AutoFort Myers agent builds firm with ‘No Nonsense’ approach
Don Ruane, Special to The News-PressPublished 12:12 a.m. ET Nov. 29, 2015
He doesn’t want the overhead, but more importantly he wants potential clients to reach a licensed real estate agent when they call. The agent can help them right away, whereas a receptionist can’t and the client might have to wait for a call back. The money saved can be plowed back into the business, he said.
That’s part of Cioffi’s no nonsense approach.
He says he’s changing the way real estate is practiced with this approach.
No Nonsense also believes in educating the client.
“Don’t you want to understand everything up front before you dive in?” Cioffi said.
That means understanding what it takes to sell a house and knowing what you can afford vs. buying what suits your needs. Just because you can afford a more expensive house doesn’t mean you have to tie up your financial resources in a big mortgage when a less expensive house will meet the client’s needs.
“I read about him online first. When I read about his business model I was intrigued,” said Linda Dahlstrom, who has bought and sold a house with Cioffi’s assistance. “I’m a no frills kind of person, she said.
Cioffi met her expectations and provided a better experience than she’s had with other real estate agents, she said.
“He would not even show you properties until you were qualified, so you weren’t out there looking at properties you couldn’t afford,” Dahlstrom said.
He doesn’t show homes until he has a chance to help buyers understand their situation, he said.
“Every single buyer is not going to see a home until they know what they qualify for. We don’t want people to be disappointed,” Cioffi said.
Sellers also get a frank assessment of their property from No Nonsense from the first visit to the property.
“We see it as a buyer to spot everything we would use against you,” Cioffi said. It could be outdated and hard to replace damaged tile, or a bad paint job that needs to be replaced, he said. “We prepare the seller up front,” Cioffi said.
“It’s putting accountability back on the buyers and sellers,” Cioffi said.
Cioffi doesn’t believe in overpricing a house in order to satisfy a client’s greed or to get a bigger commission. He said he won’t overprice a listing.
He wants to sell houses with good prices that attract buyers. A good sales record allows him to tell investors ‘here’s what I’ve done’. He asks clients to write a brief report or testimonial about the service they received, which he then uses to attract new clients and investors.
“I want to build some things that are making a difference,” Cioffi said. “Our concept is reinventing the approach to the real estate business.”
Cioffi looked to investors when he started out on his own and built up his reputation. He specialized in short sales. With help from Australians wanting to get in on the battered housing market, he was able to find homes at a low price, rehabilitate them and sell them for a good price. That helped him grow his business and keep investors interested.
Cioffi hopes to expand his business model by reaching agreements with other agents to use his plan. He’s got the playbook, but he’s still trying to figure out how to assure No Nonsence service when agents elsewhere cut a deal with him.
When clients come to Southwest Florida, he doesn’t want them to think poorly of No Nonsense Real Estate because they’ve had a bad experience with an agent back where they came from.
“The biggest challenge is to hire people who understand this is how we do business,” Cioffi said. “It’s trying to establish quality controls that allow me to ensure the No Nonsense way is being carried out.”
No Nonsense Real Estate
Location: Fort Myers
Phone: 239-410-5099
Email: info@nononsensere.com
Web: nononsensere.com