Meet Team Blue Member Lindsey Dacey!

Meet Lindsey Dacey!

 TELL US ABOUT LINDSEY!

 I am an Iowa native that grew up in NW Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University in 2004. After graduation I moved to the Chicago land area, my husband and I lived in the suburb’s for 5 years. While in Chicago I worked as a New Home Specialist for Town & Country Homes.  During my time in Chicago I became a Cubs fan and loved visiting the city to watch the Cubs play.  In 2009, we decided that Iowa was going to be home for us, so we packed up and moved to Des Moines.  In 2011, my daughter Alivia was born, at that time I decided I wanted to stay home and be with her.  In July of 2013, it was time for me to get back to work, since then I have been actively selling real estate while still enjoying a couple days a week with my daughter.  My family recently bought a home in Ankeny, to be close to our family.  I love cheering on the Cyclones and attending the football & basketball games!

WHY DID YOU GO INTO REAL ESTATE?

I always had an interest in Real Estate, I loved going to open houses, watching HGTV, & helping my mom decorate at a young age.  All these things helped find my passion for real estate. I knew with my success as a New Home Specialist in IL, Real Estate is where I belonged when I got settled back in Iowa.

WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIALTIES AS AN AGENT?

I would say my specialties would include: First Time Home Buyers, New Construction, Relocation, Active Adult Housing & Move-Up Buyers

DO YOU HAVE ANY PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS?

Designations that I currently have are: RCC- Residential Construction Certified & CNHS- Certified New Home Specialist

DO YOU DO ANY VOLUNTEERING OR BELONG TO ANY OUTSIDE GROUPS?

I’m involved in both Relay for Life, Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines

HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY AWARDS AS AN AGENT?

2014 Rookie of the Year North Park Office, Member of International Diamond Society 2014, Team Blue Coldwell Banker MAG

WHAT MAKES LINDSEY STAND OUT AMONG OTHER AGENTS?

My dedication that I put into every transaction, there is no other agent that will provide the customer service and follow up from start to finish on a transaction.  All the little details will be handled, to make your experience as stress free as possible.   

IN ONE WORD, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE CORE OF BEING AN AGENT?

Service

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS AN AGENT?

The biggest challenge for me is finding the balance with my Real Estate career & family.  I work very hard to keep my family time separated from work, and utilize my office hours while my daughter is in childcare.  This is an ongoing challenge but I love what I do and love my family, they are very patient and supportive of me which is very helpful.   

WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?

I LOVE what I do!  It is truly rewarding to know that I have helped my clients through their largest investment & one of the most stressful changes in their lives.  My real estate career might be young but in the short 2 years, I have made a difference through my dedication and ongoing customer service that I provide to all my clients.  I LOVE getting referrals that is my key to success!

WHO DO YOU TURN TO FOR ADVICE?

When I need advice I lean on my mom, she has been a huge inspiration to me.

WHAT IS SOMETHING NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Something that many people don’t know about me, I had the opportunity to travel to beautiful Bali.  This was a trip of a lifetime!

WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?

I believe having balance in all areas of your life leads to success. 

WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL MISSION?

“To provide exceptional real estate services through positive interactions while building client relationships that enhance my referral base, which will lead to a lifetime of clients and customers.”

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?

During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my daughter Alivia, going on walks & bike rides.  I also enjoy traveling, shopping, trying new restaurants and of course cheering on my Cyclones!

Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group, Realtors® Names President

West Des Moines, Iowa – Robert Burns has been named president of Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group, Realtors® effective September 1, 2015. Burns will lead operations and assume responsibility for sales, marketing, education and relocation functions of the company.

“There are tremendous opportunities ahead,” said Robert Burns. “I was impressed by the company’s leadership team and the agents I was fortunate to meet. There is a strong culture of integrity and a competitive spirit at Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group, Realtors®.”

Burns is currently vice president of field programs at NRT in New Jersey, the nation's largest owner and operator of residential real estate brokerages and an affiliated brand of Coldwell Banker. In this role he is responsible for field productivity programs, education and diversity on a company-wide level for seven regional service centers, 700 plus real estate offices and 40,000 plus agents.

Prior to this position, Burns served NRT in the capacity of regional vice president, and worked with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage as regional vice president, sales and field operations; director of education and technology trainer. Burns began his career at the age of 20 as a residential real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Burnet in Edina, Minnesota.  

“As a family-owned, local company Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group, Realtors® has a unique value proposition for agents and clients alike,” said Steve Zumbach, Trustee of the Pomerantz Control Trust. “Bob’s extensive knowledge of the industry and his strong track record of results position the organization as a highly competitive real estate company.” “

  

Bob is a Minnesota native and his wife, Crystal is a native Iowan.

“We are excited to return to our Midwestern roots and raise our two sons, ages five and eight, in central Iowa,” said Burns.

Q & A with Team Blue Member Chris Chiaramonte

Q & A with Team Blue Member Chris Chiaramonte

1) Short Bio
        My name is Chris Chiaramonte, and I live in West Des Moines. I grew up in Urbandale and have lived in the metro area my entire life. I absolutely love this city and the direction it's headed! I've been married to my beautiful wife Sarah for around 3 years, and she does the impossible every day by teaching 8th and 9th graders math at Johnston Middle School. I'm a huge sports fan. I used to have Kansas City Chiefs season tickets, and I'm hoping that the Cubs don't take another 100 years to win a World Series, because I NEED to see them win.

My wife started a kids program at an inner city park through our church about 11 years ago that we participate in every Tuesday night during the spring and summer months. It's an absolute blast, as we both really love working with kids. We are heavily involved with church, and plan to always have that be a big part of our lives. We are also currently in the process of adopting, and can't wait to meet our new child!

2) Why did you decide to go into real estate?
        I got into real estate for a couple of reasons. The main one was probably just the fact that I did not like where I was career wise, working a job behind a desk each day that I did not enjoy. Everything was always the exact same. I had heard how different, fun and exciting real estate was, and that sounded very appealing. And it's very true. While the schedule can sometimes be challenging and demanding, I wouldn't trade it for anything! Another reason I thought it might be good to get into real estate was because I used to make a second living buying and selling things on craigslist. I loved the negotiating aspect, and thought it might come in handy in the field of real estate. As odd as it may sound, I think my several craigslist experiences have led me to be a very strong negotiator in this business. Lastly, I love helping people. There are so many people who need our help in the home buying or selling process, and after being in this business for a few years I've seen that these people can get into the wrong hands and can be left with bad, broken and harmful experiences. I strive to be the agent that helps them achieve their goal, and ultimately leaves them with an amazing feeling when they're done with the process.

3) Specialties
        I definitely specialize in helping first time home buyers. I've seemingly done it all in my time so far as a real estate agent, from short sales to foreclosures to estate sales and everything in between, but ultimately I specialize (and probably most enjoy) helping people who have never bought a house get into their first home.

4) CNHS (Certified New Home Specialist)

5) Business related charities or outside activities
I give a small portion of every paycheck to our “Coldwell Banker Cares” program. This program funds a need that is different each year, and it's a fantastic program that I'm proud to be a part of.

6) Honors and awards
Rookie of the Year for Westown office in 2014
International Diamond Society, 2014 (24 or more units sold)

7) What makes you stand out among other agents
        I think my communication skills set me a part from the competition. Not only do I feel that I have the ability to communicate the process well to the buyer or seller, but my response time to a question or comment that they may have is very quick. We live in a world where as an agent, we HAVE to be communicating back to people quickly, because it's what they expect. The generation of first time home buyers especially needs this fast communication, and I feel like I provide it very well.

8) In one word, what would you say is at the core of being a real estate agent?
Patience.

9) What is your biggest challenge as an agent and how do you work through that?
The biggest challenge for me is probably the fact that new situations present themselves every day, and we have to figure out how to problem solve. When I got into this business, this was one thing that I didn't realize. The business itself is ever changing, and there are new, crazy scenarios that pop up every day. We are expected to solve the problems to keep everything going smoothly. The best thing I've learned to do is to tap into the resources that I have in our office. Our managers have tons of years of experience, and not only them but many of my co-workers have many good years of experience as well. I've learned that I have to put my pride aside, and sometimes trying to figure it out all by myself isn't the best way to handle it.
10) Why do you love being a real estate?
Nothing is ever the same in real estate. I think that's why I grew to hate my regular desk job, and this job is the complete opposite of that (sometimes to a fault). I love getting to meet new people, taking on new challenges, and doing it all essentially as my own boss.

11) Who do you turn to for advice?
Definitely my managers and co-workers. Also, I have a good friend who helped get me into the business who is now the education director for our company. He has a wealth of knowledge as well and I probably bother him more than he would like with questions.

12) What is something not many people know about you?
I used to be very injury prone as a child. These injuries included being hit and run over by a car (my poor dad), and breaking my leg after it got caught under a plastic sled going down a hill.

13) What does success mean to you?
A lot of people would define success as being one of the top agents and making a lot of money. While I strive to be a great agent and ultimately to make money in this business, I think success runs much deeper than dollars and cents. Success to me is living a life that is enveloped in joy, so much so that it affects everyone around you. To me it's having a happy wife and a solid marriage. I find when I focus my success on things like that, the dollars and cents tend to take care of themselves.

14) What is your personal mission?
My personal mission is to be the best husband, friend and (eventually) father that God has created me to be. That doesn't exactly pertain to real estate, but I think ultimately it spills over into every aspect of this job.

15) What do you do in your free time? Hobbies?
Like I mentioned before, I absolutely love sports. I used to play sports a lot, but my body has started to fail and turn on me (I can hardly lift my arm to throw a pitch anymore), so sitting on the couch and watching sports has come a lot easier. If I'm not watching sports, I'm typically at a church function, or helping my wife with the kids program. I love to play poker as well, and we have a good group of guys who have been playing together for a while.