Change in career pays off

Business: William Raveis Real Estate

Lives: Cheshire

Works: Cheshire

Experience: Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer Representative, Graduate Realtors Institute, new construction specialist

Contact: (203) 272-0000, mark.gracia@raveis.com

Mark Gracia took a calculated risk when he sold his business more than 25 years ago to start a new career in a completely different industry; the residential real estate market.

Prior to his entry into real estate, Gracia owned the 7-Eleven convenience store in Cheshire for 18 years. In 1992, he decided to make a drastic career change. Although it was a vastly different profession, Gracia said that his past experience as a business owner had equipped him with the skills needed to succeed as a Realtor.

“It was great training for the real estate business because it is all about customer service,” Gracia said.

Although his two professions have their obvious differences, Gracia explained that his strong belief in the importance of providing excellent customer service has remained as his top priority.

“I approach the real estate business as a relationship and not a transaction,” he said. “This mindset gives me an edge because my clients know I am committed to their complete satisfaction so that we can work together in the future.”

As the years have passed by, Gracia continues to pride himself on his ability to build strong relationships with his clients. He utilizes many strategies which prove to his customers that he is willing to go the extra mile to get their property sold as quickly as possible and for the best price.

“I have a professional photographer shoot my properties, plus I do extensive staging of the homes so the listing gets great web traffic that produces quality prospects,” he said.

In addition to the traditional methods, which includes checking the Multiple Listing Service multiple times throughout the day, Gracia also utilizes advanced technology which enables him to track the market in real-time.

“I stay up-to-date and check the market more than a dozen times per day, along with my automated client market scanner that sends me a text message when a property matches my client’s criteria,” he said.

According to Gracia, the most satisfying aspect of his career is “seeing my clients smiling faces when I take their photo at the closing.”