Kimberly Marion sold more than $22 million in real estate in 2022 and nearly $100 million over the past five years, helping to put her in the top 1.49% of licensed Realtors nationwide, her firm said. She joined Engel & Volkers about six months ago as a global adviser based at the firm’s Barrington office. She was previously a licensed Realtor at Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty for the prior six years. Before that, she was the director of marketing, communications and public relations for Coastal Medical for nearly six years.
In late April this year, Marion represented the buyer in the sale of a 3.9-acre waterfront parcel in Bristol that sold for $1.6 million, the largest land sale in Bristol this year and the second-highest-priced land to sell in the town during the last five years.
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PBN: You’ve had a lot of experience in both real estate and marketing. How have you been able to blend these two skill sets throughout your career here in Rhode Island?
MARION: My background in communication and consumer engagement has been instrumental in my quick success as a Realtor. I understand what it means to be of service, and I really believe that’s the No. 1 thing clients want. They want to know you will listen and understand their individual needs.
If I’m meeting someone for the first time, I’m not selling them on my brokerage or me. I’m asking them questions so I can find out if I’m the right person to help them meet their goals. If I’m the one doing all the talking, something has gone very wrong. When a client looks over the Engel & Volkers marketing materials, our status as a luxury brand is obvious; they don’t need me to sell them on the brokerage. They want honest facts about the market, their home’s value, how they can maximize their profits, or how they can purchase a home with the best terms.
PBN: You joined Engel & Volkers late last year. What’s your experience been like working for the company over these past six months as it expands its reach in Rhode Island?
MARION: I am having a great experience with this global, luxury brand! That distinction “global and luxury” is important to many of my clients because it means I can connect them with an agent I know and trust almost anywhere in the world. As a brand, Engel & Volkers is known to be very collaborative, and the Rhode Island team has been amazing in that way. There is always conversation and shared ideas among the advisers. Often, it’s very specific information about how one of us was able to help make a deal come together. That is rare when you work in a competitive field like real estate.
PBN: Your firm has applauded you for your ability to understand how to seek out and emphasize the special nuances of each property and use them to attract the right buyers to a home. Can you tell us a few tricks of the trade? What tips can you share with us along the lines of highlighting the nuance of a property to attract the right buyers?
MARION: Stories sell everything. When I meet clients, we talk about the house and the life that was lived there. I ask a lot of questions because it’s not just a three-bed, three-bath house with a pool. Someone lived a life in this house, maybe they raised kids, maybe someone has passed away; I am interested in the story of the home. That is the key to getting a property ready for the market. You might think that’s not important in this very active market, but it still matters because it helps sellers get top dollar. The photos are No. 1, the right list price is next, and then the story brings it all together. I take the time to find the home’s story and shape it into a plan that we use to attract the perfect buyer.
PBN: What’s your sense about the strength of the Rhode Island real estate market right now, in terms of supply and demand? How do you see this year of home sales playing out?
MARION: The market in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts is still extremely vibrant. My sense is that interest rates are going to stabilize, and people are going to feel a little less fear about putting their home on the market – that would be wonderful!
Right now, the home shortage is hurting buyers, especially young families trying to purchase for the first time. While I’m happy to be so busy, I feel the pain as I submit five or six offers for buyers who are not willing to forgo a home inspection or offer cash if the home doesn’t appraise at their purchase price. I do think this will continue to be a very busy year.
PBN: What’s been one of your favorite transactions from throughout your real estate career and why?
MARION: I have so many favorites. I’d have to say it was a 110-acre horse farm with a vintage house that I sold in North Smithfield. Another agent had it on the market for $849,000 for over a year and it wouldn’t sell. The clients were referred to me because I specialize in horse property. I looked the whole farm over and thought their best move would be to subdivide and sell the house and barn with 10 acres, and the rest of the land separately. It was not a favored idea with the family, but after explaining my reasoning (more than once), we got to work dividing up the property.
Ultimately, we sold the house and the land individually – it still took a few months – and we earned the family over $1 million. It was a bold move, but it was the right move. I think this is my favorite sale because I asked a lot of them and they genuinely trusted me. We are wonderful friends to this day.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.
