NuOp Agent Spotlight: Laura Marie

“Goooooood Morning, Lindsey!” the light, effusive energy from Laura Marie’s voice confidently rings through the phone when she promptly answers our scheduled call. I can tell immediately that she’s amazing. I don’t want to be so affected early on in our interview; however, one can’t help but be swept right into her spirit. Our team had selected Laura for this month’s Spotlight because of this very energy and quality that comes across even in the NuOp Community posts she makes. Laura Marie tells me that she has worked in business development for over seventeen years and has been an agent for three years and has her own team, “Your Home Sold Team,” primarily operating out of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties in the Tampa Bay area. Laura is firecracker of a person, but one of those kind in a planned display that can awe a mesmerized crowd.

Laura Marie loves the heat. She moved to the Tampa Bay area from the Northeast a few years ago in pursuit of a career that would help people and herself build long-term-wealth. Tampa Bay is known for its abundant sunshine, scenic environment, plethora of sports teams, and interesting cultural sites such as the Dali Museum. The area, although more recently developed, has incredible, ancient Paleo-Indian roots and a complex geographical origin. It truly offers anything a person could want and Laura is happy to be the one helping her clients move into their own piece of paradise.

Laura sees herself as somewhat of a transition specialist and she loves helping people. After saying this, she adds a joke, “Well, the best part is people; the worst part is people.” We both laugh and then Laura, in a more serious, reflective tone continues… “Not all moves are a happy process” she solemnly tells me. “Sometimes they can be sad.” Laura tells me about a particular experience where a client’s home sale was related to a medical malpractice experience. Even though she’s not saying it outright, Laura is showing me that she’s the type of agent willing to support a client through any stage of their real estate needs and, most likely, more. Laura tells me, too, there are even transitions that are bittersweet while she recalls a home sale of a family who was selling their home after owning it for forty-five years. Laura says it was an emotional and exciting experience for the family. As an agent, Laura contains compassion and kindness that is a lovely counterpoint to her get-it-done, extremely competent attitude. She truly is the total package.

Going off script a bit because I get the impression Laura is an off-the-script type of person, I ask Laura to tell me what the number one most important factor is in real estate. She gives a little bit of a sigh, almost as though she feels I’ve cornered her into the answer of “location.” Laura readily replies, “Well, the standard answer is ‘location,’ and yes, that’s important. But, what is most important is that clients are honest with who they are and what they want.” Laura is authentic and straightforward; a no “BS” type of woman. She gives me the feeling that she has it all figured out, not in a pretentious know-it-all type of way, but more like a person that is equipped with a truck full of tools who is readily capable of any repair.

When I ask about her personal philosophy, Laura tells me many things that allow insight into the constant churn of possibility that moves in her brain. “Do the best job possible” Laura says matter-of-factly and then she continues to unpack that statement. She lets me know that she stays positive and always looks for collaborative solutions to problems. How you approach people matters” says Laura; “I like to create win-win “ situations. Laura is the type of person to calmly lean into a difficult situation, knowing there is always a solution to the problem. “Communication is KEY,” she says emphatically. Personally, Laura likes to conduct herself in a way where cards are face-up and everyone present knows the rules of the game.

In regard to what brought her to the NuOp app, Laura tells me that she “saw a Facebook ad and checked it out.” She lets me know that she has used other referral networks, but the reason she likes NuOp is because agents don’t want to be limited to only network within their agency. With NuOp, “you can connect across the country, even globally.” Laura also appreciates that NuOp is genuinely working on creating a community out of Real Estate Professionals. “It has a positive community flavor and vibe; I can feel that,” she says. Additionally, Laura also loves that agents “can get perspectives from outside of [their] region.” I have to say that it pleases me to no end to have an agent feel the intention behind the network through using it.

Laura’s certainty and creativity are infectious. She seems like the type of person that anyone would love to work with or for, one of those professionals that creates opportunity for everyone with whom she works. It’s obvious that Laura is a hard worker, but she’s not the type to outright say it. She’ll show you first. Laura tells me that she believes that “what you put out there comes back to you.” She says it in more of a “just desserts” type of way than a “karmic” type of way. I, myself, want to believe in the merit of hard work, and if it’s true, then Laura Marie has a future with a whole lot of good coming her way.