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Not many real estate agents can claim to have sold their first house while still a teenager, but Amy Smith Sroka can. I always liked houses and design, Amy says, but I really loved making money so I got a job working in a real estate office. Dan Bixler, a legend in Westchester real estate, hired her as an intern while she was still in high school and encouraged her to study for her license. She was 19 when she passed the exam and soon sold her first house. Its not easy for a 19 year-old to sell a half-million dollar house, she says.
Amy worked at the real estate office through her college years at Pace. Even during her career in medical malpractice insurance, she came back to the real estate on weekends. I finally went full-time when I was 29, she says. Today she works Renwick Sothebys International in Bedford, N.Y.
Because I started so young I realized early on how important it was to have a partner, says Amy. Without one, Amy says, its impossible to be successful and have a life. She and her business partner, Joanna Rizoulis, share everything clients, listings, open houses. My children are older so Im working a lot right now, she says, but it all balances out in the end. And both Amy and Joanna have time to socialize and enjoy their families.
Amy and her family live in an antique in Armonk. We love old houses, she says, adding that the family home was dates back to 1720. She used to buy houses to fix up and sell when the housing market was strong. Times have changed, but Amy has seen a recent uptick in construction in Westchester. Builders are starting to come out, she says. Real estate activity has picked up as buyers gain confidence. She notes that those who can afford to buy arent interested in renovation. They want turnkey properties, houses that are in perfect move-in condition. Prices are so low right now, Amy says, and theres so much inventory to show. Sounds like a good time to go house shopping.
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