Connecting the Heart to the Home

Although real estate is largely a numbers game, it can also pull deeply on the strings of the heart. For many people, owning a home marks a significant step on the path to achieving the American Dream.

What began as a hobby and financial investment for Susan Vanech since she moved to Fairfield County from New York City 10 years ago has become a passion for houses and matchmaking.

Even during one of the toughest real estate markets ever seen by Fairfield County, let alone the rest of the world, last spring Vanech and her husband Matt quickly “flipped” 330 Meadowbrook Road. They bought the house in a foreclosure, completely renovated it and sold it within just a few months.

From that experience, Vanech learned first-hand that to make real estate deals happen involves the combined efforts of inspectors, appraisers, Realtors, financial advisors, contractors, Town Hall’s Planning and Zoning, Conservation and Assessor's departments, attorneys, mortgage brokers…the list goes on. The experience inspired her to go back to school, acquire a license and become an agent with William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty in Westport.

“When I analyze our success, it really boils down to the delicate balance of the art and the science of real estate matchmaking,” she told About Town. “I realized I love the process and want to help others in their journey as well.”

As anyone who has been through it knows, buying and selling real estate is largely an emotional process.

“We know that most properties are acquired because somebody falls in love with them. I understand the strong emotions involved in making one of the most significant purchase of one’s life,” Vanech said. “And I have learned that it is critical to not be blinded by emotions but incorporate this essential human element without losing sight of the realities of the financial investment.”

Connecting the heart to the home and making the perfect home match, bringing together sellers and buyers, is what distinguishes Vanech in the highly competitive world of real estate.

So why real estate instead of matching relationships you ask?

“I enjoy making the match: Buyers with sellers, sellers with buyers. Marketing a home or helping a family find their dream home begins and ends with listening to the client,” Vanech said. “I hear what they have to say, I educate and consult with them and I appreciate their unique needs and desires.”

For her buyers, Vanech explained she’s developed a unique system of ranking inventory and matching it to her clients’ extensive personalized profile.

“I am looking at more than what we see on paper. I get to the heart of what suits an individual or family's lifestyle,” she said. “For my sellers, I learn what made their house a home for them and I market that essence to a wide audience of qualified buyers.”

In 2010, the Fairfield County housing market turned the corner and began the road to recovery, according to a Sotheby’s report issued in February. Coming off the historic lows of 2009, with only a few exceptions, sales improved in every market in Connecticut.

“The current market in Fairfield could be summed up as one of optimism tempered by realism. Buyers are still being driven by value; they are not allowing their emotional connection to a property transcend its perceived value,” Vanech said.

“Sellers are recognizing that a well-priced home sells faster, and therefore, if they are serious sellers, they price right to appeal to the pent-up demand in the marketplace."

According to Vanech, the mid-level and entry level market in Fairfield is strongest right now. The percentage of sold and under contract homes have increased since the beginning of the year.

“As the spring market really hits, I believe the buyers that have been waiting on the sidelines will be ready to make their move. And as a result, we will see houses that show good value...sell quickly,” she said.

On Thursday, Vanech is hosting a cocktail party at her home, 273 Wakeman Road, from 5 to 7 p.m. for those who are looking to learn more about the current market. Mortgage experts Ginny Anderson and Matt Jenness and neighborhood appraiser Taylor Beerbower will be on hand to address real estate questions.

“I am a passionate person and I love what I do,” Vanech said in summary. “And I do it with all my heart.”