Mother-Daughter Team Brings Family Values and Thanksgiving Spirit to New York City Real Estate

Sponsored By Compass

Distinguished mother-daughter duo Lisa and Christina Lonuzzi are real estate professionals with an unparalleled love of their hometown borough.

Created By Brownstoner

Real estate is all about relationships, and a home is where relationships are nurtured. It’s the meaning of Thanksgiving — and the heart of the mother-daughter team of Lisa and Christina Lonuzzi’s business.

“We are not looking to make a quick sale,” said Lisa Lonuzzi. “The basic theme to our business model — and also for life practices — is that we break down the barriers and make people feel comfortable and welcome.”

It’s a trait that’s well suited to relieve anxiety for buyers — or sellers. “When dealing with an investment property where there are tenants in place, it can be a delicate situation,” said Lisa. “We treat the tenants as owners; we’re honest and courteous and give them timelines. We’ve even helped in relocating them.”

But how does one properly “build relationships”?

For starters, it requires providing guidance. Buyers who are unfamiliar with certain markets rely on agents for guidance. “We are always honest and let our clients know how we really feel,” said Lisa.

For example, recently their client made an offer on a house — without the Lonuzzis viewing the property. “The agent for the seller said we need to come up 5 percent,” said Lisa. “I said, ‘don’t do anything until I see the property.’ I immediately made an appointment to see it, walked in and called my buyer and told him to stick to the original offer — not a penny more. The house needed too much work.” The client replied ‘Lisa, I appreciate you and would allow you to blindly lead me to any property you see fit.’”

Building relationships also requires an open mind. The Lonuzzis love culture and see it as a gateway to friendship. “We love foods and rituals of other countries,” said Lisa. “We are fortunate to meet a lot of people and learn of their background.”

The most important factor in building relationships is patience. The Lonuzzis have worked with clients for years to try to find the right opportunity, applying their standard of seamless execution no matter how long the process may take. “We never give up,” said Lisa.

As an example, a few years ago, after helping a family sell a building after the owner died, the super who lived in the building was unable to find an apartment. “We needed to get David approved for Section 8,” said Lisa. “David was a man in his late 50s, had only a third-grade education, and was without a roof over his head. We found a landlord to take his voucher and got the landlord, the building and the unit approved. This process took over 12 months. Nothing more gratifying than this. David is now secure and not living out of his car.”

Lisa said that as a young girl she grew up in a family where her dad had a store in a low-income neighborhood, where people often came in and asked for a free soda or who couldn’t afford the bill when they got to the register. “I saw my dad’s generosity go a long way,” said Lisa. “He built a business based on giving. These people never forgot him, and years later after he passed away they came back to tell me stories about him. I took on this acquired trait and feel good about giving to people who need it.”

She also passed on this trait in her children. “My mom instilled the importance of work ethic at a very young age,” said Christina, who worked from the age of 13 in small local businesses. “I always took my work seriously and still do.”

Mom also conveyed the importance of community, whether in service to the church, the soup kitchen or local charity groups.

“It is not uncommon for us to have a new face at the dinner table in our family, especially around the holidays,” said Christina. Last week, the team sat with an elderly seller who was undergoing medical treatments and mentioned he couldn’t fly to be with his family.

“He will be joining us this year for Thanksgiving dinner,” said Christina. “It is about family, food and gratitude, all of which live in the heart of our work every day.”

For more information, visit the Lonuzzi Team’s website.

[Photos by Biz Jones except where noted]