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A life in real estate wasn’t exactly what Carmen Winters had planned when he graduated from Wilkes University in 2008.
However, after taking some real estate classes while running a rental investment property with a close friend, it dawned on Winters that a real estate career could be the path to follow.
Fast forward to 2016, and Winters is approaching his fourth year as a Realtor with Atlas Realty Inc. He was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing in January, in addition to his role as Realtor with the company.
“I would say that maybe halfway through the classes a light bulb went off and I said, ‘Jeez, I really could consider selling real estate,’” Winters, 39, said. “When I had first started the endeavor of getting my qualifications, I had never really considered myself as somebody who wanted to sell real estate. I just wanted the knowledge for myself to continue an investment business, and it ultimately took a 180 from there, and I just fell in love with the business from there.”
Taking on the role of vice president of sales and marketing was a step Winters graciously took. However, balancing his new position with his duties as a Realtor was a little difficult at first, but as time has passed he’s been able to balance both his personal business along with moving the company forward.
“What ended up happening is my personal business spiked over the last year to the point where it was a good problem to have — we joke about it all the time — but a lot of balls in the air,” Winters said. “Over the last couple of months, we’ve done a better job of managing time to account for my personal clients and coming up with strategies and plans for the coming year to position ourselves to grow our business beyond this year as well.”
As a Realtor, it’s crucial to embrace the community. As a lifelong resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania, growing up in Carbondale and now a resident of Exeter, Winters is a board member of the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Luzerne County Association of Realtors and a member of the Greater Scranton Association of Realtors.
“It’s great to be able to express to somebody who may be coming to the Greater Pittston Area, ‘Hey these are some of the projects that are happening for the Chamber of Commerce. These are some of the initiatives that the city is involved in to either bring more housing or more business or job opportunities to the area,’” Winters said. “Being a part of those types of organizations makes our job a little bit easier because we’re getting some of the knowledge that’s on the inside, and we’re able to express that to some of the people that are in the area who are looking to move here or just change locations.”
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