We recently connected with Katie Fanizza and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

Gail Holman, my team lead, has always had a positive impact on the workplace. She is the woman who, without realizing it, inspired me to get my real estate license and helped me determine the kind of agent I want to be. She is by far the most humble, honest and knowledgeable agent I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and now, working alongside. I feel so lucky to have her as not only my boss, but my mentor. She is someone who offers a plethora of professional experience, not only in real estate, but in interior design, which allows her to envision a property to its fullest potential. This is truly an asset to her clients whether buying or selling. Gail has made being on her team like joining a family and I am forever grateful for that.

Katie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My passion for branding has been a driving force throughout my professional career.

I got into the real estate/marketing field completely by chance. I interviewed for a Marketing Assistant position in 2017 at the first real estate brokerage I worked for and instantly fell in love with not only marketing, but the business itself.

I think something that sets me apart from others as a real estate professional is that I have several years of real estate marketing experience, specifically. This offers me an advantage – knowing the best marketing avenues to utilize to sell your home. I have also had the privilege of working with and networking with agents and developers across Long Island for years. These relationships have been instrumental in helping me expand my knowledge of this region for clients in the market to buy or sell. Being an agent on the Gail Holman Team is the best advantage of all because when you work with me, you work with my team…and everyone brings something unique and valuable to the table.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

In 2017 I joined the world of real estate for the first time as a Marketing Assistant. Being completely green to the industry, there was a lot for me to learn! During this job, I wore several hats, but my favorite one was working on marketing for New Development properties across Long Island. Although she was not my boss at the time, this is where I first met my now team lead, Gail Holman. She was on the sales team for two of the New Development properties I was executing the marketing for. For several years, we collaborated on numerous marketing initiatives for projects across Long Island and eventually New York City. She was someone who carried herself with grace, and her enthusiasm for the work she did was truly admirable.

Fast forward to 2020 and we both found ourselves joining Compass, me on the marketing side, and Gail as an agent. Gail was my marketing client for just over 2 years before I told Gail I was thinking about getting my real estate license, and with those words, she took me under her wing.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My passion for the industry, and the respect and admiration for those I have had the honor of meeting along the way.

The majority of my professional career has been spent working alongside real estate agents, developers and marketing leadership within the companies I have worked for. All three of these parties have given me perspective and appreciation on what it really takes to see a project through (on both a smaller and larger scale.)

To some, looking at a condominium building or a single family home, they see it as just that, as a place people reside. I see it as a space that used to be nonexistent. I see it as a place a builder had to get the proper permits for and prepare the land. I think about the installation of the plumbing, electric, framing, and finishes. I look at that building or single family home knowing that a marketing team was hustling behind the scenes to build awareness, and drum up excitement for it. And I know a real estate agent was the driving force in getting those people into their dream home and seeing the process through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gailholmanteam.com/agents/katie-fanizza
• Instagram: @that_lawnguyland_realtor

Image Credits
Photographer – Jonathan Grassi