Former top chef takes on a new career with a fiery attitude
ARealtor since 2005, Lisa Ditullio, who refers to herself as a real estate consultant, is working on her New York license. A Blue Ribbon Chef awarded top honors in culinary school, Ditullio studied at the Connecticut Culinary Institute.
Prior to launching a career in real estate she owned a few businesses, including a restaurant.
She runs her real estate gig as a business and is not the type of person to stroll casually into the office at 10 a.m. She works hard to make real estate a successful endeavor, as she has done with previous entrepreneurial ventures.
“It takes discipline,” she said. “There’s no training to teach you that kind of mindset.”
Rather, it comes with time and “a lot of failure,” she said. “You’ve got to fall down before u get back up.”
From a family of general contractors, Ditullio was raised around new construction.
“I had a passion for cooking and food with my Italian heritage so I wanted to follow that and you could be successful in the restaurant business and be poor,” she said by way of explanation for why she left the business after 23 years and went into real estate.
Dutillio, who serves anywhere “west of the Connecticut River,” said the desire to help clients sets her apart.
“I won’t stop until they’re satisfied with buying or selling,” she said.
When working with buyers, she makes sure they are prequalified and listens to their needs in terms of location and what their house must have. When they find something, she helps them through inspections and makes sure the deal stays together and that all the dates and requirements are met.
With sellers, she learns why they are moving and makes sure they understand the market and have a plan.
“What if your house sold tomorrow?” she said she asks. “Do you have a place to go?”
Then she does an intensive market analysis on the home and goes over her objectives and plan of action. “I sell 99 percent of the homes I list so I must be doing something right,” she said.