Meet the Agent: Jennifer Porter

Agent: Jennifer Porter

We’re proud of the team of agents we’ve assembled here at Nest Realty. We think they’re pretty awesome, and we think you will too. During our “Meet the Agent” series, we sit down with our agents to learn more about them, what makes them tick, and why they’re passionate about the real estate industry. In this installment, we chat with Jennifer Porter, a Realtor with Nest Realty in Roanoke, Virginia.

Nest Realty: Tell us a bit about yourself! Where are you from? What brought you to Roanoke?
Jennifer Porter: I was born and raised in this area! I grew up in beautiful Botetourt County, and bought my first home in Salem. I’ve lived a few other places, but Roanoke is such a perfect blend of rural space, outdoor recreation, and city life all wrapped up in a small-town feel.

NR: How did you get into real estate?
JP: I had so much fun buying my current home, I didn’t want to stop! My agent was really there for me in such a meaningful way. It was a stressful process, and I know I made him want to pull his hair out, but he was a rock through the whole thing. I was in between careers and looking for a place where I could use my talents and natural drive to help people, so it seemed like an obvious choice.

NR: What was your previous career? How has that prepared you for real estate?
JP: I was a chef! One of my favorite jobs in that industry was working as a private chef for Kappa Alpha Order at Washington & Lee. Cooking lunch and dinner from scratch for 78 young men will teach you time management and organization. I started a small catering company when I left there and catered weddings and special events. (I still do it for fun—call me!) Running that company really prepared me for real estate because it was very client focused. I learned to take strangers on the phone and turn them into people who keep up with me to this day and treat me as a friend. I don’t treat anything like a simple business transaction, I treat it like forming a new relationship. Event catering taught me how successful that business model really is.

NR: What led you to Nest Realty, as opposed to another brokerage?
JP: To be honest, I had no intention of switching brokerages when I took the meeting with Nest! I thought I was fine where I was. But within 10 minutes, Scott had me hooked! I believe in the power of branding and marketing in order to keep your pipeline flowing, but I also place a big emphasis on developing personal relationships with those clients. It gets hard to keep up with the creative end of marketing when you’re spending a lot of time with clients in the busy season! I was falling behind and paying a lot of money to outsource these services. Nest ties all of it together, taking care of the branding, the creativity, and the leg work of marketing…so I can keep doing the part that I’m best at.

NR: What is your favorite part of being an agent?
JP: Honestly, I love that feeling of working with first-time home buyers when they walk into the house they know is “the one.” That level of enthusiasm and excitement is pretty unmatched in other areas of life, and I get goosebumps every time.

NR: Do you have a specific area of expertise to offer clients?
JP: I found myself “specializing” in two very specific, very different markets: landlords/investors and first-time home buyers. I love both, despite how polar opposite they are, and the work that goes into each type of transaction.

NR: What makes you different from other agents? What sets you apart?
JP: I’ve been told it’s the cowboy boots. Apparently that’s not normal agent attire. Kidding! (Sort of. I’m usually coming from, or heading to, the barn.) But seriously, I focus on relationships over sales. I know I use that phrase a lot, but it’s truly the cornerstone of my business. The success of that model is evidenced by clients who stay in touch long after our transaction is complete.

NR: What are five adjectives that describe you?
JP: Sincere, honest, busy, friendly, and savvy.

NR: Who would be your dream client?
JP: The niche I ultimately want to break into is horse owners looking for equine properties. I grew up on a horse farm and that’s the ultimate dream: looking out your window to see your horses grazing in your own pastures. I would LOVE to help a horse owner bring their babies home to a beautiful barn nestled on some rolling acreage.

NR: If you had one piece of advice for a first-time home buyer, what would it be?
JP: Gosh there’s a lot! Keep focused on the things you can’t change—size of the house, location, lot size and layout, etc. You can always upgrade the kitchen, remodel the bathrooms, even knock out a wall here and there. But you can’t change the neighborhood or your yard layout. Also, this doesn’t have to be a forever home! I see so many buyers bite off more than they can chew, trying to get the perfect home on the first go. It’s OK to buy a “starter home” and upgrade in a few years when you have equity. The important thing is to start putting that money into your own home, not your landlord’s.

NR: What is your favorite season in Roanoke?
JP: Fall! Hands down. I love watching the color start at the top of the mountains and work its way down. We have so many great trails to hike, plus pumpkin patches and apple orchards. It’s currently July and I’m drinking a pumpkin spice iced coffee right now in sheer anticipation of fall coming back.

Jennifer Porter is a Realtor with Nest Realty Roanoke. Her business model has always been based on transparency, communication, and over-the-top customer service. To learn more about Jennifer, visit her agent page.

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