Cathy Donnelly – Job is ‘so diverse’
In addition to the charitable work that Cathy Donnelly, office manager at William Raveis Real Estate in Southbury, finds “most rewarding,” the veteran Realtor occupies her time pursuing an active involvement in her regional, state and national Realtor associations, as well as her current undertaking of orchestrating the opening of a new office branch.
Active in many different facets of the business since her start as a Realtor, Donnelly has been in the real estate industry for nearly two decades, but it was through working in a law firm that she first became acquainted with the intricacies of the job.
“In another life I worked for an attorney and did real estate closings, and I found myself getting interesting in real estate from that experience. Then a friend of mine said she was taking a real estate course and I decided to join her,” said Donnelly. “Now I’ve been at it for over 19 years and I just love it. It’s one of those things that’s in your blood. There are always ups and downs and frustrations but at end of the day it’s what I know and what I like.”
Donnelly began her real estate career working as an agent and running the Relocation Division for Realty 3 Carroll-Agostini in Southington, remaining with the company for 13 years. Moving on to join the significantly larger William Raveis Real Estate agency in the same town, Donnelly makes a favorable comparison between the two companies. “The first [real estate agency] where I worked was a smaller independent company, which was a good experience,” said Donnelly. “But now it’s great to work for a larger company because there are so many tools available. I’ve been here four-and-a-half years and it’s been a great experience. William Raveis Real Estate is a wonderful company that’s not afraid to try things.”
Promoting itself as a “one-stop shop,” William Raveis Real Estate is a family-owned and operated, community-based organization that offers a family of companies to its clients, including mortgage, insurance, settlement and home services. “The Realtor is a vital part of the real estate industry and our jobs aren’t going anywhere,” said Donnelly. “It’s great to work for a company that brings so many services to the table. For people who prefer to just work through one office when planning their move, we take a huge burden off of their shoulders. It’s also a company that’s continuously growing.”
In line with the company’s mentality of growth and improvement, Donnelly is currently leading the opening of a new branch in Newtown. “We were discussing it at the end of last year and then it just started taking on a life of its own and became more realistic. And it’s been growing ever since. The move started in January and the permanent space will be available on June 1. We already have five agents hired and working officially in the office,” said Donnelly. “Opening up an entirely new space is a lot of work, but when you hire good people you don’t have to be there twice the time.
“Right now there’s a new administrative manager being trained by our Southbury office. She’s going to be the backbone of the business and she’s already doing a phenomenal job,” she added.
On top of her busy days spent at William Raveis, Donnelly remains committed to the Connecticut Association of Realtors, acting in her third year on its Executive Committee in the role of divisional vice president of legal and ethics. “I’ve been involved with CAR for about 10 years in a committee capacity. In this current role, I basically act as the liaison between the committees that fall under my responsibility – [for example], Risk Management and Professional Standards – and the Executive Committee. I take notes and report back, helping to introduce new ideas and make the organization better.”
In addition to her role at CAR, Donnelly is active in several committees at both CAR and the National Association of Realtors, where she is a national director and an instructor of principles and practices of real estate, and is a past president of the Mid-State Association of Realtors. “The most rewarding aspect of working with the association is being involved with the Risk Management Committee with NAR and the Risk Reduction Committee with CAR,” said Donnelly. “It’s challenging and interesting to brainstorm and come up with and implement ideas that focus on different ways to protect us as Realtors.”
Though Donnelly is conscientious of her fellow Realtors, she is also mindful of those around her who are less fortunate. Several years ago, she started a program in her Southington office with the Mid-State Association of Realtors called “Christmas Wishes for Kids” in which the office organized a fund-raiser to raise money to buy gifts and throw a Christmas party for local underprivileged children. “We go out and buy gifts and a Santa Claus comes in. We always have a lot of help and support from the community,” said Donnelly.
In addition to her efforts to bring good will to children, Donnelly has been actively involved in other charity events, including the William Raveis Breast Cancer Fund Raiser and the Calvanese Charity Ball Auction Committee. “It’s great doing anything where you’re giving back to the community whether it’s with children or adults. It’s just about helping people who are in need,” she said. “That’s the most rewarding thing.”
As for now, Donnelly is content keeping busy and appreciating the different challenges she encounters on a daily basis. “I am loving growing this office and the new one. It’s great meeting new people and being able to assist them in making the right decision for them at the time,” she said. “The job is so diverse and so different every day and I just really enjoy what I’m doing.”
