Jean Pamela Endres-Fein, known as “J.P.,” has a self-deprecating sense of humor that must go a long way in charming clients.
Asked why she thought the New York State Association of Realtors Inc. recently selected her “Realtor of the Year,” she says, laughing: “Oh, gosh, if they knew me better, they might not have.”
But the association must”™ve known that this is a woman with real estate in her DNA. Her parents bought and sold homes all over Scarsdale. (Her father was with the Reynolds Aluminum Co. Her mother was in antiques and furniture rentals.)
The only girl in a family of much older boys, Endres-Fein got her real-estate license at age 18, working her way through Hofstra University. She was only 24 when she took over the David Endres Realty Group in Scarsdale from her late brother in 1992. (Sixteen years later, she merged the firm with Kevin O”™Shea”™s American Classic Homes to form Homes of Westchester.)
“It was an interesting few years,” she deadpans. But it gave her the managerial skills necessary for her career. A member of the Westchester Putnam Association ”“ formerly the Westchester County Board of Realtors Inc. ”“ Endres-Fein has just been appointed director of agent development for Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty in White Plains. On the day before she began her new job, she took time to talk with us about her accomplishments, the future of the still-fragile housing market and why her home is her sanctuary:
Congratulations on being named “Realtor of the Year.” Why do you think the New York State Association of Realtors selected you?
“I love the industry. That”™s the thing that always comes through, whatever you do. And I”™m always willing to pitch in. You do the right thing and those (rewards) come to you.”
The housing market has been through a terrible time, what with foreclosures and a decline in home values and now a possible moratorium on foreclosures, which seems to be exchanging one group of homeless for another. How do you see the market in the near future? And long term?
“In Westchester, we”™re very fortunate: They”™re not as many foreclosures in comparison to the national average”¦. Housing markets are always cyclical. I got in in 1989. It was a terrible moment. But I didn”™t know any better”¦. (Today) inventory and prices have stabilized. More people are getting mortgages. There”™s more consumer confidence. I feel confident in saying we”™ve been through the worst of it.”
How are you and your colleagues adapting to this challenge?
“You”™ve got to go back to basics. I say this to my agents all the time. No matter what market you”™re in, there will be people who are getting married; passing away, unfortunately; or who just want to move. You have to provide them with good service. With good service comes opportunity.”
The “Realtor of the Year” is not just a business award. It also honors an individual with high ethical standards and a sense of civic-mindedness. You”™re very involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as well as The Lord”™s Pantry (serving the HIV/AIDS community), both in White Plains. Why these nonprofits?
“My brother David and my father both died of cancer. It makes me feel good doing something in their memory and for the future of others.”
You and your husband, Andrew Fein, live in White Plains. What”™s your own home like, and is it your dream house?
“I don”™t think I have a dream house (laughs). My home is very special to us. It”™s a ranch style on a picturesque lot. It”™s a place where we can have our solitude. I found it when I was showing properties and fell in love with the place, even though I don”™t like ranches. It just goes to show you: Keep your mind open.”
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Editor”™s Note: Women are a powerful economic force in Westchester. As company owners, entrepreneurs, CEOs, lawyers and other professionals, women are an integral part of the fabric of the county”™s business sector.
Two years ago, the Business Journal published WOW ”“ Working Women of Westchester, a special section featuring 100 of these fascinating females. We received such tremendous feedback and knew we were onto something. So we started planning WOW 2. But then we thought, “Why do this just once a year?” Westchester has no shortage of talented and resourceful women.
So this week begins our WOW of the Week, where we feature Jean Pamela Endres-Fein.
We”™d like to hear from you. Who “wows” you in Westchester? Email your recommendations to Georgette Gouveia at ggouveia@westfairinc.com. And go to our website, westfaironline.com, and let us know what you think about these Working Women of Westchester.
”“ Caryn McBride
