become an agent?

My choice to become an agent was born out of a combination of inspiration and obsession!  I have always had an interest in real estate and with the housing market but it was truly my real estate broker, Bob McKiernan, who inspired me to join their team.  I met Bob in 1996 when he worked diligently with me and my husband to find our first home.  I thought we were challenging clients but he took great care of us.  His patience and work ethic never made us feel like we were working with a “salesman”; rather, a teacher or a counselor.  He guided us through every step.  His genuine care and knowledge inspired me tremendously.  We worked with Bob and the team at Better Homes buying, selling and referring for 12 years before I finally decided to jump in head first; I believed in the way he did business and I wanted to be a part of it.

Have you always lived in the Folsom area?

Actually, I moved to Citrus Heights from the Bay Area in 1990; I have moved a few times since and I have lived all over the area but I currently have roots in Rocklin.

Tell us about you; where did you go to school, and where have you worked?

I graduated from San Juan High School in 1992 and from there I went to a vocational school and then to American River College where I received my AA degree in liberal arts.  After working as an office manager for many years with a neurological office, my husband and I decided that I would stay home with our two children.  I stayed home with them full time until they were school-aged and then I worked part time at their school as an instructional aid and a campus supervisor.  All the while, I felt the pull to real estate, so, at the urging of my husband and the support of Better Homes, I began to study for the Real Estate exam in early 2008.

If you moved here from somewhere else, what attracted you to this area?  Or, what has kept you here?

In 1990, my family was drawn to the area for the slower pace and affordability.  I have stayed in the area for the same reasons.  I also think this area is a great place to raise our children.

Tell us about your agency; how many people are in the office, when did you join, why did you join, any interesting stories regarding how the office operates? (quirks, successes, etc)

We are a small family owned and operated office.  We currently have eight agents.  I joined the team in 2008.  Bob McKiernan is our broker, his wife Linda is our office manager and their son Zach is our admin.  We operate as a small cohesive group; the support we all have here is amazing.  Bob and Linda make you want to work as hard as you can and be successful!  They are great at cheering us on, helping us to build on our strengths and not fear our weaknesses.  They are always available when you need help so you never feel like you are going at it alone.  I think the entire office shares the same values; we all believe in building relationships with our clients; we feel it is imperative to deliver excellent service before, during and after any transaction.  There is a sense of camaraderie and synergy in our office.  We are not competitive since we are all working from our private databases to build on relationships we have already established and generate business by referral.   Most importantly, this is a very comfortable yet professional place to be.  I love going in to the office.  We get to be ourselves and it is a lot of fun!

Anything new on the horizon for Better Homes Realty?

BHR is moving!  We just found out that we are going to be relocating our office space!  We are not moving very far; in fact, we are moving to the building right next door.  Our new address will be 49 Natoma Street, Suite A, Folsom, CA 95630.

How have you and your office done with this economy —- any advice?

This has been a challenging period but my broker has weathered three real estate recessions and what he has taught us is that the best way to come through it is to continue working by referral and to keep in consistent contact with your database. We have had to stay intensely focused and intentional with our clients and keep them informed of the current market statistics, loan programs and local trends.  I would have to say that consistency is the key to success!

Do you have a personal success story you would like to share?

I tell everyone I know and everyone I meet that I absolutely love what I do.  Every person I meet who I can help is my personal success story.  I started with a very small database and I have worked hard to build my business.  When I first started out, people always asked me, “Why are you getting in this business now?”  Well, I think change is good and challenges provide growth; if I can survive in this market, then I will truly have earned my place!

What are your interests; hobbies, family, sports, volunteer work, etc?

I must admit that when I am not engaged with my clients, real estate or in the office, I am quite the home-body!  I love to be at home with my family.  We have two teenagers who are awesome young adults.  We enjoy just hanging out with them, playing cards or watching movies.  I am a little old fashioned in the sense that I feel I should have a strong presence with my kids so I try to be home whenever they are home.  To confess though, even in my spare time, I love to go through open houses (I just can’t help myself), as well as browse the internet to see what is going on out there in the marketplace.  My husband is an agent also (not full-time) so we love to do open houses as a team and just talk to people about real estate.  Aside from real estate and family, I enjoy walking.  I am currently training for a three day, sixty mile walk for breast cancer in September.  It will be my fourth time doing this!  My sisters and I participate in the walk with a team up in Seattle, Washington for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  It is a great experience and I actually enjoy training for it!

Is there a particular topic related to Real Estate that is important to you?

As I mentioned before, I truly love what I do!  I never consider myself a “sales person”, nor do I ever hard sell anyone.  I am in the business of educating my clients so that they can make good informed decisions based on reliable information from a genuinely caring source.  With that said, I think it is important to recognize this incredibly unique, history-making market we are in.  Our office works closely with local lenders who help to educate us about different changes that they are seeing and the one message that rings out loud and clear is that RATES ARE LOW!  It is unbelievably affordable right now to buy a home.

There is still fear out there though.  Buyers are hesitant to purchase because of the concern of the declining market; I can’t blame them for that, it is very scary to buy in a declining market—I know because I purchased a home in 2008.  However, the reality of it is that buyers are buying a “monthly payment” and with each point rates increase, monthly payments can quickly become unattainable.  We expect that the rates WILL go up; that will directly impact the monthly payment much more significantly and faster than a declining home value would!

I am aware that everyone wants to get a deal and no one wants to be a “sucker” but really, I cannot put it any more plainly than this: it is a fantastic time to buy a home – especially if you are in it for the long haul.  So don’t wait to buy real estate, buy real estate and wait!

www.adrianagrieco.com

www.bhrfolsom.com

Chrissie Grady & Jeremy Schaedler

El Dorado Hills, CA

Folsom Home Insurance