It’s been a busy time here for Team Mar. This month we launched my exciting new marjennings.com website; I appeared on NBC promoting my new book Life on Mar’s: Creating Casual Luxury as well as my appearance and free lecture at Mohegan Sun on September 4th; and formally announced that filming has begun on “Life on Mar’s: The Home Makeover Show.”
And now I have one more big, huge announcement! A logical extension of my Casual Luxury lifestyle brand and my expertise…
I like my MARtini’s shaken, not stirred; I like my home casual, not stuffy; and I do my best work in formalwear. My name, of course, is Mar Jennings, and I have a license to sell” – sell real estate, that is. You read that right: This week’s exciting news is the announcement of my pairing with the Higgins Group Real Estate to form a dynamic team of experts that goes beyond the normal day-to-day transactions.
I’ve always been fascinated with real estate, and matching people with homes that meet their lifestyle needs is something I’ve been doing all my life. I’ve also always been praised for my ability to visualize the potential that homes have – and have been called in to do walk-throughs for many friends and family members for that very reason. I can help them focus on what’s possible. When they’re not distracted by things that are easily tweaked they can re-focus on their dreams. Some of the things I’ve said over the years:
“Imagine this wall is gone – it will open the space exactly as you want it.”
“By adding three evergreens at the back fence you’ll get the privacy you’re looking for.”
“Ignore the carpeting – look at the size of the room.”
“You could replace this deck for less than you think; the posts are in good shape, so the money you save you can spend on outdoor lighting.”
Plus, I’ve staged so many homes to sell that I’ve lost count! So, doing all of this professionally – as part of my Casual Luxury lifestyle expertise – just makes sense to me.
Truth be told, I’ve been working on this behind the scenes since January. The journey of obtaining my real estate license began in the dead of winter, when I attended Real Estate University’s classes in Wilton, CT. I was dedicated, determined and excited to pass all the required classes quickly, so I decided to attend three days a week. I’m all about education and Karena Piedmont, my instructor, brought a world of sunshine to those gloomy winter days by inspiring her classes with fun, entertaining ways to learn the sometimes-dry textbook principles and practices of real estate. (No wonder they’re considered Connecticut’s #1 school for quality real estate education.) I met lots of new classmates and even had my own little MAR fan club there, too.
Nothing was more exciting than when Rick Higgins, President of the Higgins Group Real Estate – family member and business partner to real estate mogul and queen of marketing Barbara Corcoran – asked for a one-on-one meeting with me to discuss what my goals would be once I obtained my Connecticut license. News traveled fast, and although there were other agencies’ requests and promises, ultimately Higgins Group holds my license for one simple reason: Mr. Rick Higgins! Rick was the only person who said to me that “he” would personally be available to be my mentor should I ever need him. He embraced my former banking career, supported my national platform in the lifestyle arena and encouraged me to build a team of talented, creative agents that would also embody my lifestyle approach to offer a concierge experience to buying or selling a home.
All the encouragement and support has been terrific – and useful: Although this week marks the official announcement of my expansion into real estate, I’ve actually already closed on two properties since getting my license, and am gathering listings, too.
So my MARtians, I leave you with this: America’s Top Lifestyle Expert now has a license to sell real estate, and the folks who enlist the services of me and my team will no doubt benefit from my knowledge and experience as “gift with purchase” benefits. It’s your life, your home and now you have your very own lifestyle expert to boot.
