By Alyssa Starelli, February 5, 2018
Sometimes a referral client just fits, fits so well you thank the stars for the referrer (thank you Yoni and MJ) and gleefully dig in to a new client like a taking a fork to chocolate cake, knowing “this is gonna be sooo fun!” And that’s how meeting and working with Erin and Cory was. Full of energy, positivity and excitement, Erin could see something good in every home. So much that I had to take it with a grain of salt and learn her REAL LIKES from her “I can dig this” squeals of interest. Cory was so pleasant that he could see very reasonable changes that could make any house a home. But I wanted them to FREAK OUT, to beam with that crazy glow of ‘this is the one’ which doesn’t come with concessions, it comes with perfection. So we pressed on, knowing that come January new homes would pop up and the wait might be worth it.
I left on a month long vacation over the winter holiday, leaving my clients in the good hands of Carly Van Aart, and came back to Erin and Cory in contract on the most fitting and delightful house, one that suited their needs far better than any we’d seen previously and had all the beautiful built-ins and wood work they’d been dreaming of.
Filling me in to take over the closing of the deal, Carly quoted Erin’s excited interjections “Oh My God, OHH MY GAWD, oooh it’s so ____” or some excited variation of that and remarked to me how well suited we all were what with Erin’s vintage style bouffant and pointy glasses. I shared that ironically Cory plays board games and works with my dj/scooter friend-client Yoni. She said, “Ironic, but not because you know EVERYONE in that cool kitschy retro vibey community. At least no more than twice removed.” I had to laugh because that might be exaggerating the point a bit, but I sure do know some really great people.
I smiled to myself and said, “I really do get the best referrals”.
And I do. And I appreciate them.
So congratulations to Erin and Cory on their wonderful dream home and being such neat, positive people! Your neighbors are going to absolutely adore you!
And thank you to Yoni and MJ, and all my other fantastic past clients who send their friends my way, I wholly appreciate you. Your referrals make what could be a boring sales job instead a career of bonding with the neatest people.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Starelli
Alyssa Starelli
Broker | OR
A Portland native, Alyssa started her real estate career in the chaotic market of 2005, and quickly realized she reveled in matching particular clients with their perfect home, no matter how unusual.
She then began specializing in mid-century properties - both Modern and Modest. More recently, she has included what she calls "Period-Perfect" homes to her repertoire. Her goal in this is to seek out those hard-to-find, unremodeled original homes of all eras.
When I started in real estate, I realized there was a market for ranch homes, from Mid-Century Modern to the more modest Daylight Ranch, but few REALTORS® willing to service it. I started highlighting these 'Picks of the Week' on my website, introducing enthusiasts to the full gamut of midcentury houses of Portland. In 2006, I founded the Mid-Century Modern League in order to educate the public about the importance of preserving these gems.
Today I continue to focus on Mid-Mod, but have added vintage, mostly unremodeled houses of earlier eras, which I call 'Period-Perfect', because they have interest to clients and are under-serviced too. Frankly, I enjoy seeking out any unusual or original elements a client might be interested in, it's a challenge to rise to."
As Founder of the Mid-century Modern League, Alyssa is considered an authority in the local mid-century architecture scene, and is especially proud to include the Editors of Atomic Ranch Magazine in her past-client list. Often quoted in news and radio, she has been able to bring additional interest to her business, listings, and client's homes - many of which have been featured in magazines such as Atomic Ranch, Oregon Home, The Oregonian and also included on several local home tours. With a background in marketing, and an eye for the unique, Alyssa really enjoys buying and selling properties whose interesting features may be overlooked by other realtors, even (or especially) if those features aren't mentioned in the listing.
As a hobby, Alyssa has issued herself a challenge to walk every residential street of Portland proper and document the best architecture specimens of each neighborhood. There are about 3500 square miles of Portland, and it's a big feat. By the time she finishes, she will have seen every house in Portland with her own eyes! You can follow her walks on her blog Portland-by-Foot. http://portlandbyfoot.blogspot.com/
When off duty, you can find Alyssa at estate sales, honky tonks, her friend's cattle ranch, or seeking out ghost towns, roadtripping to the Oregon high-desert. A music fanatic and semi-retired booker/manager, Alyssa is heavily immersed in the western swing, old-school country, and rockabilly music scene, and you'll often find her out at shows, dancing, maybe even sharing her favorites on the radio.
Alyssa Starelli
alyssa@livingroomre.com
503-888-1362
www.aly-star.com
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