The Compass team of Yvonne Nelson, Elizabeth Pittman, Kim Arenas, and Margaret Anne Tilford
Team Player Kim Arenas
By Robin Jovanovich
For a decade, Kim Arenas worked as an agent at Houlihan Lawrence, where she was happily situated, but when Compass, the third largest real estate company in the country, asked her to open a Rye office and told her she could bring her team, she made the move.
“I am a believer in the team approach, because it is the best way to serve clients,” said Arenas, sitting in her new but temporary offices at Serendipity Labs on Theodore Fremd Avenue. “Buyers want quick and easy deals and we offer a number of services, from staging to our Concierge program, whereby the agency pays the costs of staging, painting, small renovations and the amount is paid back at the closing.”
Arenas, who has a marketing background, is also a firm believer in Compass. “They have a strong marketing platform, and, from the start, they recognized the importance of merging technology with real estate.”
For the North Carolina native, navigating over to Compass opened up a whole new world — the Hamptons, New York City. Arenas just returned from San Diego, where she traveled for a coaching conference. “We’re in 122 markets across the country and have over 8,000 agents.”
In the past few weeks, the Arenas team has been readying their new listings for their close-ups. They make good use of the conference rooms at Serendipity, where they are able to lay out design plans and game plans. Kim is a little conflicted on moving offices when the right spot is available, because there is ample on-site parking and she gets to wave (“like in high school”) or sometimes even grab a coffee with her husband, whose office is in the rear of the building.
For Arenas and team, residential real estate is not just about transactions. Close to 90 percent of their clients are personal referrals. “We’ve got a sphere of influence,” she said with pride.
What are young buyers looking for in 2019? Homes within walking distance of town and train, she replied. “And based on the Larchmont market, which starts earlier than Rye, Harrison, and Purchase, it’s going to be a great spring, once spring truly arrives.”
