Two New Agents, One Incredible Team
Last summer Hoffman Real Estate welcomed two agents to our team. We’re embarrassed to admit that we were so busy helping our clients during peak season that we forgot to blog about them. We posted their bios on social media but that was not enough fanfare for these two standouts. Today’s the day that we right this wrong and sing their praises.
Mary Beth French
Mary Beth French got her real estate license on June 28, 2024. She described herself as a “slow burn” – meaning she wanted to get everything set up and fully functioning instead of quickly diving into deals. For example, she completed all her 90-day post-licensure continuing education courses, shadowed Jenifer to learn the ropes, organized a home office, etc. This was absolutely the right approach for Mary Beth, who has proven to be a big asset for the firm.
Her mom was an interior designer, so Mary Beth is naturally talented at home staging. She has worked with Jenifer on several new listings, making them ready for photos and homebuyers to tour. She’s an entrepreneur at heart, excels at networking, and has been hosting Open Houses, getting comfortable introducing herself and starting conversations to see how she might be able to help someone.
Jenifer & Mary Beth visit The Tutorial Center in downtown Bennington, VT.
Mary Beth has closed two deals completely on her own, both times representing the buyers. The first was a large land purchase. Before they found “the one” Mary Beth and her clients explored many places on the coldest days this past winter, trudging through snow, hiking through forests, climbing over river banks, etc. Her willingness to do whatever they needed – including pursuing a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) that never responded to their offer ☹️ – built a strong relationship with kind and loyal clients. The second was a substantial commercial property in Manchester. It was a unique listing with 3 detached buildings being sold as a block by the town, which required extra hoops and hurdles, such as public meetings. That deal closed yesterday and was our brokerage’s highest priced sale ever… putting Mary Beth on the map!
She currently has one more buyer client under contract: a couple that wants to relocate from North Carolina to their forever home here in Vermont. In all of these situations, Mary Beth has risen to the challenge, learned valuable lessons and made pivotal connections. We’re so excited for her real estate career to keep unfolding!
But the story we really want to share is how Mary Beth and Jenifer met. Jenifer showed a listing in Sunderland to her as a prospective homebuyer. Mary Beth brought such a positive, open-minded, calm energy… they instantly clicked. She didn’t buy that house but stayed in touch, and several months later when her nephew was looking to buy his first home, Mary Beth knew who to call. Jenifer showed them two places that day, including one that wasn’t even on the market yet… but her intuition knew it would be the perfect fit. Fast forward to later that year, Mary Beth decided to begin her career in real estate. She knew she wanted to learn from the best and asked if Hoffman Real Estate would bring her aboard? It was an immediate “yes” with no interview needed… Jenifer already knew Mary Beth would be a fantastic Realtor and was thrilled to welcome her to the team.
Matt Waddington
Matt Waddington has been a licensed real estate agent since 2007 in Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, in his hometown of Falmouth. Matt and his family relocated to Vermont in winter 2023 for his wife’s new job. Matt was regularly making the trek back and forth to keep serving his clients… The commute was rough! When a couple of Vermont friends wanted to hire him to sell their home he felt the push to get his Vermont license.
After researching realty companies in the area, he emailed Jenifer a friendly introduction and explained his interest in joining a boutique brokerage. She looked into Vermont law and discovered that with his active license in a neighboring state and all his experience it would be quick and easy to get reciprocity. Matt became a Vermont Realtor on July 24, 2024, and joined the South Central Vermont Board of Realtors. He dove right in and started working independently, picking up the nuances and differences along the way while building his network. He listed several homes for sale last Fall, all of them selling relatively quickly with happy clients. Matt is great with people and knows how to get the job done… We were thrilled that such a highly skilled agent joined our team and hit the ground running.
Team Clear 2 Close at Trivia Night Live at Bennington Theater
On the Cape, Matt worked with a lot of investors over the years, providing expert advice on renovations to maximize profitability and quick resale for flips. He is equally comfortable in a fixer upper or a brand new beautiful home. He sees the potential in both and connects with buyers regardless of price point. Matt is assertive, accommodating, and goes above and beyond for his clients. Not to mention that he’s funny and a great writer!
Since Matt and his wife, Abby, were still new to the area and needed to meet more people, Jenifer invited them to the Bennington Theater for Trivia Night Live last October. She had put together a diverse team who wouldn't be scared by the Halloween theme. With five Realtors and one surgical technologist, they picked the name “Clear 2 Close” and won that night… and have been on a hot streak, placing in the Top 3 out of 16+ teams every month this winter. Can they close the gap to win this 5 month tournament? Stay tuned! Team “Shenanigans” is giving them a run for their money, but this group has formed strong bonds while having fun and showing the community that Realtors can be wicked smaht.
We’re the Lucky Ones
There is so much more good to say about both Matt and Mary Beth, but don’t just take our word for it… reach out and get to know them for yourself. They have very different personalities but share the same values of honesty, integrity, kindness, fairness, and a strong work ethic. We are blessed to have them on the team at Hoffman Real Estate.
