In Good Company: The People of MSRE – Suzi Schoonmaker
Suzi Schoonmaker serves as an Exclusive Sales Agent for our Charlotte team! She hails from New York and has been with us since the opening of our Charlotte office in 2018. Suzi is a go-getter and always goes above and beyond for her clients. Her patience and knowledge make her a joy to work with and we are very excited to highlight her as our next person of MSRE!
Tell us about you, Suzi Schoonmaker! Where you were born, where did you grow up?
I was born in Syracuse NY, I moved around a lot as a kid. My dad was a GE executive thus we went were GE told us too. Pennsylvania, Virginia, SC, Illinois to name a few places. The first career I had also moved me around and I came to end up in Charlotte via Chicago, Detroit and Nashville.
How long have you been involved in real estate and where?
I have been involved with real estate for over 30 years. Starting in the late 80’s, I managed commercial property in downtown Chicago, managed several historic properties and did leasing as well! I was transferred to the suburbs of Detroit and managed a class A office. Then, I moved to Nashville where I managed the Vanderbilt University Portfolio and a team responsible for several million square feet of commercial property for various institutional investors. I was responsible for day to day operations, leasing and worked on several large transactions.
Who inspires you in life?
My husband inspires me. He knew I wanted children before I did. His story is one of faith and determination. My children inspire me. They have taught me more about life and love than I could imagine. Also, waiting to a have a baby at 42 allowed me to have a career first and never feel like I missed out on anything. Each one of them have been very supportive of my new career with MSRE and have allowed me the freedom and encouragement to do well. They are my heroes!
When and how did you become a part of MSRE?
MSRE found me! I was thinking of getting back into real estate after a hiatus of raising my son who is now 14. The timing was right!
Why Mark Spain Real Estate?
The sense of community and customer focus is why I choose MSRE and why I stay. There really wasn’t much satisfaction in helping institutions make more money and when my son was old enough, I knew I couldn’t go back to commercial real estate. (Always keep your license up to date!) The joy of helping people get to their next phase of life and helping them move on is a thrill for me. It is very satisfying to use my skills to help people who really need it. And…I get paid.
What have you learned the most from working at MSRE?
Patience (I am always working on this) and how to ride this real estate roller coaster. In the beginning I got my feelings hurt, but everyday I am learning something new: how to manage my time, my family and my business! It is a constant work in progress, learning that it is impossible to know everything but knowing where to find it and when to ask for help is liberating.
What is your favorite part about the people you work with?
Everyone is very helpful and eager to learn. My teammates all have the same attitude about the deal: how do we help the clients achieve their goals, how do we help each other achieve our goals, how do we help MSRE achieve their goals? Furthermore, putting good karma out there is what it is all about. It isn’t about how big the win is. A win is a win.
What are your passions in life outside of work, Suzi Schoonmaker?
Not only my gardens, but also my crafts. (Yes, I am one of those.) The Schoonmaker Gardens are well documented and I am looking forward to the 300 tulips that are popping up. In addition to my gardening, I can also whip up some curtains, pillows or a poncho to order.
What are you looking forward to for this year?
We are building a home and moving after 15 years in the same house! It is the longest I have lived anywhere. Our new home is designed for family gatherings. I’m looking forward to being in the new home all decorated for Christmas. MSRE has given me the opportunity to financially make this move and has changed the trajectory of my family’s life. “Movin’ on up!”
It is very rewarding to know that I helped make this happen for us. If in 1 year with Mark Spain I can make our dream house happen, what can happen in two years, three years, four years, five years? It makes me look forward to 100 closings this year with MSRE. Ultimately, that is the goal, hold me to it!
From the team:
“Suzi Schoonmaker is so thoughtful and truly cares about our clients! She is eager for appointments and does a great job converting!!” – Gina Rogusky
“Suzi Schoonmaker is great! She’s always got a fantastic attitude and is definitely a pleasure to work with! She is super helpful with her clients, support staff and is such a genuinely caring person!” – Melody Mitchell
“You can’t help but adore Suzi Schoonmaker. In anything, she gives it her all. She is a valuable team member and is always willing to help others around her. We love having her on our team in Charlotte. The sky’s the limit for this girl!” -Rachel Alles
“The best way to describe Suzi Schoonmaker is passionate. She absolutely believes in everything that she does. She believes that she is the best person to get your home sold. But most importantly, she believes in building up all of her coworkers. We all feed off her passion and energy and are a much stronger group thanks to Suzi. We love you Suzi!” – Koji Krzywosz
Interested in learning more about joining the MSRE team? Learn more at markspain.com/careers.
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Mark Spain Real Estate is grateful to serve all of Metro Atlanta and Athens in Georgia, Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, Orlando and Tampa in Florida, and Nashville in Tennessee!
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