The Evolution of The Cathy Stubbs Team:

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FOCUS | Cover Story –

Innovative solutions. Optimal outcome. Creative marketing.  Superior service.  All of these phrases describe 23-year Real Estate veteran Cathy Stubbs and her team of seasoned professionals.  Their philosophy of service is simple:  excellence is understood, excellence is expected and excellence is achieved with this team.

The A Team

Stubbs has achieved – and maintained for over 20 years – excellence in marketing and selling luxury Real Estate by revolutionizing the sales process. Her first inspiration: to develop a team. “Just getting by was not enough for me,” Stubbs said. “And on that premise alone, I knew I needed to create a team to deliver the type of specialized service my clients needed and deserved.”

With a talented team – The Cathy Stubbs Team – in place, Stubbs knew she had what it took to reach her goal of excellence. “These talented people make The Cathy Stubbs Team what it is — exceptional,” Stubbs said confidently.  “Each team member has their own niche, their own specialty, and they have a passion for service.  We truly love what we do, and because of that, we can meet our clients’ needs and provide excellent service.”

Developing a stellar team was a necessity to create the best experience for their clients.  With the “A” Team in place, she then developed a game plan for success containing five key components that she and her team execute for every client. “These key steps lead to the optimization of the best outcome possible for our clients both financially and emotionally,” explained Stubbs, who believes that addressing these aspects when working with clients on something as personal as their home is paramount.  “Each step has different meanings whether you are on the buying side or the selling side.”

1. 

Consult.  Many people ask about the best time to buy or sell their home, and The Cathy Stubbs Team has many conversations with people who are not quite ready. “We love visiting with people about their situation and whether they are ready or not to buy or sell their home,” said Stubbs, who places a great deal of value in relationship building, a key component in such a personal industry.  “In most cases, buying or selling a home is not only a financial decision; it’s an emotional decision that is driven by life events. Our Team enjoys being an asset to people in helping them achieve their Real Estate goals, and consulting – building relationships and trust –  is a big part of that process.”  Stubbs’ advice: Don’t try to predict the market on your own; hire a professional to optimize your buying power, your personal situation and return on your investment.

2. 

Advise.  “For sellers, clients want to know where and how to spend their money to get their property ready – essentially how to get the biggest bang for their buck,” said Stubbs. Stubbs and her team – including Marketing Director Jenn LaRocca who assists clients with staging their homes – advise clients how to get the look for less. “We show clients how to make their home look like a model home without spending $50,000.”

On the buying side, The Cathy Stubbs Team advises the buyer to look at the big picture before they select a particular house. The big picture can include the area, accessibility and the tax base, as well as career goals. “The fact that people move more often now due to their careers means that we often get houses and clients coming back to us when they need to relocate,” said Stubbs. “That’s part of the long-standing relationship we build with our clients.  We are very careful on advising clients where to buy, because we don’t want our clients to hit a curve in the road and need to make a change that will be difficult. Through the advising phase, we look at our client’s needs both today along with their potential needs for the future.”

3.

Strategize. When selling a home, strategizing where a house fits into the current and future market is key.  “Defining the target market and where to price it to put it in front of the right people is a vital part

of the process,” said Stubbs, and that’s another role LaRocca plays.  “Jenn is always investigating new avenues to reach the public,” Stubbs said of LaRocca, who she affectionately calls the “Team’s cheerleader.” “Jenn thinks of ways to keep the Team on the cutting edge and working outside of the box when promoting properties.” Finding new ways to entice audiences other Realtors ignore or can’t reach is LaRocca’s specialty.

For buyers, strategizing is equally as crucial. “We focus on how we are best going to get the buyer what they need,” explained Stubbs. “This can include various nuances to leverage the buyer into a more powerful position to ensure the best purchase price.” The Team focuses on how to be the winning offer utilizing years of experience, including a few tried and true tricks of the trade to get the desired results for their clients.

4.

Organize.  “Organization is key for both sellers and buyers,” said Stubbs. “Knowing what needs to happen to get your home ready to sell – and having the resources and people to help organize this major effort – is key for success.”

According to Stubbs, the order of the organizational effort is the most important aspect of this key step.  “On both sides, the process must be completed in the correct order for everything to work as it should.”  From shopping for insurance, securing a lender and ordering an appraisal and inspection, each transaction must be done in the correct order at the correct time, and that’s a substantial organizational feat. Fortunately for clients, The Cathy Stubbs Team has Dena Day.  Day, the director of operations, is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations as quality assurance.  “She is my anchor,” Stubbs said.

5.

Orchestrate. Buying or selling a home is an intricate process, much like leading an orchestra. “What people may not understand about the process of buying or selling a home is the amount of moving parts,” Stubbs explained.

The reality is that the home buying/selling process includes Realtors, appraisers, lenders, inspectors and the Title company. Many times, not all of these entities see the importance of the contractual time restraints in a transaction. It is the Team’s job to keep everyone on track to the finish line.

“In order to have a seamless transaction, experience is key,” said Stubbs.  “There are so many intricate steps associated with the buying and selling process, it’s very intensive and can be very overwhelming. Having a team of seasoned professionals orchestrate your transaction is very important and a key factor in how we maintain excellence for our clients.”