FIRST-WHO AM I AND HOW DID I GET HERE?

Me-Theresa Little, or “Terry Little”.  I am a realtor, musician, and up until a week ago, a “horse person”. (I have to take a break the horse things but that’s another story for another blog.) 

I moved to beautiful West Islip, NY a little over a year ago, November 18 2006, to live with my new husband and West Islip native, Ray. We had met over the internet a year prior fell in love, thus the move. Even though I was born in Queens, I moved to and grew up on the Jersey Shore-Red Bank, Sandy Hook, Rumson, and Middletown- specifically a Navesink girl. Back in New Jersey I was a known musician, teaching and performing locally, even enjoying a stint as a house musician at the famous “Stone Pony” in Asbury Park. I was also a realtor there for 5 years, working for the prestigious Woodward Realty Group, a wonderful boutique style agency that has the distinction of representing Christie’s exclusively in the area.

Moving to Long Island was scary for me. First off, I had to start ALL my businesses from scratch. The most challenging would be to start my real estate career over again. I studied for my NY state sales exam and took it 2 days after my wedding and passed.

The next and most important decision I had to make was: What real estate broker do I work with? I decided first I would actually ask local West Islip folk what agency they liked.

A few months before the wedding, I started asking.  

I asked at my husband’s church, and his friends. I asked vendors in local stores.

I heard only one answer-NETTER, NETTER, NETTER. Huh. So I drove by. My first impression was ”cute cottage” not realizing that the 2 other buildings adjacent were actually part of the “compound” that is Netter Real Estate. My next issue was to speak to my NJ broker, Gloria Woodward. Woodward is part of what used to be RELO, now called Leading Real Estate Companies of The World- I wanted to see if there were any participating brokers in West Islip. So, I told Gloria “I have some good news and some bad news. The good news was that I’m getting married again.  The bad news is I am moving to West Islip, NY. Do you know anyone is West Islip?” Gloria tells me she knows a great RELO member named Jim Netter. She says that she and Jim were on brainstorming committees together and that their careers mirrored each others.

           Talk about serendipity! Gloria gave me Jim’s number, and on my next Long Island visit I set up a meeting with Jim.  I was impressed with him, Christina and Michele, as well as the entire staff..  As a whole, my first impression was that his business organization and philosophies were cutting edge, especially the emphasis on the use of technology for real estate marketing and communication. These reasons, the referral from Gloria, and of course, our instant rapport, helped me make a major decision an easy one.

A year later, I am happy to say, I am a full fledged member of the Netter Family. I have a wonderful real estate partner, Dianne Scalza, along with some great listings. I have some talented music students, some great “gigs” at local venues, and I am more in love with my husband then I ever could have imagined.

The first year here was very challenging for me to say the least-a new real estate market-and the adjustment to Long Island culture-it’s true-Long Island has a very specific one- to this main-lander! However, looking back I realize I have come full circle-now I’m truly home.

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