New Mexico WOMAN February, 2003

   It might be a stretch to go from ambitions as a broadcast journalist to real estate broker, but Dana Slade made the leap ... and successfully. Right out of the gate in 1995, Dana, a native of Los Alamos, NM, landed the title of Real Estate Rookie of the Year. Since then, this petite bundle of ambition and energy has hop-scotched through the litany of industry awards characteristic of a top producer: New Mexico Select and participating in Coldwell Banker's own "Previews," for Realtors specializing in luxury properties.

   "I've built a really great team," explains Dana. She credits her success largely to the expertise and organizational ability of her licensed office manager and her mom and dad, all vitally involved in the business. Her mother, Rita, oversees the administrative duties, while dad, Jim, serves as a buyer's agent and customer care representative. When Dana lists a home, Jim services that listing until it sells. Structuring the business in this way frees Dana to strictly list and sell.

   Also integral to her team are two other buyer's agents whose sole focus is showing houses. These agents preview listings and screen properties to eliminate any homes that don't coincide with clients' criteria.

   Dana attributes much of her success to the unparalleled marketing tools available to her. She emphatically believes that clients deserve the exposure for their listed properties that only Coldwell Banker helps deliver.

   The home information centers located in each of the major malls are unique. Coldwell Banker also distributes 30,000 copies monthly of "Welcome Home," a full color magazine featuring current listings. To bolster exposure, the agency produces a weekend television show on the local Channel 50 and maintains a web site for its agents.

   Dana is primarily associated (though not exclusively) with "high end" properties, selling in the $400,000 plus range. She sells homes ranging from $85,000 to 2 million in all areas of Albuquerque, including the east mountains, Rio Rancho, Corrales, and Placitas.

   When asked about future trends, she sagely observes that we are running out of the very commodity she sells - land. "We're hitting our boundaries on every side," observed Dana, "I think the new trend is going to be buying re-sale and remodeling." As new construction eventually wanes, it will give way to the resale of existing homes. She increasingly sees buyers opting for a few acres of especially desirable property and compromising on the structure. "That's the trend. Buy the land and the location and then do some updating (on the house)," states Dana.

   With Californians being the exception, newcomers wanting to relocate in the north and east part of Albuquerque are often astounded at the price of real estate in this market. Her pat explanation is that we are simply running out of land. With land at a premium, Dana refers to a construction vanguard known as "courtyard homes." These homes feature an extremely beautiful, yet low maintenance courtyard, with some including a swimming pool. It's a design concept that appeals to both young couples and retirees.

   Dana believes that the best real estate "bang-for-the-buck" is on the west side, particularly in Rio Rancho. "No doubt about it," she says, "on the west side, you get more house for the money."

   If you have property for sale, Dana stresses that it's vitally important to have your house ready to sell. If, for example, you know that the carpet has withstood a stampede and shows it, absorb the cost and save yourself the obligatory and typically more costly monetary allowance at closing. Sellers should also hire an agent with access to proven marketing tools.  "Maximum exposure is what it's all about," believes Dana. "We need to make sure we're doing everything to get these homes SOLD."

   To confer with Dana about your real estate affairs, contact her at (505) 271-6331 or at dana@sheselzhomes.com.