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Name: Deborah M. Gordon
Title: Premier Associate
Age: Over 60
Experience: 30-plus years
Deborah M. Gordon is a lifelong Newton resident who works almost exclusively in that city and in Brookline, representing sellers in the luxury end of the market. Gordon declined to disclose her precise age, but did reveal that she began her real estate career in the “pre-fax era.” She recently formed a team with her daughter Abby Gordon and family friend Kami Gray. Two things you probably didn’t know about Deborah: She really wanted to go to Woodstock, but didn’t, and before she got into real estate, she owned an underwear company.
Q: How did you go from owning an underwear company to real estate?
A: I didn’t have another profession to fall back on when my underwear company failed, and someone suggested I’d be a good Realtor. So I became a Realtor and it has worked out really well. I started with a woman named Lynne Madoff. She was my mentor and she was a fabulous teacher. She owned two offices, one in Newton and one in Brookline. I worked with her for a couple of years and I went to Hunneman, which became Coldwell Banker, where I still am. It’s been the best decision I ever made because of the backbone of this company; the support and the network is incredible.
Q: People often lump Brookline and Newton together. How are they different?
A: The typical buyer is a younger couple coming from someplace like Back Bay, Beacon Hill or Charlestown. They want good public schools or they want to be closer to the private schools they’ve chosen. Or they might have just found out they’re having their third boy and they can’t possibly live in the townhouse in Charlestown any more. A lot of people’s first choice is Brookline, for the urban feel. It’s the only urban center in the United States that has such a strong school system. People do take the T and they like the walkability. That’s why Coolidge Corner is in such high demand.
People who can’t afford Coolidge Corner can go to Newton because it has a couple of urban centers like Newton Highlands and Newton Center, and the T runs through those centers. The fact that you can walk for a coffee or a martini or a kids’ book store is very attractive to them. Newton is more affordable. The average sale price of a single-family home in Brookline just topped $2 million. In Newton, it’s around $850,000 or $900,000.
Both towns have extremely fabulous school systems. People call us from around the world and they already know what elementary school they want to be in. Every neighborhood has a following. I’m told that in Korean, there is a word for the Baker School. I recently had a couple coming here from Chicago and they only wanted to see homes near the Mason-Rice school in Newton or Devotion in Brookline. They wouldn’t compromise on that.
Q: Has technology made the business harder or easier?
A: When I started, we had an MLS book, like a telephone book, that came out every week. And we were just starting to have a computer. In those days, you worked until 10, 11, 12 at night because there were no fax machines and no email. I still remember sending my first fax from my sister’s house. It was like a miracle. We couldn’t believe it. I still remember getting pink memo slips on my desk when I’d miss a phone call. I miss those. I fought to keep them when our office went to voicemail. You had to travel with your offers late at night sometimes. You had to go and get the signature. You couldn’t do it online. That was the hardest part of the job. You’d start in the morning and you finish at midnight. The fact that you can sign documents electronically now is much easier. Now I have a buyer in Israel looking to buy in this area.
Q: Do you have more control over your work life now?
A: No. There is no control over your schedule in a Realtor’s life. Anyone who tells you different is not doing enough business. You make a wonderful plan for a vacation and that’s when a big transaction happens. So, you spend half of a day on the phone from Aruba or wherever you are. Some people do dismiss their business when they leave, but I don’t think those are the most successful or devoted brokers. People who hire you want you to be in the transaction. I have a great team, but I don’t travel that much. I’m trying to get one weekend day off now.
Q: Do your higher-end clients expect more of you?
A: People are all complicated. You’re selling the most precious thing in their life, usually. And you’re selling it to somebody who is buying the most precious thing in their life. There are a lot of emotions and complications that aren’t part of the business, but they are part of the transaction and part of life. It’s a slice of their life. To a seller, the house represents their success, their children, and leaving that, they pick on little issues because they can’t pick on the big issue. For example, they get insulted because someone offers to buy their $15,000 couch for $100. The put their anxiety into small issues like closet systems. But that’s what real estate is, you have to get through the little foibles because the bigger picture is the transaction.
Q: Is that something you think consumers don’t get about your job?
A: No one gets my job, unless they do it.
Q: What is your market like right now?
A: The marketplace wants new construction or remodeled houses. Most of the teardowns are about $1 million. In Brookline, it could be $2 million. People want as many square feet as they can get. I represent some very talented builders. We’ve refused to represent other builders. We like to be proud of what we represent. We have several multimillion-dollar sales pending. The market is still strong. There’s a lot of inventory in the $3 million-plus market. The market in Newton and west of there is crowded with inventory. I think there needs to be a price adjustment in that market. Buyers in that price range are doing other things and not looking to move. I’m not seeing a lot of relo buyers out there this summer. Now with the new sports practice centers, we’re getting all the Bruins and all the Celtics coming to Newton and Brookline. People really want to live in or near the city.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: I go to Gloucester or Martha’s Vineyard. I read, do Pilates and I take care of my 8-year-old granddaughter. I have a hard time not working.
Five Things Gordon Loves:
- A good book
- The beach
- Friends and family
- Work
- A great deal!
