The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Milford Realtor focuses on being available 24/7 to deliver personal service
When Colleen Zacarelli wanted a flexible career after starting a family in 1989, it was Realtor Karla Franzman, who helped find her first home, that ended up guiding her into the business and becoming her mentor.
“I referred several family members and friends to Karla and when I decided to start my own real estate career, Karla was a fantastic mentor. She taught me the business,” Zacarelli explains.
Prior to becoming a Realtor, she worked as an administrative assistant for several engineers at United Technologies.
“I had to be very organized and be able to handle a heavy workload. I learned to appreciate all different kinds of people with many diverse backgrounds. This is exactly how real estate is,” she said.
Zacarelli is focused on providing the best personal service possible, listening to what their needs are and being available 24/7. She will even meet contractors at a home if the sellers cannot take time off from work. Zacarelli uses professional photography, hosts frequent open houses and puts her listings on the office and town broker tours to give added exposure to the Realtor community.
For Zacarelli, the most rewarding part of being a Realtor is seeing how happy her clients are after they have become homeowners and realized the American dream.
“Many buyers come to me saying they have to rent first. After spending some time with them and connecting them with a mortgage representative to help mend credit issues, many times we can turn them into buyers,” she said. “I try to be very patient. This is a very stressful time and they need a lot of understanding and guidance.”
She also enjoys working with buyers moving into the area because she gets to let them know how wonderful our small New England towns are.
Married for 32 years to her husband, Wayne, the mother of three is a outgoing, energetic person. She has volunteered in the PTA and coached youth basketball and softball. She is a six-year breast cancer survivor and volunteers for cancer fundraisers as well as organizations that fight Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease.