Meet the Agent: Dawn Cromer

Nest Realty’s “Meet the Agent” blog series is back! Dawn Cromer combines her passion and expertise in Charlottesville real estate with a hard-nosed work ethic developed through her time as an elite track and field athlete to help her clients easily navigate the home buying and selling process. Read today’s interview to learn more about why Dawn loves Nest and life in Charlottesville.

Nest Realty: How did you get into real estate? 

Dawn Cromer: While running professionally I had the opportunity to work part-time at a real estate firm in Charlottesville. I began working there at the height of the “bubble” in 2005, and for two years I was able to sit back and watch the market slowly “crash.” I made the move to being a Realtor in 2007 at the absolute worst time in the market, but by applying what I had learned as well as a determined work ethic, I was able to hit the ground running….I ran hard and fast and haven’t looked back!

N.R.: Pun intended! What was the first property you ever sold for a client when you went out on your own? 

D. C.: A renovated single family home in downtown Charlottesville within walking distance to the Downtown Mall. My clients got married two months after buying it, which made it that much more exciting because it was their first home as a married couple. They still own it today…

N.R.: What a great first experience as a Realtor! As you have grown your practice, what made you make the transition to Nest? 

D.C.: I knew my business model was always about putting my clients first. Nest’s value platform not only prioritizes customer service, but takes it to a whole new level. Every single effort made in any aspect of our company is to better the experience my clients have with selling or buying their home. The Nest team is simply in tune with the trends in technology and the marketplace in general. They are always one step ahead of coming out with the best gadgets and gizmos for their Realtors which transcends to happy clients at the end of the day. 

N.R.: Speaking of gadgets and gizmos, how has technology changed the way you do business? 

D.C.: I can do business anywhere, anytime. While this is a blessing, and a curse at some points, at least technology still has an on/off switch. Technology has provided comfort and convenience to my clients as well. Recently, I worked with a married couple living across the country from one another. Despite this distance, they were able to look at properties at the same time on the internet while we “FaceTimed,” and within thirty minutes they were both able to electronically sign an offer on a house – one of them signed from their iPhone. A fellow Broker once told me that when she started in real estate they only had a big book of current listings and just a telephone at her desk. I couldn’t imagine!

N.R.: We are certainly spoiled, when it comes to technology! Speaking of which, we are lucky to live in such a great city. In your opinion, what makes the Central Virginia market so unique? 

D.C.: We have this impenetrable bubble around our town! My clients are often in sticker shock when they move here, even from an hour away. But that’s what I tell them….Charlottesville is in a bubble. From big area employers like the University, UVA Hospital, NGIC and DIA to the determined entrepreneur, Charlottesville can support it all. It still feels like a mom and pop town with great schools, beautiful scenery and something to provide for all stages of life. (Single, married, raising a young family or empty nesters.) As a buyer, you can choose between downtown living with walkability or find more acreage still within 20 minutes of town. The quality of life in this area is so great and it fits so many people’s desires that people want to plant their roots in Charlottesville.

N.R.: I love that, the thought of planting roots here. What’s your favorite time of the year in Cville? Why? 

D.C.: Autumn. The mountains that surround Charlottesville look like big beautiful quilts with the foliage, and there is always a fresh crispness to the air. The mornings are cool and there are always the random 70 degree afternoons that beckon you to be outdoors in some way, whether apple picking, strolling the Mall, going to a vineyard or hiking some trails. The autumn season is so contagious in Charlottesville….I sometimes wish it lasted more than 3 months!

N.R.: Agreed! Only three questions left. What’s the one thing you would tell a new homebuyer to keep in mind throughout the process? 

D.C.: When you are buying a home, no matter how much you love a house, you never want to feel you are squeezing into the home the day you move into it. Try to make sure you are buying a home that you can grow into, or else you will be calling me in two years telling me it is too small and you want to sell it.

N.R.: Great advice! Along the same lines, what’s the most important room in a house? Why? 

D.C.: Everyone always says the kitchen, which I completely agree with, but from a practical viewpoint, I’m going to have to go with the mudroom on this one. Having a mudroom in a house is the perfect “catch all” room to drop your bags, coats, shoes and that never-ending supply of junk mail that you carry into the house every single day (blah!). A good mudroom keeps the rest of the house clutter free while keeping you organized when you walk in and out of your home. I’m a sucker for a good a mudroom with built-in cubbies too!

N.R.: I do love built-in cubbies! In addition to a mudroom, what’s YOUR idea of the perfect home? 

D.C.: It depends what hour you ask me! That’s the curse of my job. I see everything and think I would love it…until the next home comes along. At the end of the day though, the perfect home is where my family can share happy moments, where laughter fills the room and where we can always look forward to getting together “at home.”

Want to connect with Dawn Cromer?

Phone: 434-466-6942

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.dawncromer.com

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