June's REALTOR® Spotlight: Cathy Scalabrino
Congratulations to Cathy Scalabrino REALTOR® of Keller Williams Lakeside on winning June’s REALTOR® Spotlight Feature. Cathy was nominated for demonstrating great leadership, training, and being such a helpful professional and person in and outside of the real estate industry. Everything Cathy does she gives 100% from family, career, volunteer/community involvement to training and educating REALTORS® in the industry. Keep up the great work, Cathy!
Professional Questions:
Tell us about your real estate career (title, office, years, specialties, designations, etc.)
Currently, I am a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Lakeside. I am taking the Broker Licensing classes as well, and I plan to take the test before the end of the year. I received my real estate license in 1995, took a break from real estate to be a stay-at-home mom, and have been back in the business full time for the past four (4) years.
You’ve been nominated for being a great example of leadership in your office and willingness to help others; in what ways do you try to demonstrate these qualities regularly?
I am incredibly honored to be selected for this spotlight. We have an amazing culture in my office so I am always trying to demonstrate that by being a help to other agents when they are in need of assistance. Teaching and training is a passion of mine, so I enjoy being able to share my knowledge with others. I’ve had the pleasure of assisting and being the Interim Productivity Coach, which was rewarding as well as teaching at MiRealSource. I teach a range of classes from Roadmap to Success, Cloud CMA, Collaboration Center and Lead Generation.
You’ve been a REALTOR® for many years now, what background and experiences made you interested in real estate?
One of my very first jobs was with Century 21 Delta back in the early 1980’s as a co-op employee, while in my senior year of high school.After high school graduation, I was attending Wayne State University and working in sales at Highland Appliance until I graduated in 1990. I worked as a Sales Director for Hilton corporation until I decided to get my real estate license in 1995. I have always had a passion for sales and loved the flexibility of real estate. I grew up around real estate all my life. My Dad and brother were both prominent builders and have been around the business for a very long time. It just made sense for me to follow in this line of work.
Which professional achievement are you most proud of?
In 2018, I was recognized as a Silver Medallion winner at KW Lakeside for achieving 120,000-$180,00 in Gross Closed Commissions. Also, in May 2018 I was a Culture Award Recipient at my office, which recognizes an agent who demonstrates the KW culture in helping others and keeping a positive moral in the office.
What is the most common “tid-bit” of information most people don’t know being a REALTOR®?
Most people are not aware of what goes on behind the scenes once an offer is received on a property. Marketing a home properly is a very important aspect of real estate, but getting it to close is another. Working with title companies, lenders, appraisers, and other agents are all part of what goes into getting a home to close. Building good relationships and understanding the intricacies of real estate comes from years of experience. This all plays a major factor on a successful sale/closing.
What piece(s) of technology do you incorporate into your business practices?
One of my favorite tools is Cloud CMA. I love creating the reports in Cloud CMA, it’s so easy, and I like that you can customize everything. I also use Social Media, YouTube, and recently I’ve been getting into KW Command’s CRM.
What is the most rewarding aspect of being REALTOR®?
One of the most rewarding aspects that comes from being a REALTOR® is seeing someone get the home of their dreams. This is most likely the biggest investment of someone’s life and being trusted with that is huge for me.
What is the most difficult aspect of being a REALTOR®?
My motto is if this job were easy everyone would do it! Difficulty comes in this line of work. Buyers financing can fall thru, inspectors find major issues with a home, people change their minds, I can go on and on. I choose not to focus on the bad but choose to just keep on keeping on! Some deals are harder than others but in the long run things all even out.
For someone who is looking to buy or sell their home, what are somethings you’d like them to know and expect working with you?
I understand that for buyers and sellers this is one of the most important transactions of their life and I take this very seriously. For a client to trust me enough with a sale or purchase of a home, I am extremely honored. I give 100% to everything I do and take my job very seriously. I use my years of experience to ease the searching, buying and selling process, and work my best for a smooth transaction for all.
Personal & Fun Questions:
Tell us more about you? (Interests, passions, hobbies, family, etc.)
Outside of my work, I am a mother to three adult children who I am incredibly proud of. I enjoy traveling, skiing, cooking, and donating my time to various charitable organizations. I have hosted fundraising events for Children’s Miracle Network, the Macomb Charitable Foundation, and Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs . My sponsored charity events have raised over $21,000 . My next charity event is a Halloween Party/fundraiser on October 26thfor Guardian Angels. My hope is to raise $20,000 going the GPBR to sponsor an entire dog for a disabled Veteran or First Responder.
Guardian Angels Halloween Party
October 26, 2019
7:00pm-1:00am
Disabled American Veterans Hall
47326 Dequindre
Shelby Twp. Michigan
Can you share with us some of your community service involvement (guardian angels), how you became interested, and where or how someone can get more involved?
I believe it is incredibly important to give back to your community and have always been passionate about donating my time to those in need. For anyone interested in getting involved in my next upcoming Halloween event please contact me directly at cscalabrino@kw.com and we can talk about what committee you would like to help out with.
Which personal achievement are you most proud of?
Raising my children. I am most proud of my three adult children who I have had the privilege of being able to stay home and raise them as they grew up. Today, all three have fantastic careers. My daughter has carried on the legacy of her parents and is a REALTOR® and buys and sells investment properties, my oldest son owns over 80 homes in Detroit and rents and manages all of his homes. He is also a licensed real estate agent. My middle son is a Private Equity Analyst for DuPont Capital Management in Delaware and he too has a very successful career. This by far is my what I am most proud of.
Where is the most interesting place you’ve visited?
The best vacation I have been on was to Italy in 2018. I was able to visit some of the most beautiful cities in the world and was able to go to Sicily where my parents were from and meet cousins I have never met before.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
My next trip I would like to take would be to Greece. While in Italy, I met a lot of people who did a combination of Greece and Italy and everyone said how gorgeous it is there. I want to see if for myself.
Who or what are you most grateful for?
I am most grateful for having been blessed with two wonderful parents who taught me the meaning of family and a strong work ethic.
What are your hopes for 2019?
My hope for 2019 is to continue to grow my business and invest a little more time into teaching and training others.