About Andie.
I found my heart for real estate 20 years ago, but it was in my blood long before that. It’s part of my DNA I guess you could say.
My grandma was the first woman named to the Columbus, Ohio, Board of Realtors. My mom (and mentor) is a retired realtor, living vicariously through every one of my closings.
Is it cheesy to say real estate is in my blood? Because it is.
My mom in 1988, killing it in the Columbus Board of Realtors, Million Dollar Club
My mom today!
Although I’ve been a Realtor for only 20 years, real estate has been present in my daily life since I was in kindergarten.
My mom, Mary Ellen Carroll, is a retired Realtor who had an extremely successful career both in Central Ohio and then the Metro Detroit area. She built her business through authenticity, honesty and good old-fashioned hustle. She has taught me the most important parts of this business. Even today, we regularly discuss buying and selling scenarios and she doesn’t miss a chance to share her valuable perspective. She is a true mentor. One of my very favorite lessons from my mom is that we each have something in common with everyone; you just have to listen and ask questions to find out what.
My Grandma, Mom and me in 2001
Anne Bownas Worthington Office
My Grandma Brown became a Realtor at a time when women made up only 2% of the industry.
Two percent! If that doesn’t show you the tenacity in my DNA, I’m not sure what does. She was ahead of her time, and was licensed right up until she died in her mid-eighties. One of my favorite real estate lessons from my grandma was to ‘NEVER call a transaction a ‘deal.’’ She had a very good point. People’s lives and homes aren’t ‘deals.’ Buying or selling a home is personal; and my grandma was emphatic about this.
Fun Fact:
Women in the U.S. were not allowed to finance real estate purchases without a husband or male co-signer until the 1970s.
In 2023, single women own more real estate than single men.
Source: bankrate.com
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my mom’s dear friend, and broker, Anne Bownas.
Anne was a part of my life from grade school (when my mom joined her brokerage Anne Bownas Realtors in Worthington), until she passed away in 2009 (when she had long become family). I like to think I channel Anne on a daily basis. I used to think she was ‘all over the place’ and looking back, she most definitely was. She was momming to 3 kids, wifing to a husband, running a home, and selling the crap out of real estate with the most genuine, caring relationships with her clients. I hope my clients feel the same commitment to them as Annes did. I don’t only care about my clients’ real estate needs. I care about them as people and friends. Anne set an exceptional example of this.
Now that you’ve learned a bit about my
family and mentors in the real estate business,
here’s a bit about me.
Describe your personality in business. I am a very tough negotiator, but that’s only because of my innate ability to genuinely connect with and read others. I tend to be an ‘ask forgiveness, not permission’ type of person in order to get things done. That’s not to say I don’t know and follow a contract to the letter, which unfortunately seems to be a dying trend. I suppose the answer to the question is: I love winning and I love connecting.
What do you consider to be your biggest business success? Although House Hunters was fun 😂, being a TV Realtor didn’t do it for me. My biggest accomplishment is when clients refer me to their parents. Siblings and extended family referrals are also a big deal to me, but to have someone refer their mom or dad to you is the biggest compliment I can ever receive.
Do you prefer to work with Buyers or Sellers? I always dislike this question because it changes for me. I love historic homes, so helping a buyer in Bexley or Old Worthington is always fun. But I also truly love a challenge and working up a marketing strategy for a unique listing makes me just as happy.
How do you pick a good Realtor? Honestly, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all job. Hiring someone to be your agent, with a fiduciary duty, is a big decision. First and foremost, I would suggest finding someone you can genuinely trust. If you find that, you won’t second guess guidance as you make the largest purchase or sale of your life. Whether you sold/bought your last home 2 years ago or twenty, the market is a living, breathing thing. Hiring a consultant to have a constant pulse on that market can mean the difference between leaving money on the table or getting you your dream terms. I like to think about hiring a realtor like you hire an attorney. You are hiring someone to look out for your best interests in a world you don’t work in every day. They are the expert. I am the expert. Personality fit is pretty important, tho not as important as trust.
What is your favorite part of your job: As a former athlete, negotiating a win is one of my favorite parts of my job. And a win isn’t just about dollars and cents; tough real estate negotiations tend to be about terms. And I’ll win them for you.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? Do you have a book that has influenced your business? The Go Giver is a book I recommend to any small business owner or sales person. It is how I try to run my businesses, day in and day out. Ultimately it comes down to being genuine and taking care of people.
Can Zillow be trusted? Sure! For some things. Many realtors will bash Zillow, but ultimately I believe it serves a purpose to the marketplace or it wouldn’t exist. My recommendation is to use it as a conversation starter, not a conversation ender. Like I already mentioned, the market is constantly changing. As great as technology is, a subject matter expert (me!) knowing the market’s differences from one day to the next will never compete with computer pricing. Zillow’s data will not be as accurate as your local MLS data on the whole.
Facts about Andie:
1 - I have a living, breathing bucket list. Do you? Here’s Mine
2 - I love having a vegetable garden in the summer. Shishito peppers are my best crop and I kill cilantro every single year. Just call me Farmer Brown!
3 - I was named one of the Columbus Board of Realtor’s Top 10 Realtors under 40. As much as I’m not motivated by awards, to be recognized by my peers was both humbling and flattering.
4 - My ‘covid hobby’ was bird watching. I went from one bird feeder to 16 in the very height of the pandemic. I’ll take ‘Central Ohio Song Birds’ for $1,000, Alex.
5 - Growing up in both Michigan and Ohio has made me fairly apathetic to college football. Did you know Saturdays in November are a great time to hit Costco?
6 - I sold medical devices for a number of years. I spent my days in the operating room working with implanted devices called spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pain pumps.
7 - I’m a snob about ceiling fans. There are so many beautiful homes with cheap, ugly ceiling fans when its SUCH an inexpensive upgrade. Here’s one of my favorites. If you’re not a costco member and want me to order one for you message me HERE.
8 - I’ve been doing life for the last 14 years with my rescue poodle, Rudy. With him, I’ve been a city mouse and a country mouse and a suburb mouse. I’ve seen a lot of Central Ohio and I’ve loved it all.I’ve fostered dogs since I was in my first apartment. Sadly, with a grumpy, aging poodle I have had to put fostering on hold. My favorite local rescue is https://www.stopthesuffering.org.
9 - Hidden Hollow Camp is my near and dear to my heart. It is the summer camp, in Belleville, OH, my sister and I grew up going to every year. It is still very much still wonderful place to send your kids and I am still am involved and volunteer.
10 - Hot yoga is both my workout and therapy. I love the athleticism of a hot yoga class mixed with true mindfulness and quiet. If you ever want to know my favorite studios in town, let me know!
11 - I was on House Hunters a few years ago! It was a super fun experience, but please know it is hardly reality. Message me if you want to know what episode!
12 - I’ve fostered dogs since I was in my first apartment. Sadly, with an aging poodle I have had to put fostering on hold. My favorite local rescue is https://www.stopthesuffering.org.
13 - I played the violin as a child. The best part of that experience is that my mom befriended my violin teacher & got him into real estate! Now he and his partner are family. I love my uncles and naturally they hired me to be their Realtor when Uncle Jim retired.
14 - I have been to Italy 11 times but have yet to learn Italian. Owning a small apartment within a 20-30 minute train ride from Florence or Rome is on my bucket list.
