Valuable Lesson
Even at age 9, Kate Carlton could pick the perfect countertops for a kitchen redo. She used to help her dad, who’s a handyman and home flipper. He’d explain his choices for granite or carpeting and why he thought they’d return top dollar at resale. “It gave me an idea of what’s going to sell,” says Carlton, now 29. She learned the value real estate agents offer after her father tried unsuccessfully to sell a townhome without one. Even his below-market asking price didn’t draw a buyer. He hired an agent who got the home sold in one day getting $15,000 over the list price. “It was cool to see,” says Carlton. That recollection informs her business, which includes many new-home buyers. “In new construction, I hear many people say, ‘I don’t need an agent. ’But I can help them choose designs, floor plans, and features that are going to sell in the future. I can provide something extra.”