The Alimond Show
Welcome to The Alimond Show --join us as we share our entrepreneurial guests' stories, uncover their secrets to success, and explore the unique paths they've taken to build thriving businesses in our community.
In each episode, our host, Aliyah Dastour, sits down with a diverse group of local business owners, from the corner cafe to the boutique shop, from tech startups to family-run enterprises. We peel back the curtain to reveal the trials, triumphs, and transformational moments that have shaped their entrepreneurial journey.
Discover the passion, perseverance, and innovative thinking that fuels these businesses, as well as the challenges they've overcome along the way. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking inspiration or simply a curious listener interested in the stories behind your favorite local spots, The Alimond Show has something for everyone.
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Join us every week as we celebrate the unsung heroes of our local business community and explore the vibrant tapestry of entrepreneurship in our area. Tune in to The Alimond Show and get ready to be inspired, informed, and motivated to support and nurture the businesses that make our community thrive.
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The Alimond Show
Nancy Tessman - From Engineer to Real Estate Maven: Balancing High-Stakes Deals and Community Engagement
Get ready to be inspired by Nancy Tessman, a true trailblazer who took her engineering expertise and applied it to the world of real estate. In this episode, Nancy takes us through her compelling journey from working in nuclear power and telecom, to negotiating high-stakes deals across the globe. She reveals how problem-solving and process management skills from her engineering background have been key to her real estate triumphs. You'll be fascinated by her creative problem-solving stories, including how she once leveraged a congressman's office to expedite a short sale, and her unwavering commitment to community support through various local sponsorships and contributions.
Discover the many layers of Nancy's multifaceted life beyond her real estate career. From being a dedicated PTA member and Boy Scout leader to an innovative marketer, Nancy shares her ingenious strategies like personalized seasonal gift packages for clients. Her passion for music is infectious as she recounts learning to play guitar and organizing community events like “Drinks and Jams.” Nancy also discusses her adept use of modern technology such as DocuSign and Zoom to efficiently cater to international clients, showcasing her adaptability in a fast-paced industry.
Nancy's personal stories and life lessons are nothing short of poignant. She opens up about the emotional significance of her tattoos, tributes to her late daughter, and her own battle with cancer. Her advocacy for home staging and property updates like fresh paint and modern kitchens highlights her commitment to helping sellers maximize their sales prices. Nancy's journey from engineering in toxic environments to embracing hobbies like gardening, boxing, and shooting underscores the importance of resilience and health awareness. Tune in to learn how she balances her professional achievements with personal growth and community involvement, leaving you with valuable insights and heartfelt stories.
My name is Nancy Tessman, my company is Nancy Tessman and Company, and I'm a realtor. I provide shelter. I help people get shelter. That's whether it's rentals or buying or selling.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:Love that.
Speaker 2:Can you give me a little bit of a background of how you got started, how you got into this industry? All that good stuff, Sure.
Speaker 1:Okay, so this is my second career. I've been a residential realtor for 20 years. Prior to that I was in engineering. I have a degree in material science and engineering. I have a master's in engineering management and I spent I was in nuclear power high volume manufacturing for the government for like 13 years. I love that job. Oh, what else did?
Speaker 2:I do.
Speaker 1:Hardware software engineering company rolled out social security administration's network. I had the system architect and all the software and hardware people. Then I went into telecom and I did building engineering. We were building internet data centers and POPs and the real estate. The corporate real estate group came to me and said would you like to work for us? Because I kept solving their problems. And I said yes, I would, provided I get to negotiate. And so I went into the corporate real estate group. That was a fun job. I traveled the world. I've negotiated in 20 countries and five continents. They allowed me to do the internet data center stuff because it was more technical and they were used to doing sales offices. And then they went bankrupt and at that time I had a couple of kids, and one of them is autistic, and so it just became apparent that I needed to be home more and manage the therapies and things like that. So I said, well, if I can do corporate real estate around the world, I'm going to get my residential license. And I did.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:And here we are.
Speaker 2:What an extensive background my goodness. Glad you're, here. Do you feel like being an engineer and a problem solver really helped you in the real estate world.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, talk to me about that, absolutely. And I'm not the only agent that can solve a problem. But, yeah, the whole, any job is a series of problems that come along that have to be solved so that you can get to the next step. So you know with like okay, so here I am. I'll tell you I'm an engineer, so I did, um, I flow charted how to buy and how to sell a process. Now this is how I do it, not necessarily how everybody else does it. Um, so I try. A lot of my engineering flows over into being an agent. Because you want a process, you want to have a process, you can deviate, because everything's going to deviate, right, you're always going to have something come up. It's just a matter of how you solve it. A lot of times my clients don't even know there was a problem. I'll tell them later, but I don't want to panic them. I'm like okay. A lot of times it's like, oh, we've done this before. I learn every time. Sometimes it's like, oh, I've never had this one before. Okay, let me think Some examples that I've used.
Speaker 1:I've used the congressman's office a couple of times to get. This is during the short sale time and we were the buyers and I had a deputy and his wife was a church secretary and they served in Loudoun and they wanted to live in Loudoun and that was the only way they were going to be able to afford it. Right, it was at the bottom of the 2008 kind of curve dip and so they were first and second mortgage on the seller side was dragging their feet. So I called them up and I said I told the agent I'm like, tell your sellers, call the congressman, ask for the constituent services. They'll write a nice little letter. They put a nice neon cover on it with a congressional seal. Let me tell you that goes through like this in any department. Two weeks later we were cleared.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, you did that department. Two weeks later we were cleared.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, so well, I they, you know, but they, thankfully they didn't feel like I was overstepping, but we got it done.
Speaker 2:That's amazing.
Speaker 1:That's one I mean. I'm sure there's a couple other things, so come to me.
Speaker 2:No, yeah.
Speaker 1:And please share them.
Speaker 2:We want to know your extensive background. That's awesome, yeah, and talk to me a little bit about marketing and how this, where people can find, like your little plans and everything.
Speaker 1:So I mean this is part of my packages, like when I sit down and talk to people or if I'm at events you know I might be at a school event or a vendor fair, some other things. So I do have this will give my clients an idea of my background, my beliefs. And you know, one of the things is and again I'm going to stress, I'm not the only agent yes, we as a real estate, we give so much back to this local community as sponsors for school events and scouts, and you know I support a lot of different local organizations. You know I support a lot of different local organizations, like a couple of years ago when COVID died down. When COVID, you know, all the schools came back. They didn't have a lot of money and they wanted to put on a fair and they wanted to lure the kids because you have to lure high school kids to do stuff.
Speaker 1:And so she said you know, could you like supply some gift cards? I'm like absolutely, how many do you need? Here they are. My kids went to that high school, so you know, I mean I know the teachers there.
Speaker 2:You're part of the PTA.
Speaker 1:I was the booster club. What was I? Booster club fundraising chair and I was the leading fundraiser. Look at that.
Speaker 2:That's right, very cute. And the football team, mom as well, okay, you were just like a cheerleader and a Boy Scout leader.
Speaker 1:I was a Boy Scout leader for 13 years. Well, you know, I mommed hard, and now they're older and now it's my time.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and I see that you brought your guitar today. I did Talk to me about a little bit about that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I'm going to go. So you know, besides real estate, I like to have some fun and that's the other side of my thing, so I do. Brian Buffini is a real estate guru. I kind of follow his lead and one of the things is, in marketing, like I won't advertise, I don't pay to advertise, I'll take that money and I'll make some little things and I will advertise on the steps of my clients and my advocates and I'm going to show you yeah, please.
Speaker 1:So this was my summertime one and there's and I drive down to. I drive down there to to Route 11. They get some chips, my little branding chip clip. Here's my koozie. There's a raincoat in there, portable raincoat, some sparklers because this was right around, yes and some suntan packets. Look at that so yeah, so that was like my little summertime packet that is so cute.
Speaker 1:So I'll get back to my guitar. So I wanted to. You know, everybody in my family is musical and I just wanted to learn to play guitar. I love rock and roll music. I love going to music festivals and live music. I love the live local music around here. I did an event, called it started out as Beer and Tunes, beer and Tunes and I held it at a brewery and I hired a local band and they played. And then the next year I had it at another event and we had to. It wasn't just beer, so we called it Drinks and Jams, because I make peach jam once a year and I'm in the process right now because it's peach time I make probably 130 jars of peach jam and I give them out. I make probably 130 jars of peach jam and I give them out. And so when I use drinks and jams, you come, you have a drink, we have a band, you jam, get your jam. That was the drinks and jams.
Speaker 2:That is so clever.
Speaker 1:You are a busy, talented woman, so I've been almost learning for three years and I'm now going to be at my event. It will be October 20th. It's going to be at my event. It'll be October 20th. It's going to be at Black Walnut Brewery and the band is Weekend at Bernie's. Yeah, and the lead guitar is also my guitar instructor, so I'll be playing a few songs with them. That will be my guitar recital.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:So that's it. So they're not only going to come to drinks and jams, they're going to come to my guitar recital.
Speaker 2:Perfect. Oh my goodness, what brought upon wanting to play that guitar. I know you said you started three years ago.
Speaker 1:Was it during COVID? And you were like, let me find something new to do? I don't know. No, you know what? I was going to go play drums. That's what it was. I was going to go. I wanted to learn to play drums.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, you are a rock and roll girl, that's that hitting therapy.
Speaker 1:And when I was talking to him he's like I said, well, I don't think I have hands big enough. He's like, yeah, just try it. And I stayed through it because you know the first year is a little hard to. But yeah, and I just looked at him and said some weeks I don't practice. I said, look, I'm busy, I'm working. If I only see you once a week, I only see you once. I'm not on a timeline here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, awesome. And I want to go back to your real estate clients.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:It looks like you seem to have a clientele that's like all over the world.
Speaker 1:I do actually.
Speaker 2:Talk to me about that. How did that come?
Speaker 1:to be. So you know I have clients that travel. So one of the things is everybody use DocuSign, everything can be. I have a Zoom. I set up a Zoom so that my client like one of my clients went to Germany for two weeks to travel. We ratified the contract while she was in Germany and we took care of things that way and I Zoomed her a couple of times to kind of go over next steps and stuff. I have a current referral from Qatar. They flew in. I got like four days to wrap it up. Oh my God, get a power of attorney, kind of get things. You know the what-ifs, get that all set up and then they're gone.
Speaker 2:That's pretty impressive.
Speaker 1:I love that I can move fast or I can. You know, I have some clients like three years you know might be three years before they get ready. I mean, it's a long game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I guess are you having clients that are moving in from other countries coming here? How is that process and how are you helping them find that right place? It's a big transition.
Speaker 1:It's been a while it's been a while. I don't have a lot of them, but you know I have community resources and usually if they're coming in it's because they have family here as well. So there is that connection. But I always provide even any of my hold on. Let me find that I have a trusted providers directory. Look at that and I'll tell you. Most of these people have done work in my home, so you trust them you don't get on here if they don't get through my home and me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so you can. Oh, they can come in my house without me. There, some of them.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I've known some of them 15, 20 years. I mean they service my house.
Speaker 2:So and I'm an engineer, so I'm going to tell you, yeah, Like I know Exactly Very very cool. Um, what are some characteristics that you think, when people are looking for a real estate agent to work with, that are important to you? Kind of goes to like your beliefs and your values for yourself.
Speaker 1:Ask that question again. Okay.
Speaker 2:So yes, what do you think is an important character trait when clients are looking for agents?
Speaker 1:You mean a character trait of an agent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, okay, they should be looking for it.
Speaker 1:Yes, Well, I mean, I think you know it depends on the client, right? Not everybody. Certain people are made for certain agents and vice versa. I'm not a sometimes warm, fluffy person, I'm more direct and you know, get the job done. And so I'm trying, you know, I curb that a little bit. You know you learn over time. But for me, you know, I feel like my background right Contracts. I did government contracting. If your contract isn't completely buttoned down, you've subject your client to risk. So my whole job as an agent is to minimize my client's risk, that's it. And then to go through the contingencies and see, you know, here's what you have to do, here's your risk, here's how we can mitigate it, that kind of stuff. So there's a lot of characteristics. I mean, obviously, integrity.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:I will say integrity. I have torn up contracts ready to send over because we didn't. Because I said you know, we didn't check the predator registry, and they're like yeah, we don't, like no, we didn't, we need to check it right below Done. You know what? I wouldn't have sent it over, like I have to make sure I do my due diligence. My job is to minimize the risk. That's probably, very succinctly, is how I can put it.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, these are things that I don't even think about. Like you're like, okay, cool, but this is great, that you're like cause they don't know, buyers don't know what they don't know.
Speaker 1:They've never either they've never bought or it's been a long time and contracts change. That's. The other thing is you want somebody who every six months our contracts change, and lately it's been every month. But you know, I go to class every, so you know what's what, the how, the contract, because days change and when days change then people lose their deposits. Just saying and I won't go into that, but I did not lose my deposit, my client did not lose their deposit.
Speaker 2:You're like I made sure yeah.
Speaker 1:So and and I hire, I have a transaction coordinator professional. I use them because their job is to track. Not that I don't read it, but I don't want to have to wake up in the middle of the night saying did I tell them to change the utilities? And I've done that in the past.
Speaker 2:So you learned yeah, yeah, so you talk about you have someone on your team. Does that mean you have like an actual employee team with you, or do you do most of everything?
Speaker 1:Well, in the past I have At the moment I basically outsourced so I have the same transaction person for years through the company. So they're an extension of my team. I have the same, like I said, my well I'll give. One morning it was a closing and it was an unfortunate situation in the cellar. They were ill Anyway. So the morning of they did the walkthrough and they had left all the stuff, the power return. He was taking care of it. 6 am my handyman painter got his men together, rented a truck filled a 16 foot truck and took it to the dump in the rain 6 am in the rain.
Speaker 1:That morning we closed.
Speaker 2:That's kind of the you know.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's a team. They don't have to work for me. That's a team.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I see why you have them on your list.
Speaker 1:I had a plumber. There was a sewer explosion in one of my client's rentals Got the plumber came Sunday night at 10 pm on Memorial Day.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:That's team.
Speaker 2:They don't have to work for me.
Speaker 1:That is crazy.
Speaker 2:These are the people that are on your list, trusted and very-.
Speaker 1:And I'll always do an introduction. I'll do a text introduction or I'll get them out there.
Speaker 2:I'll be on the phone calling Pretty cool, and you're originally from New York, so what brought you to Northern Virginia?
Speaker 1:Oh well, you're an engineering job. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:So then I brought you here, and you stayed.
Speaker 1:I stayed. It's funny. I came down here and I moved to Sterling in 1985 and there were cows and there was nothing between here and Leesburg. So I've seen everything. So lots changed. Yeah, no, no, no. I like the area. Washington DC. It's nice to go down there. Potomac River I live two miles from Potomac River. We've got that. You know, we're so fortunate to be in Northern Virginia, to have the countryside, the mountains, water city.
Speaker 2:All that good stuff? Yeah, absolutely. And where do you see yourself as a person and with your business in the next five years?
Speaker 1:Oh well, I'll still be doing real estate. I don't know, we'll have to see how the market goes. I'm in, i'm't know. We'll have to see how the market goes. I'm in, I'm hanging in. I have to say. The rates dipped and things perk. So every now and then you start to get like, oh, am I really, should I really be here? And then something shows up. It's kind of like playing golf.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know much about playing golf.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, and golf, you'll be like I hate it. And then you get a great shot and be like, oh, this is great yeah.
Speaker 2:Gotcha and during COVID, how were you able to handle clients and your business? I?
Speaker 1:stayed home for one month, that was it. And then I was like I have to be out there. I wore a mask, I held opens, I just kept them Back. Then I would be like, okay, you had to wear your mask, you had to sign in in case there was an outbreak, I could notify you. Somebody would notify you, the health department, I guess it would be that with them and I would have one go up hand sanitizer, you know the whole nine yards they go up, so somebody would go upstairs have them go down, you know just kind of. And out the back We'd have two people, we'd just reroute them. See, that's the engineering.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I see where that's coming into play here in everything, right it does it really does cross over into a lot of my real estate business?
Speaker 2:No, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's a gift, because sometimes my brain is like wait, well. The other thing is when it gets so crazy and you can't do home inspections and I'm not a home inspector, but I can look at a few things and go step away.
Speaker 2:Yes, you have to sometimes.
Speaker 1:I can look under a sink for polybutylene pipe I know what that looks like. I can look for termite tubes and there's a whole bunch of stuff.
Speaker 2:Mold yeah.
Speaker 1:You're like oh, I can smell it girl. Oh, yes, I can come down. Dampness, yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. When you are working with clients, what are some of the challenges that you find that they are going through, when they're going through the process of either buying or selling, that you help them with?
Speaker 1:Well, I think for buyers, sticker shock, wanting, you know, the contingencies, right, there's a whole bunch of things. There's an appraisal, you know you can have a contract contingent upon financing. There's five of them, kind of that we go through and so it's hard. Sometimes if they want to compete, they have to give some up, and so that's hard for them, you know. And so what I do is is I write the contract as they want it. If they're not comfortable with it, then it goes in and you know, from there, sometimes they, you know, either the market teaches them or the market is not right for them to be in. They're not comfortable enough to be in that market and come back when it's more of a buyer's market.
Speaker 1:And there was a dip, maybe about a year, a year and a half, last February. It was a dip where I had people getting home inspections, repairs, everything, like it was back to the old everything. So there's that. For sellers, I feel like, you know, bright, shiny, clean sells. The best Paint that's three years old is three-year-old painted. It's not freshly painted. I hate to be the. I have a stager that I use at my expense to come in and walk through their home and give them a step-by-step on how to get their house ready.
Speaker 2:That's very helpful, because a lot of people don't know that it is a step-by-step and then we can have that conversation.
Speaker 1:You can do anything. You could do all of it. I mean their choice. However, let's look at the comps. Let's see what a freshly painted house with an updated kitchen went for and what the you know. It's just you have to kind of compare and the analysis that I do when it comes to sales price. I've had three appraisal problems in 20 years and two were VA loans. How did you?
Speaker 2:handle that, I'll just leave that.
Speaker 1:I challenged both of them but it didn't go anywhere. But I challenged them absolutely.
Speaker 2:I built my case and I sent it right in.
Speaker 1:And the other one. There was a cash offer that settled in between, so we didn't have that data point, and so we just split the difference between the buyer and the seller and moved on.
Speaker 2:Cool. And now I know you talked to me about what you like to do outside of work playing the guitar. But what are some other things? I know you like rock and roll. So what you like to do outside of work playing the guitar, but what?
Speaker 1:are some other things.
Speaker 2:I know you like rock and roll.
Speaker 1:So you've got a tattoo. Tell me about that. Well, this tattoo is kind of a tribute to my daughter. I lost a daughter to cancer.
Speaker 2:I'm so sorry, sorry about that.
Speaker 1:It's good. Good, yeah, I'll take that. Thanks, sorry, I mean it's a while ago, but you know. And then I had had cancer, which I'm good, knock on wood. Yes, yep, all my body parts are still intact. I had bladder cancer and it was from my. As an engineer, I was in very toxic environments. I was in lead solder, steel steel mills. You know the slag. It's just very toxic and so that toxicity is what causes it. Yeah, it's good, it's fine, that's what it is. You know, that's life. So, anyway, that's a tribute to her and me kind of doing it. And then this is her handprint. And then, unfortunately, then I became the oh, I really like tattoos. I have to really control myself.
Speaker 2:Once you get one, it's like, oh, you want one, you know what?
Speaker 1:Oh, and this one was done by my childhood friend. Oh, look at that. That I drove five hours to, and he was so funny because he's like Nance once you have one, you're going to want more, and he's absolutely right, it's so true.
Speaker 2:What kind of flower is?
Speaker 1:it. That is a magnolia, and I planted a magnolia tree in my backyard for her.
Speaker 2:I love that and then there's a dogwood.
Speaker 1:Okay, so it's kind of biblical. It's on her stone and I have a dogwood in the front of my yard Perfect. And I'm a big avid. I love to garden, I love to go bicycling. I'm a big avidid. I just picked it up a couple years ago actually. So when my kids were gone, I was like okay, time for me to learn some new stuff. I love that and you know I like to lift weights and things like that.
Speaker 2:I see your little guns there.
Speaker 1:My trainer taught me how to box, I learned how to box, learned how to shoot. I've been doing a lot of learning.
Speaker 2:Okay, when there's a zombie apocalypse. I'm coming to stay with you, okay? Mara's a.
Speaker 1:Boy Scout leader. You're right, you want to be on my survivor team. Exactly, I knew it.
Speaker 2:I want to kind of go back, if that is okay, on the subject of the type of toxic things you were around when you were an engineer. Do you think there should be more awareness about that for engineers?
Speaker 1:or is that? Well, I think that was the um. There is more right EPA is. You know, back in the eighties and the night, you know, over time those things would not happen. Now you wouldn't be soldering in a conference room with no respirator and 12 people with flux and lead solder, you know just.
Speaker 2:Everywhere.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'll tell you what I do stained glass now, because my soldering is really good, yeah, yeah. So, and I did do a public service announcement actually Good, I feel like, but not on the engine. Actually, I did it for the men because bladder cancer is more prevalent in men and as soon as you see a drop of blood you have to get it checked out. Holy moly, okay. So I just I did that kind of. So once a year during my anniversary, I post that little.
Speaker 2:Tidbit no, here's what you do. Yeah, could save somebody's life.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm going to pass that on to my husband and be like hey, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's why you should have a blood test every year. Everybody should have a blood test when you get your annual.
Speaker 2:I did.
Speaker 1:That's looking for microscopic blood.
Speaker 2:Just like a regular blood.
Speaker 1:No, I'm sorry. Urine too, I meant urine, sorry. No, no, you're good. Yeah, blood test too, yes, but I'm sorry, it was bladder cancer. Okay, yeah, I just want to make sure, okay, no, very cool Thanks for sharing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and since I have you here and people are going to be listening, did you find that I asked you like all the questions that you wanted to get out and share? Is there something maybe like in an upcoming event?
Speaker 1:anything. Well, I think we talked about my upcoming event. I call it my client appreciation program, but I used to do like a Super Bowl. I like to do different things. I like to keep it fresh, so it changes from year to year, except for drinks and jams, yeah. So yeah. No, I think we covered everything. Okay, just want to make sure while I have you here making sure we get those good highlights?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't think of anything else. Okay, cool, cool, cool. So I'm going to ask you one more question, and it's going to be an easy one, hopefully or maybe you're like. You put me on the spot, we'll see, let's see. All right, if you could leave a message for our audience, what would that message be? It could be anything that's in your heart on your mind.
Speaker 1:Participate more in your local community.
Speaker 2:Boom, that's it.
Speaker 1:Volunteer back in your local community.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Done.
Speaker 2:Great. Well, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Thank you for sharing your stories and your journey that you've been on. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you for having me here.