Haute Residence continued its "Chat with Haute Residence Leaders" series with a conversation featuring Frank D. Isoldi, representative of the Haute Residence Network in the Westfield, New Jersey area. He was hosted by Haute Media Group Cofounder Seth Semilof.
Watch their conversation below.
The topics included Isoldi’s illustrious career from a family business to the corporate world of Coldwell in New Jersey and New York, and his eventual move and ascendancy in real estate.
Originally from Westfield, New Jersey, Isoldi is a broker sales associate affiliated with the Westfield East office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New Jersey and Rockland County, New York. With 30+ years of real estate experience, he got his real estate license at eighteen. He says, "I went to Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, which was close enough that I could come home on the weekends, see open houses, and start to get a book up business going, so when I graduated, I had a client base to start with." He continues, "My father did real estate. I grew up in this business my entire life, so I loved it from from a very, very young age. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. My parents said, 'you have to get a college education,' so I went somewhere local to hit the ground running and that is how it all unfolded."
Frank D. Isoldi
Photo Credit: Frank D. Isoldi
Here are some of the questions and answers from the exclusive interview with Isoldi.
Seth Semilof: Where do you think your skills were? Is it sales? Is it working hard? You found a marketing strategy. Tell us about that.
Frank D. Isoldi: First of all, you have to work hard. Everybody thinks this business is so easy and glamorous and fun and it is, it is all that, but you have to work. I worked. I came home from college on the weekends to see open houses. I wasn't afraid to put the time in. Then, it is networking. It is what Haute Residence does. There are great networking opportunities out there. You have to be a people person and you have to be willing to you know put yourself out there. It is all about marketing branding and getting your name out there consistently.
SS: How was it going from working in a family business to now working in a corporate environment?
FDI: What I do love about the offices is that it is very competitive. There are a lot of top agents, but we really, really, really are a family. I was certainly intimidated with a change going from a small boutique family run business to this major company, but I think I thrived. I learned to stay in my lane and be respectful. Then we became close friends and family. It has been a really wonderful experience.
SS: How has technology changed your business? Do you think referrals are still the most important part of being successful in real estate?
FDI: Technology is life changing. I can make appointments from the car. You can put yourself out there on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. This is a relationship business. You can now create relationships with people all around the world. Start to get referrals from people that you have never even met before. If they feel like they can trust you both online and in person, they are going to refer to you for business. Social media has dramatically changed this business.
SS: Where have you seen the most success in your career?
FDI: When you are talking about luxury properties and luxury clientele, print is still very important for our business. Everything is on social media. It is easy, quick, free, instant, but magazine are still a very, very important aspect of marketing high end luxury properties. I don't think that social media can replace print and print marketing, but it is certainly a major enhancement.
SS: You said the market is on fire. Where are the buyers coming from?
FDI: We are 22 miles outside of Manhattan, so Wall Street is a big part of our market. We are also seeing people coming in droves from New York to New Jersey, to the suburbs. We are seeing tremendous movement in Westfield because interest rates are still historically low, so it is a win-win.
SS: What niche are you doing now or is your business just so big that it is continuing its a machine?
FDI: I have hit the point on my business where I want more business. I want to make more money every year and continue to beat last year's production. Also, we want to make the experience for our client better every year and every transaction. Our purpose is continuing to grow now because you know people want and they want everything to be as easy as possible. We are putting together all these protocols and trying to make the experience top, top, top notch for our client.
For more information, please contact Frank D. Isoldi at 908-787-5990 or frankisoldi@gmail.com
Frank D. Isoldi is the exclusive agent representing the Westfield, New Jersey real estate market as a member of the Haute Residence Real Estate Network. View all of his listings here.
