Realty Duo Sells Homes And The Community
/By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
Elena D’Agostino, left, and Joyce Mennella, of Lucky To Live Here Realty, work from their office in Cold Spring Harbor, which opened in May.
Elena D’Agostino, 55, and Joyce Mennella, 44, of Lucky To Live Here Realty, take selling houses to clients to a personal level.
“I think it’s important when you’re working with a real-estate agent to work with someone that is ingrained in the community and the connections and the knowledge of the community,” said D’Agostino, of Lloyd Harbor.
While selling houses is just part of the process, the licensed brokers also show their clients attractions in the community, including the local beaches, restaurants, the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport and The Paramount in Huntington village.
“I think it’s all about the overall helping people discover what makes living here so special,” said D’Agostino, adding that Huntington offers so much.
Mennella added that the agency is not only about a business transaction; it’s about building relationships within the community.
Through their Lucky To Live Here Club, hosting events and social media, they welcome others to expand their circle of friends and networks, whether they are newcomers or Huntington natives.
“Our website is full of not just real estate things to do. We blog about the area we support local businesses we promote the area so we just don’t sell houses. We sell lifestyle,” D’Agostino said.
Having both been in real estate for 10 years, with a family history in real estate, D’Agostino came into the business because of her love for helping people, and Mennella was always attracted to homes and finance.
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They met in 2010 while both working for Signature Premier Properties.
“We’re attracted to each other in that way in our work ethic,” D’Agostino said. “So we just started doing more and more business together and then we decided we really wanted to just work as a team.”
Although D’Agostino coined the brand five years ago, the office for Lucky To Live Here Realty opened in May, at 117 Main St. in Cold Spring Harbor.
Covering the five harbors of Huntington Township, including Cold Spring Harbor, Lloyd Harbor, Huntington Harbor, Centerport Harbor and Northport Harbor, the 1,200-square-foot office consists of nine agents.
“We have a great team here,” D’Agostino said. “A lot of companies are all about just hiring as many people as they can and make money off of them. We’re not about that. We’re about hiring actually new agents and empowering them and giving them hands on training from top producers. That’s something you won’t get at big agency.”
Mennella said they educate the agents on the ins and outs of the profession. “It is a very tricky business and it’s all about doing things the right way, the smart way and just really caring about what you’re doing.”
With their experience and knowledge, D’Agostino and Mennella have become the top-selling listing agents within the Cold Spring Harbor School District, having sold 13 of 85 listings from January to the end of September, according to the Multiple Listing Service Long Island.
“Most choose to hire us because we’re local experts, not only in real estate, but on the community,” D’Agostino said. “If you can move to an area and not only feel lucky to live there but have someone help you get adjusted to the neighborhood, that’s the best part of this job.”
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