MASSACHUSETTS 12-21-20

MASSACHUSETTS EDITION

Easy Blog Topics for Your Real Estate Blog

INCORPORATING CHARITABLE GIVING

24-HOUR TOUCH-UPS to Maximize Your Price List

IN YOUR REAL ESTATE PRACTICE

FEATURED AGENT

MUNEEZA NASRULLAH COVER STORY

KOURY SIGNORIELLO

MASSACHUSETTS EDITION

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MUNEEZA NA

Muneeza Nasrullah is a rienced realtor who se of Massachusetts, prim Middlesex and Worcest ties. Muneeza has bee industry for 19 years. Sh KOURY SIGNORIELLO MUNEEZA NASRULLAH from Pakistan to Boston where she worked in m for the Marriott corporation before quickly mov real estate. At first, Muneeza did real estate as a p stint, but shortly found that embracing a full-tim KOURY CONTENTSin real estate would be an infinitely more fulfill and she never looked back.

SIGNORIELLO

4) 4 EASY WAYS TO REDECORATE YOUR OFFICE THAT WILL BOOST MORALE & IMPRESS CLIENTS

15) EASY BLOG TOPICS FOR Muneeza places on emphasis YOUR REAL ESTATE BLOGon consistent ser

comprehensive attention to detail, citing these values that have bolstered her career in real es 20) 24-HOUR TOUCH-UPS does her best to ensure that her clients are getting TO MAXIMIZE YOUR out of their home, whether they are buying or sel 6) INCORPORATING PRICE LIST her almost two decades of expertise allow her to CHARITABLE GIVING IN right calls as far as pricing and marketing are co YOUR REAL ESTATE “We are advisors,” Muneeza says. “We tell peo PRACTICE they should or shouldn’t do, what they should for, or how much they should pay.” Muneeza trie in touch with her clients every day, and she is w every step of the way while they are making on Phone 310-734-1440 | Fax 310-734-1440 biggest decisions of their lives. mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com

No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoeverMuneeza’s without prior consent of the is publisher.

Top Agent specialty staging.

She has a whole Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Although precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published painters, plasterers, hardwood people, carpent materials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. other experts who she enlists to get the best out o To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com.

Published in the U.S. before they hit the market. She also uses pro

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photographers and videographers to ensure he look pristine. This way, she is able to always gar of attention on the homesTop sheAgent sellsMagazine early on, and gets results, closing 35-55 transactions and selli

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com

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4 Easy Ways to Redecorate Your Office that Will Boost Morale & Impress Clients Your office is a battle-station of sorts. It’s where you field business, launch your communications, and make the magic of your enterprise happen on a daily basis. While you’ll certainly need to have all the functional elements of an office in order to get your work done—desk, chair, internet—have you really considered the physical environment you’ve cultivated in the process? Think of it this way: working all day in a windowless, poorly lit room 4

wouldn’t exactly inspire productivity or morale, would it?

The fact is humans take all sorts of social, behavioral, and emotional cues from our environments.

And as a real estate professional, you likely already understand the power of the visual and the benefits of making a good impression. With all that in mind, how can you redecorate or retool your

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office space in a way that will boost your mood, productivity, and client relationships? For inspiration, here are a few tips to keep in mind as you consider the ambiance and environment in which you conduct business.

1. A little goes a long way Redecorating your office space doesn’t have to break the bank. Style and décor are often about tiny details adding up to make an overall impression. For instance, paint color, plant life, and lighting are all straightforward ways to rejuvenate a room without spending a fortune. Have dark, drab walls? Consider springing for a lighter, fresher color that will breathe new life into your space. Have bare window sills or empty corners?

Buying and potting a few low-maintenance plants like ferns or succulents can add freshness and pops of color to a sparse room. Rely on fluorescent lighting? Consider sprucing up your space with a few well-chosen floor and table lamps that add accents of taste while warming up the tone in your office. A few intuitively placed items can inspire renewed energy.

2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle One way to make a big change in your office environment without spending a penny is to declutter and reorder. Let’s say you have rows upon rows of crowded, bulky filing cabinets. Try digitizing your records and cut the clutter, opening up square footage in the process. Maybe your desk has faced the same wall for years. Have you considered rearranging your existing furniture and décor? Just by reorganizing the flow of your workspace, you can give your office the cheapest face-lift possible.

You can also make work areas flow more intuitively, based on the processes and collaboration you’ve adapted to over time.

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3. Think like a client Imagine you’re walking into the office for the first time. As a client, what details would stick out? What red flags would come to mind? While you’re used to working in the same space every day, clients are coming into your office with no set expectations. With that in mind, complete a walkthrough of your office area to address eye sores, clutter, and whatever feels unprofessional or amateur. Half the battle of redecorating your space is finding opportunities and seeing things anew, instead of being content with the status quo.

4. Build out your brand Redecorating your space is about aesthetics, but it’s also about creating a unifying setting for your professional brand. If you’re catering to luxury clientele, it makes sense that your office space should appear elegant, high-end, and sophisticated.

If you’re selling second homes out in the country, perhaps a more rugged but well-curated ambiance would set the right tone for your services. Maybe you’re courting the Millennial market or touting your tech-forward approach to real estate. In that case, a modern, sleek, progressive layout would speak to your company’s values and culture.

Whatever the case may be, think of your office environment as an extension of your brand that communicates with clients, motivates your team, and sets the tone for your day-to-day operations.

Even if decorating isn’t exactly in your wheelhouse, there are plenty of simple and philosophical shifts you can make to your space that will maximize your presence and productivity. What’s more, real estate is a business built on relationships—so it doesn’t hurt to create an office where clients are comfortable and confident in the environment you’ve built.

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Incorporating Charitable Giving in Your Real Estate Practice

As real estate professionals, taking part in the community and serving others is central to a long-lasting practice. After all, agents are in the business of homeownership, building a financial future, and helping their clients begin new and fruitful chapters. With that in 6

mind, how might an agent deliver that spirit of service in a broader sphere?

The truth is, charitable giving offers nothing but upsides. Contributing to a worthy cause is a noble and meaningful endeavor, but it

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Contributing to a worthy cause is a noble and meaningful endeavor, but it also presents positive byproducts for the giver: tax write-offs, name recognition in the community, and the ability to expand your network.

also presents positive byproducts for the giver: tax write-offs, name recognition in the community, and the ability to expand your network. If charitable giving is an idea you’ve toyed with, or a practice you’ve engaged in only now and again, here are a few ways to make it a foundational element of your business and a win-win for all.

Find causes that speak to you.

Donating funds or resources can feel anonymous if you’re divorced from the organization you’re working with. While national and international charitable organizations are certainly effective and worthwhile, you might consider partnering with local chapters of those organizations, or identifying hyper-local organizations that address need in your state, county, town, or even your own neighborhood. The first step to establishing a charitable relationship is to find a cause that you genuinely care about. For many, animal rescue is a tangible cause where resources and volunteership are always welcome. For others, children’s health and advocacy is a calling. Regardless Top Agent Magazine

of your personal passion, participation can be big or small. From sponsoring a local youth sports league to partnering with an area animal shelter for their annual spay-athon event—there are all sorts of ways to make a difference.

Unite your team for the common good.

One way to make charitable giving a staple is to do it in arm and arm with others. Supporting a local cause is a great way to bring your team together in a unifying capacity. Hosting coat drives in winter, blanket drives for local animal shelters, or backpack drives for needy students at the start of the new school year— all are straightforward and highly useful, direct ways to give to your community as a team. It’s also important to set collective goals as a way of keeping people motivated and accountable over time. Offices are productive, but often hectic spaces.

Injecting a collective goal with a positive, tangible result can create an ambiance of goodwill and generosity—both of which are worthwhile attributes to cultivate as

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the leader of your team. Lastly, consider timely giving as a way of connecting your team to their community. Natural disasters, local fundraising drives, and improvement funds are all direct ways your team can contribute, while they themselves reap the benefit in the community.

Include clients in the process.

You’ve likely heard of charitable donations made in the name of your client as an alternative to the classic closing gift, but there are a few ways you might update this method of giving. For starters, consider including your clients in the selection process. Do they have a special cause that’s close to their hearts? Likewise, you might

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consider making regular, consistent giving a part of your routine post-closing. Instead of following up with your yearly poinsettia plant or pumpkin, you might find a cause in their neighborhood or township that you can support in their name. It’s wise to choose something apolitical, but a cause that’s hyperlocal to their area demonstrates unique thoughtfulness.

There are plenty of ways in which society as a whole can benefit from charitable causes that build goodwill in the world, support those less fortunate, and bolster a positive future. Incorporating charitable giving in your business model is a generous way to make this mentality a central tenet of your team and a defining characteristic for your clients to remember.

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KOURY SIGNORIELLO

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KOURY SIGNORIELLO Top Agent Koury Signoriello, lead of the Koury Signoriello Realtor Group in North Attleboro, is licensed and sells in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Top Agent Koury Signoriello – Broker/Owner of New World Realty and Lead of the Koury Signoriello Realtor Group in North Attleboro, Massachusetts – is a hardworking, dedicated real estate agent who is truly committed to providing top of the line customer service to his 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine

many grateful buyers and sellers. Koury, who is licensed and sells in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has built his business on a foundation of honesty and integrity, and is truly deserving of his reputation as a trusted real estate advocate for his clients.

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“My mother was a real estate broker,” recalls Koury, explaining how he got his start in the real estate industry. “When I was young, I’d attend open houses with her so I became very comfortable with real estate. I got licensed Top Agent Magazine

when I was eighteen years old and still in high school, and went to work at my mother’s brokerage, New World Realty in 2007.”

In 2020, Koury’s mother sadly passed away, and Koury took over the reins of the business.

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“I always try to make sure that my clients feel like they are the only client I am working with. Buying or selling is an incredibly important part of their life, and they want to know that it’s important to me as well, and it is. My team and I really do care.”

“My mom was a very strong person, and I got a lot of my strength from her,” he says.

Koury also inherited his mother’s client-first business ethics, and currently oversees both his own team and the brokerage at large.

Currently, the lion’s share of Koury’s considerable business is based on returning customers, referrals and positive word-ofmouth. “I’ve been doing this for a while now,” says Koury, by way of explaining the loyalty and trust he engenders amongst those he Copyright Top Agent Magazine 12

works with. “I always try to make sure that my clients feel like they are the only client I am working with. Buying or selling is an incredibly important part of their life, and they want to know that it’s important to me as well, and it is. My team and I really do care.”

That care is made evident by Koury’s perfect overall five-star rating on Zillow.com, comprised of many scores of glowing testimonials, including this one: “Koury was very helpful and detailed in his explanations Top Agent Magazine

of the process. I felt like he always had my best interests in mind. At one point during the home inspection process, there was some confusion around the scheduled time of the home inspection. Koury corrected the problem and helped me find a new inspector. He seemed interested in doing the right thing and doing right by his clients. I really appreciate his help throughout the home purchase process.”

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There are many other factors that come into play when assessing Koury’s ascension in the real estate industry, and chief among them would be the long-term relationships he forms with his customers. Another would be his expert, comprehensive marketing strategies – social media is deftly exploited, among other methods – that translate into fast sales for top dollar, not to mention happy clients.

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When he’s not working, Koury enjoys simply relaxing with his girlfriend, and he – like his mother before him – is a true philanthropist who gives back to his community in a variety of ways, including food and toy drives during the holiday. He is also a proud member of his local Rotary Club.

Koury’s plans for the future are fairly straightforward: to continue building his business, to keep adding like-minded agents to support that growth, and above all, to continue providing the amazing customer service that has become synonymous with his name.

For more about Koury Signoriello, call 774-991-2579 or email Koury89@gmail.com

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Top Agent Magazine

Easy Blog Topics for Your Real Estate Blog Today, blogging looks a lot different than it did back in 2007, when the platform was just beginning to take off. Successful bloggers don’t choose blog topics on a whim. They think strategically and develop pillar content that their target audience will come back to again and again.

Real estate bloggers should be less concerned with whether the same post already exists (it does) Top Agent Magazine

than with how they can be more informative and helpful than their competition. Your personality is likely the thing that your clients connect with, and your blog is another place where you can let it shine.

Pillar content refers to those evergreen posts that never get old because they are always timely.

Think about those questions that you’ve had to

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answer a hundred, if not thousands of times— that’s your pillar content. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could direct your clients to a blog post or, better yet, they discovered the answer on your website rather than you having to constantly repeat yourself?

Or maybe you helped a client sell their house for much more than they were expecting by conducting a series of small and inexpensive renovations. Tell your readers how you did it.

Evergreen Content

Your clients are likely new to the area. Inform them about upcoming community events or mom-and-pop shops they may have never heard of. Are there hiking trails or parks nearby?

What’s the best place to grab a cup of coffee before work or a beer after? You can spotlight these places regularly as a monthly series.

This should really make up the bulk of your content. The possibilities are endless, and you could easily come up with an entire year’s worth of content with only a few hours of brainstorming.

Here are some examples: You could provide your readers with a list of questions they should ask when interviewing a realtor, the steps to becoming a real estate investor, real estate facts all first-time homeowners should know, steps new parents should take to prepare their home for a baby, recommended vendors for home maintenance, or common real estate terms defined.

You could explain to your readers what they need to know about home staging, which home renovations add the most value to their home, how to research schools or crime rates in specific neighborhoods, what a home association is, or how to start flipping houses and buying foreclosures.

Case Studies Sometimes realtors work with a client for years before they are ready to buy a home. Personal finance blogs are a thing for a reason. People want to see exactly how someone else achieved a shared goal. If you have a close relationship with a client who you helped become a homeowner, consider interviewing this client and writing up a case study that shows exactly how the two of you worked together to achieve this goal.

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Stay Local

There are plenty of real estate news outlets that will be posting about the state of the market—but they won’t be talking about your specific community, and that’s where your blog comes in.

Of course, if you only blog about community functions or properties on the market, then as soon as that event is over or that listing is sold, your content ceases being useful.

The best real estate blogs balance their content by posting a little about all the above. Maintaining a high-quality blog means your prospective clients don’t need to visit several websites to have their questions answered because you’ve done the work for them. It’s a tool that helps you make a great first impression.

If you still need help coming up with blog topics for your real estate blog, consider sending a survey out to your clients. You can send it via email and post it on social media. Ask your clients what real estate problems they need help solving and write your content with their responses in mind.

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MUNEEZA NASRULLAH Muneeza Nasrullah is an experienced realtor who serves all of Massachusetts, primarily the Middlesex and Worcester counties. Muneeza has been in the industry for 19 years. She moved from Pakistan to Boston in 1999, where she worked in marketing for the Marriott corporation before quickly moving into real estate. At first, Muneeza did real estate as a part-time stint, but shortly found that embracing a full-time career in real estate would be an infinitely more fulfilling path, and she never looked back.

Muneeza places on emphasis on consistent service and comprehensive attention to detail, citing these as two values that have bolstered her career in real estate. She does her best to ensure that her clients are getting the most out of their home, whether they are buying or selling, and her almost two decades of expertise allow her to make the right calls as far as pricing and marketing are concerned.

“We are advisors,” Muneeza says. “We tell people what they should or shouldn’t do, what they should look out for, or how much they should pay.” Muneeza tries to keep in touch with her clients every day, and she is with them every step of the way while they are making one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

Muneeza’s specialty is staging. She has a whole team of painters, plasterers, hardwood people, carpenters, and other experts who she enlists to get the best out of homes before they hit the market. She also uses professional photographers and videographers to ensure her listings look pristine. This way, she is able to always garner a lot of attention on the homes she sells early on, and her team gets results, closing 35-55 transactions and selling 30-45 million dollars’ worth of volume each year.

Muneeza’s favorite part about her job is the diversity of people she meets along the way. She loves to learn about their cultures and experiences. She is very involved with her community, working closely with both the Pakistan Assocation of Boston, of which she used to be president, and the South Asian Association of Hopkinton, where Top Agent Magazine

she currently lives. She works with people from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, and many other places to promote their cultures within her community, as well as fundraise for high school kids’ scholarships and the local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts programs. Muneeza finds great pleasure in meeting new people, gaining insight from them, and helping on their path to attaining a better life.

Muneeza is in love with her job, and she’s found that this love is what makes a successful realtor. “It’s about your passion,” she declares. “You can’t survive in real estate if it’s your job or if you’re living commission to commission. It’s completely service-oriented. You either love it or you don’t - there’s no in between.” She knows that only people who have a service mentality can succeed in real estate, and she has built her career on this foundation.

When she’s not working, Muneeza pursues her other passion, dancing. She spends her free time on the stage and with her family. Her goal for the future with her business is to get into homebuilding with her team and continue to provide her community with the most thorough and sophisticated real estate service Massachusetts has to offer!

You can contact Muneeza Nasrullah by phone at (508) 254-5312, email at muneeza@muneezarealtygroup.com, or visit muneezarealtygroup.kw.com https://

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24-Hour Touch-ups to Maximize Your List Price Sometimes it takes a full-scale overhaul to prepare a house for market. Other times, only a series of small adjustments are required to make a listing’s true potential shine. Whether you’re gearing up for an open house, assessing a list price, or maximizing a property’s appearance prior to photography—the devil is in the details. However, touch-ups and refreshes don’t have to dominate your schedule or break the bank. For a few ideas of where 20

to begin, consider our handy check-list below for quick home projects that will fortify your bottom line.

Refresh grout for a sparkling clean look.

Perhaps the quickest and most cost-effective way to make bathrooms, kitchens, and other tiled areas shine is to refresh grout until it looks

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good as new. Specialty grout stain removers and cleaners are inexpensive and sold at most home improvement stores. Plus, the project only takes a bit of elbow grease and an hour or two for a major makeover effect. Suddenly, dark, stained, and worn-down bathrooms gleam as if tile has just been placed.

Create mood lighting with soothing bulbs and fixtures.

A warm white light from specially chosen LED bulbs creates a welcoming environment when potential buyers come calling.

If outdated fixtures are bringing down a home’s otherwise modern styling, consider more design-neutral replacements that won’t

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detract from the property’s charms. These are inexpensive but highly noticeable and impactful upgrades that shift a home’s ambiance for the better.

Repaint doors for an updated and inviting entryway.

It may sound like a hassle, but repainting doorways with a fresh coat signals a wellkept property—and that’s before prospective buyers even pass through the threshold. You can also change out generic doorknobs and switch-plates to add an updated flare while on a budget. Color-of-the-year trend choices can turn heads, while neutral paint choices signal less hassle for future homeowners.

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scrub, or with the addition of new shelves or styled bulbs.

Make windows shine— both inside and out.

Cleanliness goes a long way in communicating a well-cared for home in which buyers can imagine themselves. Cleaning the inside and outside of windows not only refreshes a room, but it allows light to infuse the space while appealing to the move-in ready crowd.

Closet spaces are not an afterthought.

Every prospective buyer wants storage options, and you’ve surely led a home tour where guests inspect closets and pantries.

Don’t let these hidden spaces go overlooked. Make sure they’re clean, cleared as much as possible, and you can even touch them up with fresh paint, a good

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Remove tough appliance stains with a bit of elbow grease.

If you’re packaging appliances with the sale of a property, you’ll want to make sure those big-ticket items are also in top shape to showcase their value. Stainless steel polish, electric cooktop polish, and stain removing pads for the kitchen sink can make your appliances look five years younger with nothing more than an hour or two’s labor.

Organize garage and basement areas to maximize storage and hint at bonus space.

It may take a labor of love, but organizing and decluttering these special storage spaces

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can add significant value to a property. Instead of telling prospective buyers how much storage space there is—let these areas speak for themselves by giving them a neutral, airy bout of cleansing. That way, craft-lovers, car aficionados, and buyers with interest in renovating basement areas can witness the potential immediately.

Individually, these bit to-do list items might seem like extra work without the promise of Top Agent Magazine

a major return. But combined? These small tasks go a long way in crafting a home’s image and projecting pure potential. After all, prospective buyers imagine their lives unfolding inside those walls. That’s why cobbling together these small-scale projects can have a big payoff in the end. Not only will a home present itself in a cohesive, attractively-packaged form, but it can also translate to higher interest and a significant pay-off—in more ways than one.

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