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With a background in advertising, as the founder and former CEO of national storyboard company Warshaw Blumenthal, and in her current role as one of the top listing agents in New York City, Coldwell Banker Warburg’s Andrea Wernick understands the power of marketing better than most.
Her eye for staging and commitment to her clients have allowed her to successfully handle more than 40 transactions at 400 East 56th Street, also known as Plaza 400, where she resides. “I am 100 percent committed to this profession and to my clients, and I really do care about each and every deal.”
Wernick calls herself a “straight shooter; I don’t sugar-coat things, and I say what I mean.” She believes in the power of learning to stay on top of the ever-changing real estate industry, “constantly” seeking out courses and seminars to enhance her expertise and keep current. “I think you must always be willing to keep learning.”
Name: Andrea E. Wernick
Title: Real estate salesperson
Experience: 8 years
Location: New York City
Brokerage full name: Coldwell Banker Warburg
Rankings: Top 4 percent of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide
What’s the best advice you ever got from a mentor or colleague?
When I began my real estate career, I did not have a mentor. I was not part of a team and had nobody to teach me the ropes.
My manager at the time guided me when I came to him with questions. That resulted in me learning an important lesson — you need to ask questions. In order to learn what you need to know, you can’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask your manager or other knowledgeable brokers, but find a way to get the answers you need.
On the other hand, there are large aspects of this career that can’t be taught or answered by asking questions. You have to learn this career by becoming seasoned.
Each transaction is unlike any other. You learn something new with every deal or come across a circumstance that you’ve never encountered before. It’s an evolution, and it takes a long time to become a seasoned professional. It can not be taught — it must be lived.
What do clients need to know before they begin a real estate transaction?
I work primarily with sellers. As a seller, you need to understand the current market. The seller should ask the broker to show you comparables in your building and/or your neighborhood to help you set your expectations. When you are ready to sell your home, you need to consider curb appeal.
You need to fix up the home … declutter, paint, etc. I am a big fan of staging a residence. This can be done on a shoestring budget (I provide decorative pillows, flowers and other items that can make a big impact).
However, if the seller does have a budget, actual staging can make an enormous difference in the appeal of a property, particularly when the place is in estate condition. Virtual staging is also a useful option when funds don’t allow for actual staging to help buyers envision how the home could look.
Make sure you find a broker who is passionate and experienced, especially in your particular market. Find someone who will respond to your inquiries and those of interested buyers/brokers quickly and will be 100 percent committed to the sale of your home.
You should also try to find a broker who will work hard to market your home via social media and, of course, all the traditional outlets. A good broker should be 100 percent there for you at all times!
What do too few agents know that would make their lives easier?
You must be organized. You can’t possibly be successful if you aren’t meticulously organized. This allows you to have all the information you need for any type of transaction at your fingertips. Being able to respond immediately to your client, brokers or attorneys, etc, is also crucial. They need to feel like you are always in the know and present for them.
It is also very important to listen more than you speak. People, especially buyers and sellers, like to feel heard, and you can gain a lot of insight into what they really need if you listen. My experience in my previous careers before becoming a broker truly helped me in this area.
As an owner of a national storyboard company in advertising, my main job was to listen. When the art director gives you input, you must truly listen and hone in on the key message and then, with very little time, create a storyboard that illustrates that message — even if it wasn’t clearly articulated initially.
That skill definitely has served me as a broker since it has helped me learn to listen and also respond quickly to my sellers or buyers. It has also benefitted me when marketing properties since I can assess and then highlight the most favorable aspects of a property.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How does real estate relate to that childhood goal?
When I was a child, I was interested in art, drawing and photography. However, as a girl growing up in my generation, the only career choices available were to be a teacher or a nurse, so I became a teacher.
Eventually, I got involved in the advertising industry, selling retouching services to art directors. I discovered I had amazing sales skills and eventually founded, ran and eventually sold a national storyboard company.
Eventually, I discovered that real estate married my artistic eye and my sales skills beautifully. I know how to help a client present a client to look amazing visually and then sell it skillfully.
Tell us about your most memorable transaction
I had a client trying to sell an estate-quality apartment. He had owned it for decades, had eventually let his children live in it, and had never upgraded it. It looked tired and dated. I suggested the client stage it, but he refused.
After weeks with little interest and no offers, I finally convinced him to let me stage it. I had it painted as a white box (a plain canvas allows potential buyers to imagine their own taste and design), had the floors refinished, removed all his old furniture, and had a staging company put in simple, modern, tasteful pieces. I added several additional touches with items I keep on hand for this purpose — attractive pillows and throws, vases, etc.
Once I had the place re-photographed and posted, we got an immediate surge of interest. Within the week, he got a fantastic offer (well over the cost of the staging), and the apartment sold quickly. The client was truly grateful.
Sometimes, the client has to see for themselves that you know how to make a sale successful. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of staging and simple steps to bring a tired apartment from “blah” to “wow!”
