Flock DC

It's always flattering (and unexpected) when I get nominated for, well, anything! So I was extra surprised to be named a winner at the March of Dimes Heroines of Washington Awards. "Real Estate Heroine" is a big nod, and it wouldn't be possible without the incredible folks who have supported the birdSEED Foundation's journey. Thank you for believing in the necessary work that birdSEED set out to do. André Robert Lee Leslie Hartmann Case Marla M. Dean Jonathan McNair Pavan Khoobchandani Jeff David Terinee J. Bonds Larry Waddell Torrence S. Traynham, PRC Diego Mariscal Stacie Whisonant Lateefah Durant Rahsaan G. Bernard Verne Dixon, MSHS, MBA, MSODL (she/her/hers) Asila Calhoun, ACC, PHR, Leadership Coach Fred Hill Harrison Beacher Julie Lopez, PhD, LICSW Asmara Sium Natasha Bonhomme Harry Christian III, MPS Greg Reaves Ronnie Galvin Paola Moya Joanna Ha Yean Shin Tatiana Torres Kayla B. Alicia Sokol Koube Ngaaje Ruby "SunShine" Taylor, MSW Grace Langham Ayesha M. Hudson Lupi Quinteros-Grady Natalie L. Dallard, M.A.

A real estate agent reached out, recently, to solicit a proposal for management services (along with other related services that any Community Association may need— like a reserve study or financial planning). The only demographic information he provided was the size of the community (<15 units) and general location, Washington DC (all ~69 sq miles of it). Pretty normal request, right? Right! Or so I thought! I replied (within hours) with our service lines and contract minimums. I requested, of him, more information in order to put together a proposal for consideration. Again, all pretty normal, right? The agent replied that a) he didn’t ask for a “dollar proposal” (but he did…), b) his client wanted to understand the market and service offerings by various companies (fair… that’s why I offered it up quickly!) c) his client wanted to remain confidential (also fair! He could provide some basic info without disclosing specifics) and d)only after his client reviews everything, they’d share info leading to a proposal (cool cool cool) When I pushed back— declining to provide more than I already had because not all business is good business (for us!)— he got mad. I’d rather have real time conversations to reset expectations regarding management (so many don’t understand or have misaligned expectations on our services) or guide the conversation to having them talk to other companies because we “likely won’t be a good fit.”  The number of prospective clients I have had thank me for being this honest and transparent (sometimes years later!) is significant. But this agent didn’t care— he wanted to school me, to tell me how bad I am at my job and how unsuccessful Roost is because of some Yelp reviews. So bad so that he copied lisa wise on his last reply. What he doesn’t know is that he did my job for me— he weeded out a client that would not align with Roost, our service offerings or our future. He tried to personally attack me by pointing out things I already know. He tried to tear down a woman who refused to compromise the promise I made to my staff about new business. So, thanks JE, for doing my job for me! Really. I can’t imagine the hoops you’d make us go through to win the contract, only then to help the Board fire us when we didn’t meet your (clearly incorrect) expectations for management. The agent is connected to several folks I consider friends, colleagues and people I look up to. He’s part of two shared LinkedIn groups for CA professionals. DC is small. This industry is even smaller. I wish his clients the best in their search for management company that will be a good fit for them. I really do. They deserve great management! I share this an opportunity to (hopefully) bring a chuckle to anyone who’s ever had to deal with….people. We’ve all been there before and will be there again in the future. PS his font of choice is comic sans-esque. Anyone that knows me (or anything about font theory) knows how much this brings me true joy. 

When I bought my first condo, I didn't fully read and understand the condo docs that I received before closing. That was a mistake. Now, my law firm helps first-time and seasoned buyers in DC, MD, and VA review condo, coop, and HOA documents before they buy. I wrote this article for UrbanTurf highlighting some red flags I see in condo documents. A little due diligence can go a long way! #dcrealestate #condoliving

Please join us in congratulating lisa wise on being named a finalist for this year’s March of Dimes #HeroinesofWashington awards! ---For more than two decades, these awards have celebrated the dedicated women of the DMV who not only lead robust professional careers but also epitomize volunteerism when it comes to their community service efforts.--- While lisa's service knows no bounds - she hosts show-stopping fundraisers but will also spend an afternoon picking up trash along Florida Ave- we are most proud of her for giving life to the birdSEED Foundation. birdSEED is a unique grant program working towards justice and wealth creation for BIPOC families. Finalists will be honored at this year’s Heroines of Washington awards gala on November 9 at The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner. The full list of finalists and tickets to the gala can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eh_Dc57v Congratulations again to our Boss Lady! And congratulations as well to her fellow finalists: Hannah Adams Ashley Arbolino, MBA Caroline Brown Nicole Clark Margaret Crilley Julie Donaldson Suzie Egolf Kimberly Fleming Kamala T. Green, MA Jennifer Haas Ruth (Uchiyama) Hoang Sara Holtz Anne Khademian Stacey Mangham, ITIL v3 Valerie Mansfield Kameron Matthews, MD, JD, FAAFP Maia S. McCuiston, MD, FAAP, IBCLC Deborah Miller Holly Roberts Roberta Tinch, MHA, FACHE Katie Yanushonis Helen Yi Emily Zankman