Nicole Maine, a sales associate with Lila Delman Real Estate, recently represented the seller and facilitated for the buyer on a large transaction in Narragansett. The newly built home at 81 Calef Ave. sold for $1.5 million. So far this year, Maine is one of Narragansett’s top sales associates, according to Lila Delman.
PBN: What is your background in real estate?
MAINE: I’m in my fourth year of sales. I’ve had my license for six years. I was actually recruited by the late Melanie Delman, the [former] president of our company. She thought I would be great at it. She brought me aboard and I assisted her for two to three years. I learned from her and kind of torpedoed from there.
PBN: What is it about Narragansett that’s so appealing to buyers?
MAINE: It’s still a great value. When you think of the destination areas that surround us – Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, the Cape and Long Island – you cannot get properties with ocean views or oceanfronts for the price you can in Narragansett. That, and Narragansett still offers a great tax rate.
PBN: What about new construction? Is that readily available in Narragansett?
MAINE: There is definitely less inventory of new construction. And today’s buyer is looking for things that are turnkey. They like the idea of first ownership. Not having to redo someone else’s property. They want something that is turnkey and already done.
PBN: Are buyers of luxury properties year-round residents of the town, or are they looking for a vacation home only?
MAINE: It’s a mixture of both. I’m getting a lot of people who buy now, to retire later. They’ll move in full time, or they’ll have a house here and one in Florida. And then you have your New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut market people who are using it as a second home, a third home. We get a lot of people, especially New Yorkers. You will spend just as much time … in traffic to get to the Hamptons as you would to take a quick drive and get to Narragansett.
PBN: What has changed in the real estate market in the past year?
MAINE: We’ll see another uptick in the market as we continue to move into the better weather. And the Narragansett market is about ready to kick off. Once people come down and put their boats back in, and start to think about summer, we see an uptick in activity in the area.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
