Tassone was diverted from a career in corporate America because of a side gig leasing apartments. While negotiating her own real estate purchase, she suggested to the developer that they team up. He’d build it, she’d sell it. They formed JDL, where she specializes in new construction and resales. During 2004, she closed almost $52 million in business. Tassone steers away from traditional marketing tactics, focusing instead on cultivating word-of-mouth business. “I’m not comfortable sending mailings to strangers. I have a large network and I’m energetic, positive, and nice to people,” she says.
Simple strategy: Listen to clients’ needs and deliver what they want. “It’s not rocket science, but it leads to tons of repeat business and referrals.”
Business advice: “Real estate is an easy industry to get into, but being good at it is another thing. You can either rise to the top or float somewhere in the middle. That’s not good enough for me. Many see the dollar signs in real estate but not that it can be a hard, frustrating business.”