3 Minutes on a Park Bench with Mark Slade of Keller Williams

Patch partner Mark Slade of Keller Williams told us how he's stayed on top of the real estate industry and recommended three great books everyone should read.

Patch: When did you first know you'd be good at selling homes?

Mark Slade: Pretty much right off the bat. I have degrees in economics and fine art with some time in architecture school; little did I realize this would be the perfect variety of skills to enable me to be successful in real estate.

Patch: How have you kept your competitive edge in the real estate industry?

Mark Slade: I'm constantly searching for ways to grow my business and further advance my skills in marketing to buyers and for sellers. I teach social media marketing and blogging and that keeps me with my ear to the grindstone searching for any new techniques and such.

Patch: If you had to recommend someone three books, what would they be and why?

Mark Slade: "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtney was a great book to teach one to grow; "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand because I wanted to be an architect and now I'm working with architects as part of the equation of selling homes; "Brands That Rock" by Roger Blackwell was instrumental in helping me build brands for other companies I worked for like Swatch and Calvin Klein and then building my own brand: The Mark Slade Homes Team.

Patch: What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you while showing a house?

Mark Slade: The strangest event was when a seller let us into her home to show it and then decided to take a shower and stepped out of the shower as my clients were passing the open door to the bathroom. It was very embarrassing for one and all but lead to us joking every time we toured a home.

Patch: Can you tell us a bit about the area in New Jersey nicknamed Brooklyn West?

Mark Slade: Two years ago, I was selected by the New York Times to give them the tour of Maplewood. During the tour, I mentioned how so many of our new home buyers are from Brooklyn and then blurted out: "It might as well be called Brooklyn West. The moniker stuck and has been widely bandied about since then. It means that we have a very active and diverse community in terms of lifestyles, political beliefs, socio-economics and are heavily imbued with professionals of the arts -- actors, writers, photographers, graphic designers and more -- as well; our commute is the same time as it would be on the F train from Brooklyn Park Slope to Midtown. I even got personalized license plates—BKLNWST—so honk or wave if we pass one another in town.

Patch: What's your definition of success?

Mark Slade: For me, success can be defined in three parts: First, it was reinventing myself from a former fashion industry executive vice president who ended up being off, who was then forced to become a Food Stamp program participant; to then embarking on a career in real estate. I would soon become a leading and award-winning Realtor in Northern NJ specializing in the "train towns" served by Midtown Direct Train service. Second, building my brand has been a triumph in terms of breaking into a crowded field of agents and rising toward the top (with room for more growth). I love when people come up to me to say "Hi" that I haven't yet met and also thanking me for sharing my story of reinvention and lastly, now being in a position to give back to so many charities to help those in need and possibly an inspiration for others to reinvent themselves.

Patch: What sets one realtor apart from another?

Mark Slade: As a former brand manager, I was able to push hard to find my POD--Point of Difference. I practiced what I now teach to new realtors: Become a local expert. Know your market, be able to answer the proverbial question you will get asked: "How is the market?" Then layer on a dedication to listening and providing top notch service to your clients. Lastly, build a reputation and your own brand to stand apart from the competition. This can be done with testimonials, blogging and easy-to-use apps like Instagram.

Patch: And how are you unique?

Mark Slade: I would like to think I'm unique in having had an education that prepared me to handle tough negotiations to the advantage of my buyers. I also can offer advice to help a new home buyer best visualize how to turn a house into the perfect home to fit their needs and budget. On top of that, I make a point of trying to stay connected with my past clients and remembering their key life events and home anniversary date so the relationship continues past the closing day. Lastly, I make it a prime focus to give back to charitable endeavors as well as sponsoring local events wherever possible to allow myself to build upon what I hope is a growing personal relationships with my clients.

Patch: What’s your advice to someone who’s looking to a buy a new home right now?

Mark Slade: Most buyers are doing so much of their own looking and some research online, which is a good start. However, finding the right agent to help them best understand the market, the terms, the experience of buying a home, especially when multiple bids are so common, is paramount to having the best home-buying experience. My team offers a complete suite of focused websites with home search, 30 town-specific open house sites which feature quick-find maps to help locate the homes you want to see, quick links to help you get to sites you need without having to navigate and drill down. Then we offer personal advice and professional project management to get you from purchase contract to closing, saving our favorite part for last: Taking your picture in front of your new home.

Patch: What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Mark Slade: I drive up to Massachusetts driving by childhood home and then spending time with my family and then having Thanksgiving dinner and seeing my parents new “double doodle.”

Patch: What advice would you give someone trying to sell his or her house?

Mark Slade: Close your eyes and try to put yourself in the mindset of a buyer. Curb appeal is key. Interior Staging is paramount, as we need to make sure we make the preparations to market your property and put it in best possible light for the what today's buyers are looking for in a home. Then it needs to be priced right and marketed to the fullest extent possible.

Patch: How can readers contact you and learn more about homes for sale in New Jersey?

Mark Slade: I'm generally a 24/7 kind of guy and have a team to support me when I'm personally booked up. Texting me at 917-797-5059 is the best way to contact me; but clients can call or email me at sladehomes@gmail.com. They can also check out www.goodhomesforgoodpeople.com or www.sladesells.com.

Photo provided by Mark Slade