Long-time Valparaiso resident, and Team Leader of the Jeanne Sommer Team at Century 21 Alliance Group, Pam Kandalec will be celebrating 10 years with the company in August. After starting her career in banking, Kandalec made the switch to real estate in 2007 and has never looked back.
Kandalec spent around 10 years in the banking industry. During that time, she filled many positions, including working in the realm of mortgage loans. Her knowledge in that sector translated well when she moved over to real estate.
“I had many different positions during the time that I was working in banking,” Kandalec said. “I started off working as an executive secretary to the president. From there, I worked in the mortgage department, processing mortgage loans, and I then managed the closing department.”
Before Kandalec left the industry, a former colleague of hers had started a mortgage company, and once they were established he approached Kandalec about coming to work as a loan underwriter.
“I then did mortgage loan underwriting there for around eight years,” said Kandalec. “I had worked processing mortgage loans before, and the position translated really well to what I had already been doing.”
“I left there, and my sister knew Jeanne (Sommer) who had been looking for someone to join her team. That was all she wrote!” Kandalec said when speaking about joining the team at Century 21 in 2007. “Because I had been in the mortgage industry on different levels, it was probably an easier transition. It still took some learning, but I came in knowing the processes which really helped.”
Kandalec now holds the Team Leader position on The Jeanne Sommer Team, which means she serves as Jeanne’s right hand. She handles every aspect of listing and marketing a client’s property - positioning it in the marketplace to get the fastest possible sale for the highest possible price. With the goal of making their clients’ buying or selling experience a positive one, Kandalec maintains constant contact with all team members to ensure all transactions run smoothly.
“Learning from Jeanne, who is a high-producing agent, I feel like I’ve seen more than some agents who have been out there for many years,” described Kandalec. “Just because of her volume, I see so much through taking care of the paperwork side of things. In my position, I’m in-office making sure everything is intact for our team.”
“I’ve never shown homes, and I don’t go out and list them. But, the satisfaction comes from someone being happy at the closing table when people are grateful for making the process smooth for them. It’s like second nature to us, but you’ve got to keep in mind that most people don’t see it every day. You’ve just got to walk them through the process and make it as enjoyable an experience as you can because it’s really a big decision.”
Kandalec gets the most satisfaction from the job in just being a member of a great team. “It really works because you’re going to get someone, for each specific transaction, that focuses on their position and their role with the team. We each have our function, we know it well, and it just works.”
Kandalec moved from Lake County in 1995, and she spoke about the city she and her family call home in saying, “We love Valpo. It’s amazing how our little town has grown. We travel a lot, and you really can’t find anything out there like it. The parks, the downtown, and everything that’s been done has just been awesome, and we just love it.”
To find out more about the team at Century 21 Alliance Group, visit: http://www.21alliance.com/