Ashley Almeida, a licensed Realtor on The Jennifer Mello Team at The Mello Group in Seekonk, is the president of the Greater Providence Board of Realtors. She holds a master’s degree in business administration and has served real estate clients in Rhode Island and Massachusetts since 2016.
The Greater Providence Board of Realtors named Almeida Realtor of the Year in 2023. She is also the president for the Women’s Council of Realtors Rhode Island and was the council’s member of the year in 2017.
PBN: What has it been like so far as president of the Greater Providence Board of Realtors? What has the group been up to?
ALMEIDA: It is an honor and privilege to serve as the president of the Greater Providence Board of Realtors. It has been a fantastic experience that has allowed me to connect with membership on a larger scale, collaborate with various boards, associations and the public, as well as providing me with information on areas where we can continue to improve our industry and bring value to the community and the industry.
We are working collectively with our members and staff to provide quality content, education classes and continued opportunity for Realtor growth and development.
PBN: What are some of the biggest challenges for you and fellow Realtors right now, as you try to help your clients buy and sell homes?
ALMEIDA: One of the hardest challenges right now is to continue to provide ethical and professional value to our clients and to reinforce the importance of representation in a transaction. Even while rates have leveled a bit, we are still seeing low inventory with high demand and competitive pricing.
As a Realtor and as an industry, we want to continue bringing resources to our clients and continue to make the dream of home ownership a reality. [We are] educating our clients and creating a strong, reliable referral network for them.
PBN: What are your best tips for prospective home sellers in the Rhode Island area for 2025?
ALMEIDA: I recommend speaking to a licensed Realtor who can educate you on the process and let you know what the best course of action would be for you. Every seller is different; every situation is different, so it is crucial to find out what the best options are for you and your family.
People are also worried about having a place to go, how the process is executed, etc., and that is where a Realtor becomes an asset, as we walk you through every stage of the process, to the closing table and beyond. Most hesitation I receive from sellers is due to a lack of information and once we provide that, it makes the decision-making much easier.
PBN: Why is it important that a home seller finds a reputable real estate agent to list their property? How big of a difference can that make?
ALMEIDA: A reputable agent is working by a code of ethics and builds their business off word of mouth and referral – that’s the greatest compliment that we can receive. We are working to achieve all your goals, which are not always monetary, and make the transaction as successful for the seller as possible.
We are embedded in our community and in our industry and are working to that caliber of professionalism. A strong agent to navigate for you can be all the difference in making it a smooth transaction [from] start to finish.
PBN: How has the National Association of Realtors settlement last year over commission rules impacted the way Realtors now do business? Has it changed things for you?
ALMEIDA: I feel like the Rhode Island Association of Realtors in conjunction with our local associations were ahead of the game with how they handled the transitions – new forms and processes were brought on in a timely manner, they provided a lot of education to brokers and Realtors, as well as the public, leading up to the changes and I feel that there are surrounding states looking at how we have led the transition.
Speaking for myself, it has not really changed the way that I do business, as we have always been transparent on negotiable commissions and instead it has made it even more clear to all parties of the transaction and added a few additional items to the checklist.
All in all, I feel that all parties to the transaction should be represented equally and that these changes have made us really look at how we are conducting business and how, if any, ways there are for us to grow and to continue to serve our clients’ best interests through our due diligence.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X @Marc_La_Rock.
