Being successful in business takes hard work and perseverance. Achieving that success as a young woman in a mostly male-dominated industry requires a whole other level of commitment and a savvy business style.
Real estate broker Michelle Pais, who at the age of 30 founded Signature Realty NJ and the Michelle Pais Group, knows this well. “We’re one of the most successful independently-owned real estate brokerages in the state,” she says. “It’s a woman-owned brokerage and the Michelle Pais Group, which is a luxury division of Signature Realty NJ, is ranked number one in the state. I’m particularly proud of that because we’re independently owned and I’m one of the youngest, if not the youngest, broker that has achieved this level of success.”
Surrounding herself, as she does, with people who will uplift and support her is a key ingredient to her success. She now has 450 agents, and Signature Realty NJ and the Michelle Pais Group recently made the INC. 5000 list as one of the fastest growing companies in America! Michelle knows she wouldn’t have reached this milestone alone. In addition to her team, she also gives thanks to her husband, Jonathan Steingraber, who runs the business alongside her.
Michelle originally planned to go into law school, but that changed when she sold her first house. “I felt euphoric and I knew that it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she says. “I enjoy the process of helping people, of marketing their homes, and being able to get their homes sold for more money than they thought they would ever get.”
Her marketing style is one her clients appreciate. “I make sure I highlight each home’s personality because every home has one,” says Michelle. “I like to do a marketing campaign around the style of the home. When people hire me, they know I’m not a cookie-cutter agent because these are not cookie-cutter homes. I’m not going to do the same thing for each listing, because every house is unique.”
Her business style is very similar to her personal style. “I’m very relationship driven, which is why the majority of our business comes from repeat happy clients,” she says. “One of the reasons I love selling luxury homes is because of the passion I have for their superior design aspects as well as for their extraordinary architecture. I can see the hard work and quality that went into these homes. One thing I love about my job is being surrounded by beautiful things all the time.”
Michelle and her husband, who live in Morris County, have another new and exciting venture coming up - their own real estate show where they’ll do 24-hour home remodels right here in New Jersey. Stay tuned for that!
The couple also strongly believes in giving back. Michelle’s agency is the main sponsor of Be the Change, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding the homeless. Another way she hopes to bolster others is through her new book, Secretary to CEO, which outlines her career path while giving tips, tricks and important advice on becoming a successful business owner.
Signature Realty NJ and the Michelle Pais Group currently have three office locations, including one in Summit, and have plans to open several more this year. Even with so much growth, Michelle feels it’s important to note: “Every one of my clients feels like they’re my only client.”
To find out more about how she and her team can assist you, go to SignatureRealtyNJ.com and to MichellePaisGroup.com.
