Recently Lokvani had a chance to talk to Lotika Paintal. Here is her story!

Please tell us your Background?

I love my job as a realtor! However, my path to becoming a real estate agent has been a convoluted one.

I left India at 19, with a Bachelor of Science from Miranda House, Delhi University, to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Three years later, I had a post-graduate degree in Molecular Biology and spoke fluent French.

Next came marriage and children in quick succession. My husband was on the International staff of Schlumberger, which resulted in many years of travel. Another two years in India, where I taught beginner French at the Alliance Française, and gave birth to our son. Followed by three years in Norway - where our daughter was born - and two in Denmark.

Moving internationally every couple of years, with kids in tow was wonderful but hard. Boston beckoned for further education and opportunities. Three years later, after some major juggling of children and coursework, I earned two Master’s Degrees. One in Education from Harvard University - with a focus on conflict resolution and International Development, the other in Intercultural Relations from Lesley.

Living, working and studying in different countries, after my formative years in India, helped me to gain perspective. I saw there were many ways to address social concerns. Most importantly I realized that the first step in changing the status quo is not accepting the way things have always been. Armed with this newfound understanding, I started work on poverty alleviation in the developing world.

I spent the next eighteen years devoted to International Development. Trying in my own small way to level the playing field. I started as a research associate at Education Development Center, moved on to Deputy Director for Oxfam America’s International Programs, and then a Senior Associate at World Education before ending up on a small Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) team at the William J Clinton Foundation, tasked with understanding the global water crisis. Many years of intense travel and work in countries in Africa and Asia helped hone my skills in intercultural understanding and poverty alleviation strategies. In 2008, I decided to focus my efforts exclusively on WASH in schools and started a strategic nonprofit Water Centric to better understand these issues from the grassroots.

More recently, a work opportunity for my husband moved us to Toronto. While there, a colleague and I launched WASH Canada - a coalition that brought all major Canadian water and sanitation players under one umbrella.

Last year, after four and a half years in Canada, we moved back home to Lexington. Here was another opportunity to reinvent myself. I decided to get certified as a Realtor for the state of Massachusetts!

What made you change careers and why real estate?

In 2005, when I first started work in the field of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene education, no one had heard about this silent global crisis. Today, I am pleased to report a fair amount of progress is finally being made. World leaders, such as India’s PM Narendra Modi, are now taking up the sanitation refrain. It was time to move on and leave the governments and institutions to take over the WASH effort!

I decided to focus on Real Estate because I was looking for work that was engaging, enjoyable, and that I could put my energy into right here in the Greater Boston area. This profession, has brought together many of the things I love to do. Particularly, working with people on what is often, the largest transaction in their lives. Helping clients find the home they need and love at a given moment in their lives is fulfilling. Selling or buying a home, are critical decisions that impact a great many aspects of one’s life and lifestyle. I really enjoy using my negotiating and conflict resolution skills on behalf of my clients, and of course celebrating successes with them.

Another plus about being a realtor is that every transaction is unique. You never know what you will be dealing with next. You have to use your resourcefulness daily to help iron out different wrinkles that come up and ensure that you get the best possible outcome for your clients. Most good realtors are also lifelong learners and I see this as a plus.

What qualities make a good agent?

Unfortunately, most people negatively focus their attention on the commission paid to real estate agents –because they see this as directly decreasing the value they will get from the eventual sale of their house

If this is your situation- you are working with the wrong agent!

A good real estate agent will help simplify your life and more than make up for their commission.

I try to add value from start to finish of a real estate transaction. For example, when selling a client’s home I will-

a) Provide tips to prepare the house and perhaps stage it, so that it presents as well as possible to potential buyers

b) Price the house correctly. Which may seem simple, but needs to be backed by a comprehensive market and comparative properties analysis

c) Have a stellar marketing plan - locally, nationally and internationally, so all potential buyers can find the listing

d) Simplify showings to potential buyers and host an open house.

e) Provide help through each stage of the selling process from pre-listing all the way through closing and beyond

f) Help qualify potential buyers and negotiate the deal to a close!

When helping a client with buying their home I will -

a) Make sure there is agreement among the decision makers in the family as to the most important aspects they are looking for in their new home

b) Ensure that they are receiving a targeted list of updated properties daily or weekly that meet the criteria – so they can decide which to explore further

c) Arrange visits and co-ordinate with the seller’s agent for properties that they might be interested in.  Plus send them information on upcoming open houses and properties that are new to the market.

d) Help them through each stage of the buying process from making a compelling offer, to the Purchase and Sale, all the way to the final close

e) Help with negotiations along the way to ensure they get the best possible property for their criteria and time frame.

Insights into the housing market as of today in Boston?

Real Estate is faring very well in Boston and its suburbs such as Lexington and surrounding cities. You may think that with the colder temperatures outside, the market would be less busy, but that is certainly not the case. We have been seeing high demand and quick sales for properties listed all through January and February and many new properties are coming on now for the early spring market

This is a great time to list your home if you are thinking of downsizing, upsizing or moving into the city. Inventory is low and demand is high. Leading to many properties going for above asking in our area.

Condos are also doing brisk sales in Boston - especially at the high end.  It looks like the pent-up demand for luxury condos is here to stay for a few years. So, even if you are not ready to move, a condo may be a great investment.Of course, if you are looking to move out of the city, or upsizing and buying in one of our beautiful suburban towns, nothing like doing so while interest rates are at an all time low and many new houses are coming on in this early spring market. 

Which areas are you serving in this region?

I have lived and worked in the Greater Boston area for over 22 years. My areas of expertise in Real Estate extend from the historic suburbs of Lexington, and its surrounding towns, all the way to the larger cities of Cambridge and Boston. As an avid bicyclist – I have also come to discover and appreciate many other smaller towns and cities around us.Segments of the population I love to work with are families in transition. Those, like myself, who are looking to sell and move to their next abode, often in the city, as their kids leave home and schooling is no longer a reasonto be in suburbia. Or those at the other end of the spectrum looking to move out to the suburbs from the city or upsize as their families growIt would be my pleasure to help your Lokvani readership with their Real Estate needs or answer any further questions that they may have. 

You can reach me by phone at 781-367-8950 or email me at Lotika@kw.com or via my website http://www.lotikarealty.com

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