A third-generation Realtor and appraiser from Coventry, Joseph Roch was raised in Rhode Island but pursued his postgraduate education at Trinity College in Dublin. Following seven years abroad studying the visual and performing arts, he returned to Rhode Island and later became an associate broker for Residential Properties Ltd. in Providence, where he’s worked since 2018.
Roch has sat on the board of the West Broadway Neighborhood Association since 2014, co-chairing the organizing committee behind a tour of historic homes in the area.
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PBN: You are keen on historic properties and historic preservation. Why is that and how do you bring that into your work for Residential Properties Ltd.?
ROCH: My dad, who is also a Realtor and an appraiser, is a huge history buff and an old-house enthusiast, and I definitely inherited those traits from him. Growing up in Rhode Island, we often took family trips to tour the big houses in Newport, but we’d also go on little side adventures through the western part of our state, checking out old farmhouses along the way.
It’s been interesting during the past two-plus years. We’ve seen a huge influx of buyers from outside of our state, many of whom have moved from markets where new construction is the norm, have moved to a state that’s built up mostly of older housing stock and have arrived with a lot of preconceived notions about older homes.
I love making a case for the antique home. In terms of historic preservation, I think the challenge and excitement moving forward is to pivot from a model that’s been largely white, older and exclusionary, toward an appreciation of historic homes that’s accessible and egalitarian.
PBN: Do you have any kind of different perspective on the Rhode Island real estate industry after having traveled, studied and spent so much time abroad in Ireland?
ROCH: It’s cliched but true: there’s no place like home. Growing up as a gay kid in the ’80s and ’90s in rural Coventry, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of here and into a big city. I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend art school at New York University.
Studying abroad in Ireland my junior year, I met my now-husband, and I ended up spending seven years in Dublin, which was an excellent hub for travel throughout Europe. Talk about fantastic, old houses! I cherish the years I lived abroad, but time and distance have given me such a deep appreciation for what an incredible place Rhode Island is. I feel lucky to live here.
PBN: What’s your perspective on this current real estate market and how is scarcity impacting the way you do business this year?
ROCH: I think a better question is: Just what the heck is the current real estate market? Since late spring, we’ve definitely pivoted from a market that felt, frankly, wildly out of control, into something that’s starting to regain a sense of normalcy.
It’s long overdue and is 100% needed for the integrity and sustainability of our local real estate market. However, a giant ship doesn’t turn on a dime. The trick now is both helping sellers understand that the frenetic pace we’ve seen in recent years has passed and helping buyers manage sellers’ shifting expectations.
PBN: What has been one of the real estate deals that you’ve been involved with that you are most proud of and why? Can you tell us a story of one of the properties you worked with?
ROCH: Not to sound 100% hokey, but I’m proud every time I help a residential buyer- or seller-client. Regardless of how easy a transaction is, or may appear to be, no deal is without some element of emotion. Every deal requires education, assistance and troubleshooting.
My mom is a nurse, and so I’d never pretend that what I do for a living saves lives. But I do get genuine satisfaction in helping consumers navigate one of the most fraught, emotional and expensive decisions that they’ll ever make.
PBN: What are people looking for most when they’re buying homes in the Providence area as of late, whether it be affordability, quality of home, certain features or location? What are some of the biggest demands from your clients this year?
ROCH: By far the biggest demand from buyer-clients this year, and for the past several years, is reassurance that they’re not overpaying for a home, which is totally valid given the market we’ve lived through.
I like to be very transparent about my approach with buyer-clients from the jump and let consumers know that my style doesn’t involve telling people exactly what they should offer on a house because there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. I work pretty holistically with buyers, which involves a lot of discussion about their motivations, wants and needs.
I really believe that if you lay a solid foundation of trust, paired with a good education about what a particular market is doing at any given point in time, buyers quickly learn to trust their instincts and feel empowered to make smart, confident decisions for themselves.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.
