Lillian Montalto - Top Agent Magazine

Lillian
Montalto
Lillian Montalto
Lillian Montalto, owner of Lillian
Montalto Signature Properties in
Andover, MA has the unflappable
demeanor that can only be the
earmark of a seasoned REALTOR®
whose standing in the real estate
industry speaks for itself. Since
2000, REALTOR® Magazine has
ranked Lillian in the Top 5 out of
more than 1,000,000 REALTORS®
for sales volume. In fact, she is the
only REALTOR® in the state of
Massachusetts to ever achieve
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consistent membership in the prestigious Top 100.
But what’s most interesting about
Lillian is the fact that she refuses to
ride the coattails of her previous
successes. “I start every day from
zero,” she says. “I pretend like I
have no business every day when I
wake up.” This helps Lillian to
remain disciplined, which she says
is the key to success for all
REALTORS®.
Signature Properties
“Technology is great, but I leave
nothing to chance. It is still about
focusing on the basics. I’m very
appointment driven. I’m generally
in the office by 6:30 am, unless I’m
meeting a builder on site. I prospect
for several hours each day. It is still
about picking up the phone, handing
out business cards and letting people
know that you are in business,” she
explains.
“There are four things that will earn
you a commission in real estate:
listing, selling, negotiating and
prospecting. Everything else needs
to be delegated to others. As an
agent, you only have your time,
your negotiating skills and your
knowledge to offer clients. When
I’m coaching younger agents I
always encourage them to use their
time wisely, and only on those
dollar-productive activities. Your
time can never be replaced. You
should strive to eventually hire an
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I’m trying to give back to the young people,
Assistant, or at the very least, share
an Assistant, in order to delegate all
of the non-dollar productive activities,” she continues.
Of course, in order to even begin to
earn the respect and business of
clients, an agent must be educated,
and as such, Lillian has dedicated
her career to remaining at the top of
her game. “When I started in real
estate in the mid 1980’s, there
weren’t a lot of educational opportunities, but there certainly are now,
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and agents should take advantage of
all of them,” she says.
For her part, Lillian has earned
countless residential designations
through the National Association of
REALTORS®, in addition to earning
her CCIM designation, which is
essentially a Master’s Degree in
Commercial Real Estate. “This allows
me to speak with clients about not
just residential real estate, but to
have a thorough understanding of
commercial real estate as well.”
all of the lessons I’ve learned over my career.”
Though Lillian Montalto Signature
Properties is perhaps best known for its
luxury home specialization, Lillian’s
team of agents and administrative staff
provides comprehensive real estate
services, including an REO/Short Sale
division that was created during the
recession. Moreover, they operate out
of a beautiful office that is frankly
more reminiscent of an art gallery
than a real estate office. “Our space
has a positive effect on the psyche of
our clients when they walk in the
door,” Lillian says.
As far as creating a positive impact on
her own psyche, Lillian finds charity
work, and giving back to others to be
incredibly rewarding. “I’m a breast
cancer survivor, so I give a great deal
of support to breast cancer charities,”
she says. She’s also passionate about
supporting Alzheimer’s research, and
most recently devoted countless hours
to fundraising for a charity launched
by a member of the Northeast Builders & Remodelers Association of
Massachusetts. “I’ve been on the
Board of the Northeast Builders
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Association for years. One of our
members lost his daughter in the
awful earthquake in Haiti. Her dream
was to build an orphanage in Haiti,
and her family has followed through
with her wish. It is a tragic story, but it
has been a privilege to help raise
money to build this orphanage in her
memory,” Lillian says.
As far as the future is concerned,
Lillian intends to continue to follow
her disciplined business plan, while
concurrently investing in the next
generation of REALTORS®. “I often
hire younger agents from outside
industries, so that I can train them on
these basics. I can save them from
making the mistakes I made earlier
on. I’m trying to give back to the
young people, all of the lessons I’ve
learned over my career.”
For more information about Lillian visit www.andoverhomes.com
call 978-815-6300, or email lillian @andoverhomes.com
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