Spotlight on … Lisa Verhagen

It seems there’s always a successful sale cooking when Lisa Verhagen is the agent. A former chef and event planner (she is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America), with experience in retail, Lisa was a big winner for sales and service in 2016. In fact, she was not only tops in the class in our office but regionally as well in the Century 21 system.

At a Century 21 regional awards gala in early March, Lisa walked away with two coveted awards: the Century 21 Masters Award Emerald Level for production and the Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Award, which she has brought home multiple years in a row. Lisa is in the top 100 Century 21 real estate agents in our entire region, which covers all of New Jersey and Delaware!

The daughter of a general contractor, she’s seen many homes built from scratch and appreciates the many different styles of houses available across northern New Jersey. Her upbringing has given her a great eye for seeing the possibilities in every home she shows her customers and she’s able to communicate those possibilities with tremendous success. Since she joined Century 21 Cedarcrest eight years ago, it seems there is simply no stopping her!

Her front-of-the-house experience in catering and event planning helped shape Lisa’s “customer first” approach that she applies to all her real estate transactions. A member of the National Association of REALTORS®, she understands that while every customer and every transaction is different, all clients benefit from her advice, her negotiating skills, her ability to facilitate the transaction between buyer and seller, and her creativity. She is also a proud member of the New Jersey Association of REALTORS®, Passaic County Board of REALTORS®, Garden State and New Jersey Multiple Listing Services.

Lisa decided to get into real estate in 2008; she passed her New Jersey real estate license exam and came to Century 21 Cedarcrest because broker owner John Sass had sold her the house she’s lived in for 23 years, and she had such a positive experience. Getting started in real estate during the worst possible time—the Great Recession in 2008—did not deter her one bit.

“I thought it was a good time for me to get started, since I knew eventually the market would bounce back and I’d have time to work on my learning curve,” she says. “My experience in event planning taught me to think fast on my feet and I developed strong research skills, which have benefited my clients over the years.” Given her many accomplishments throughout that time, we’d say she did just fine with that learning curve!

One of her trade secrets is to know when to use technology as a communications and marketing tool but that, “Sometimes you just have to pick up the phone and call people. Nothing can replace good old-fashioned listening and communication. It’s what makes deals happen.”

She notes that right now it is a very competitive market, with many buyers and not enough homes on the market. Buyers are quick to make an offer but it’s easy to make a mistake. “Buyers really need to listen to their real estate agent’s advice; those of us with experience in the area have developed good relationships with a network of other real estate professionals, so we know what’s going on in the market.”

Of her decision to go straight to Century 21 Cedarcrest and stay there, Lisa says, “I’d never go anywhere else. First, there’s the Century 21 brand, which I believe is a step above the others. And, at Cedarcrest we are true colleagues that help each other out and respect each other’s business. Other real estate agencies are more competitive but here, it’s more like family.”