By Maddy Vitale
Maureen Schneider knows there is a lot that goes into selling a house, especially in Ocean City, where there are hundreds of realtors, limited housing stock, and all kinds of budgets.
But Schneider, an agent at Patrick Halliday – Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors, 754 Asbury Ave., brings a special kind of experience. She has bought, remodeled and sold homes, and has her own interior design, renovation and home staging consulting company.
She is happy to not only sell you a home, but work with you to get everything on your wish-list and really transform a house into a home.
The married mother of two lives in “Mrs. Hoover’s House,” part of a multi-unit property in the Gardens section. She spent seven months a couple of years ago doing a total rehab on the 1950s-era home. While her teenagers, Liv and Jake, grumbled a bit about the work in progress, they love their home now, Schneider said. And although purchased to potentially resell, Schneider and her husband, Joe, love it so much, they may make it their forever home.
“I love being in this area because it reminds me of vacationing in Ocean City as a child,” said Schneider, 45, a Pennsylvania native whose parents and some siblings moved to the resort in recent years.
That is what she said attracted her to selling real estate. “People come down here for vacation. We are so lucky to live here,” she said.
Her background is in marketing and sales, but she acquired her real estate license because she and her husband were buying and selling homes in Ocean City.
“I really wanted to understand the process,” she said. “After purchasing and completing renovation on our current home, I hung my license with the selling agents firm in September of 2016.”
That is also when she began her own small business, Finley & Associates, named for Fin, their 7-year-old orange striped, very friendly and spoiled cat.
“This firm is my creative outlet. I focus on design, renovation consultation and home staging,” she said. “It is a great addition to being a real estate agent. It is a value-added service.”
In November 2017 she joined Halliday’s team.
“The first time I met Pat (Halliday) I felt we had similar convictions regarding the real estate business,” Schneider said.
Halliday said this about Schneider joining his real estate team. “Often times, our homes are very personalized to one’s personal needs. Maureen’s extensive background in interior design has allowed her to see the future potential in a property which provides tremendous insight for our clients,” he said. “Understanding how a space can be transformed to fit our client’s specific needs has proven to be very valuable in finding their perfect home.”
She splits her time between being an agent and doing design and home staging.
“It kind of fell into place and it all works,” she said.
Schneider will go to the home for a consultation. She will go all over the region. She has clients in Pennsylvania, Margate, Wildwood Crest and, of course, Ocean City.
Her goal is to find the home that best checks off everything on a client’s wish list and is within their budget.
“This is where I can get creative. Often a buyer’s wish list supersedes their budget. Typically, after getting to know exactly what an individual is looking for I will preview homes for them,” she said. “This gives me the ability to determine if we can make this home work for them before they see the space.”
Some things that she attempts to determine are how the home can be redecorated, painted and updated and how to create more functional space.
Re-purposing pieces, salvaging pieces of history, attempting to keep at least some of the décor from the home’s time period are a theme for Schneider.
“I love the older homes. The newer construction is beautiful, too, but it can be very formulaic – the layouts are similar,” she explained.
There are many ways to sprinkle in accents that deliver a vintage feel from crown molding, to some eclectic antiques, she explained.
The nautical theme is popular for home décor in the area. But an updated version of it is what Schneider offers when she goes out shopping for her clients. Gone are the days of seashell-everything on furniture and lamps. Instead, homeowners like a subtler approach, beachy-themed pieces and accents are what’s in.
“There are 650 licensed agents in Ocean City,” she said. “I can get you the house and I can also create that relaxing home you want it to be. I want to sell you the beach life and really make it your home.”
For Schneider, she is passionate about all things house-related.
“Combining real estate and design together really makes sense. I love selling real estate,” Schneider said. “Purchasing a home in Ocean City is a dream come true for my clients, and helping them through the process is very rewarding.”
To reach Maureen Schneider call 609-703-7307.
