Name: Patty McManus
Title: Associate Broker, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty
Age: 52
Experience: 14 years
Patty McManus’ real estate career was off to a slow start when the crash came. She did a lot of short sales during those dark days, but now is as busy as can be helping homebuyers and sellers in the Greater Danbury area. When she’s not helping older retirees sell their homes and younger folks looking to leave New York buy them, she is active in the Northern Fairfield County Association of Realtors, where she is the 2017 president.
Q: How did you get your start in real estate?
A: After secretarial school, I worked in law offices for 15 to 20 years and then I moved to Connecticut from White Plains and decided to get my real estate sales license. I had worked for law firms that did land use and real estate. I learned a lot while working for them and I developed a huge interest in real estate. I thought if I became an agent I would have a flexible schedule. I had young kids at the time. When I moved to Connecticut, I had a cancer diagnosis which sidetracked me for a year, so I had a slow start. It took me seven to eight years to be busy full-time. Now I’m full-time on steroids.
Q: Was it stressful to work on so many short sales after the crash?
A: Those transactions are more difficult. It’s not a straight sale. You have to manage expectations. Everyone has to understand it can take a really long time, sometimes four months or a year. You have to have a special circumstance if you’re a buyer. You have to be knowledgeable about the process.
Short sales are still happening, unfortunately. There was a certain amount of pain for a lot of people, but you’d be surprised – for others it’s a relief. I remember a 50-year-old woman whose house I sold. She and her husband had health issues and she was thanking me with tears in her eyes. It was such a burden for them. Foreclosure would have been worse on their credit. They were just happy to be unencumbered. It was pretty powerful.
Q: Does your background as a paralegal help you as an agent?
A: Generally speaking, I’m very organized in my work life. I do keep my files a certain way and I’m a stickler for that. I have all my files in my home office and I carry my active files with me. If I could have 20 active listings and buyers that would be awesome, but not everything is active at the same time. Two or three might be active today and five will be active tomorrow. Paperwork can be done anytime. Now we have systems in place for electronic signatures. I tend to like to do paperwork face to face. I want to know that my clients understand what they’re signing. If they have questions, they should be sitting down with me to be able to ask them.
It was a good background. We have the options to put things on contract forms and I rail against that because I’m not an attorney. I try not to use them. I’d rather have clients with attorney-drawn contracts. I would rather the lawyer do the contract, not the agent. I want the client protected and who is better to do that than the attorney? They went to law school to learn these things. I tend to use the offer to purchase form and I’m comfortable with that. They’re worth it and charge a flat rate for a residential closing, so why not.
Q: How did you get involved in the Northern Fairfield County Board of Realtors?
A: I became a board member first in 2014, then I was vice president and then president-elect. I’d like to make a difference. I like to be involved. I really feel the need to give back to the organization. It’s been a great experience. The real estate industry is all independent contractors. You don’t get paid for time on the board, but I believe people need to step up to serve the industry they work in. I understand that not everybody has the time. It’s an important piece of being a Realtor and give back where you can. And we have a very strong staff. We try to keep our members informed of legislation and what’s going on in the industry. We’re about to have our Realtor Rally and get up to Hartford to show solidarity on May 9.
I’m involved with CT Realtors, I’m a director. After my term is over I can run for state director. I will stay involved; I just don’t know what my role will. I don’t expect that I’d become active nationally, but I didn’t think I’d be president of the board either. I still want to be a Realtor and work with my buyers and sellers.
Five Things McManus Loves:
- Watching “It’s A Wonderful Life”
- Gardening
- Creating mosaic glass art
- Eating at Barbarie’s restaurant in Danbury
- Taking a cruise on the Mediterranean
