My mid life crisis, right on cue at age 42, landed me at the Kovats School with the objective of obtaining a real estate license. The final Real Estate Commission exam was about 25% math based. Never a star in mathematics, I memorized every possible question relating to tax rate formulas and the concepts of depreciation. I passed!
Armed with my license and fingerprints, I went for my interview with the famous Mary Lenk, considered “Realtor to the Stars.” Her cadre included Richard Nixon, Dianne Sawyer and Eddie Murphy. I was shown into her office and waved to a chair.
To my surprise, sitting behind a massive desk was Mary Lenk herself, a 65 year old grandmother with glasses dangling from her neck.
For the next 12 months Mary became my mentor. She drove up to our designated appointments in her gleaming, black Mercedes sedan, the epitome of realtor showmanship (me in my brown, Buick Le Sabre). However, once she stepped out of the car, Mary never failed to make me feel part of the team, and she made every client feel like family. Despite her warmth, buyers and sellers never failed to be impressed with her experience and knowledge. She was smart, well informed, and well versed in specific construction issues. You could rely on her for information regarding the local elementary and high schools, including services for children with special needs. Most importantly, she was keenly aware of how her customers were reacting to any given house she was showing them.
Discussions relating to brokerage and its value today abound. I genuinely feel that the involvement of all good brokers and realtors have been instrumental in consummating a majority of “happy” home sales.
I have never driven a Mercedes and don’t plan to any time soon, but I still feel connected to Mary’s attitude. To this day, while showing a home and assessing the expression on my buyers’ faces, I’m never afraid to say “let’s move on.”
Nechama Polak is the broker of record and owner of V&N Group LLC, located at 1401 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck. Send your thoughts and comments to [email protected] or call 201 826 8809.
