Like all other sectors, the need for preservation has made the real estate industry adapt to the technological advances of our era. Nothing has cemented the role of virtual communication and marketing in real estate more than the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, real estate firms and brokers are vying for a seamless blend of traditional personalized approaches and digital marketing to reach more clients, provide holistic information, and maximize the value of a house.
In this light, Marc Sorrentino stands tall as a pioneer of the new-age real estate business. With more than 15 years of enriching experience in the field and a key role in VRI Homes – one of the most renowned marketing real estate firms in New Jersey – the maverick Marc has gone from strength to strength, from milestone to milestone.
A scholar with a flair for real estate
Marc confesses to being fascinated by real estate from an early age: “Real estate has always been a passion of mine. I always read every single book on real estate I can find.” An excellent multitasker, he started his tryst with real estate as an investor in residentials while completing his bachelor’s degree in political science from Rutgers College in New Brunswick, summa cum laude.
Thereafter, Marc became the man with the midas touch! His investments were akin to blooming flowers. With a clear vision, impeccable work ethic, and focus on client results, he kept turning single family houses into duplexes, triplexes, and finally apartments. His formula was deceptively simple and highly effective: purchase, refurbish, and lease.
Marc’s golden streak did not stop there. By leaps and bounds, overcoming plenty of obstacles, Marc soon presided over the well-being of more than 200 properties with varying profiles in Camden. Be it a commercial or a residential property, a lease or a sale, the now-licensed New Jersey broker turned property into profit. Each happy client reinforced his entrepreneurial mettle, time and time again.
The best in the business
For the best, it’s a long way to the top. To gain deeper knowledge regarding the underlying mechanisms of real estate and finance, Marc secured a master’s degree in real estate development and construction from New York University.
Soon becoming a doyen in New Jersey real estate, Marc continued to work with some of the biggest names in residential home building. He kept converting single-family homes into planned development units such as stacked units, condos, and townhomes. Never shackling himself to a single variant, he broadened his field of expertise by working in age-specific housing, adult housing, and developments ranging from small units to high-rise buildings.
The VRI Homes experience
Marc attributes much of his reputation to his experience with the digital marketing real estate firm VRI Homes, where he was under the tutelage of its owner Mr. Lawrence Vecchio and his wife Patti. Honing his skills under their warm and prolonged mentorship, Marc recently opened his own division within one of VRI Homes’ offices in Keyport, New Jersey.
A master of all trades when it comes to real estate, Marc has consolidated his division’s repute by keeping his vast range of clients satisfied. In Trenton, he currently supervises apartment leases and is responsible for an upcoming 144-unit building, along with the sale of a single-family unit and an apartment.
Such an illustrious career owes no small part to Marc’s individual tenacity and hard work.
Dedication, determination, and discipline
Throughout his career, Mark has abided by the three pillars of success, the ‘three D’s’: dedication, determination, and discipline. He claims, “I am single-mindedly focused and relentless, and I will not stop until the goal is achieved, which is the selling of the property.”
Marc’s success with the three D’s has not come overnight. In fact, these pillars have been constants throughout the ups as well as downs in his career. The belief that every property is an opportunity comes from his experience of overcoming the toughest hardships, “from feeling first-hand personal and professional loss…from getting knocked down over and over again but refusing to stay down.”
As someone who does not look back in anger or regret, Marc looks in one direction: forward. He rigorously sticks to a future-oriented vision, keeping abreast of the latest advances and planning for tomorrow.
Armored with self-belief that comes with decades of experience, he deftly tackles distressed and complicated properties, an assortment of challenging clients, and (in effect) a multi-million-dollar business. Touted as a serial entrepreneur, he has been one of the Top 10 in NJ Real Estate Agents and Brokers for three consecutive years, 2018, 2019, and 2020! Indeed, Marc’s success has come in various aspects of real estate, from start-ups, residential and commercial development, to residential property management.
Always keep your word
Although virtual marketing is the new normal in real estate, Marc is no stranger to the undiminished necessity of a personalized, committed approach to clients: “Client satisfaction to me is built on keeping your word and accomplishing the goal no matter the challenges that you will surely face.”
Throughout his career, he has kept his word to every client whose hand he has shaken. Moreover, Marc’s extensive involvement across various aspects of real estate has made him a favorite among his clients; he offers the most insightful advice regarding the value of their properties within the mercurial real estate markets in New York and New Jersey.
Working in the present
Mincing no words, Marc confesses that the COVID-19 lockdown led to business postponement throughout March, April, and May. Since then, the real estate sector has bounced back strongly, with a “great appreciation of over 20% in most northeastern markets.” With the supply of properties considerably reduced and interest rates hitting a record low, the sun is shining again on the real estate industry.
Far from being complacent, Marc takes work amidst COVID seriously. With protective precautions, weekly tests, and a robust virtual marketing strategy (replete with photography and videography), he ensures that he does not jeopardize his clients’ health.
Thoughts on the future
Currently pursuing his Juris Doctor degree, Marc sums up his work ethic in a short sentence “Whatever I do, I’m 100-percent all in.” With such wholehearted dedication to each project, Marc aspires to become “one of the highest grossing real estate brokers in the Northeast; then the country.” He wants to immerse himself in intense work, striving to refurbish three-five properties every month.
Keeping pace with this virtual era, Marc also wants to develop a subscription-based website where members can browse through a catalog of undervalued properties that need renovation. He asserts, “The members will then be able to utilize our expertise and contractors to renovate before reselling. Simply stated, the average person will be able to build wealth through real estate.” Thus, true to his maverick image, Marc Sorrentino remains the choicest of New Jersey real estate brokers today.
