SPOTLIGHT ON: Nancy Rondon

Passionate About Placing People in Their First Home

Nancy Rondon takes pride in being able to completely relate to her first-time homebuying clients—she was in their place for a good portion of her life, buying her first home just 13 years ago in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. “When I was growing up, we didn’t own a home,” Rondon revealed. “My parents rented, and I remember always wanting to own a home.”

After diligently saving their money, Rondon and her husband, a Brooklyn firefighter, finally had the opportunity to purchase their first home in 2011. “It felt wonderful and amazing,” she shared. “If you don’t grow up with that, it’s not one of the first things on your mind, but it was a goal we wanted to achieve.”

For the past nine years, Rondon has been in the residential real estate industry, spending the past five years with RE/MAX Distinguished Homes & Property in Tuckahoe. Prior to that, she worked with Keller Williams New York City Group in the Bronx.

Rondon is no stranger to real estate, though, having worked with commercial real estate firms in Manhattan for some 25 years. She handled everything from invoicing to accounting, human resources, and leasing that included several well-known retailers like Barnes & Noble, Whole Foods, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dollar Tree and more.

Starting out in her 20s, Rondon worked with real estate legend Faith Hope Consolo while at Garrick Aug Associates, where she spent 13 years. “I learned a lot from her, and it was a time in the commercial real industry where there were barely any women leaders,” recalled Rondon. She later moved on to Staubach Retail for 12 years.

Rondon noted it was the excitement of working with brokers and watching the negotiations that piqued her interest in residential real estate. “There was a lot of very high pressure with commercial deals, and I really like working with people and helping them,” she said. “I care about them not being taken advantage of and I want to make sure I’m there for them at every step.”

Her territory includes lower Westchester County and the Bronx, but she has also been known to travel up to Dutchess County or Connecticut. “If that’s what it takes, I’m there,” she added.

For her first-time homebuying clientele, Rondon’s advice is to be patient. “It can be very frustrating for them when they put in offers and have to compete with others,” she admitted. “I tell them if they are persistent, they will succeed.”

Rondon recently helped a couple in their 20s purchase their first co-op. “A lot of times people who want a single-family house often compromise with a condo or co-op due to the costs and interest rates,” she said.

Rondon is also very active in her local community and was recently selected as the Chairperson of the Programming Committee at the Castle Hill YMCA, where she has been involved for many years. The Programming Committee is involved with all youth programs at the YMCA that focuses on several initiatives, the main one being to create scholarships for teens as they go to college. “I’m very excited about this opportunity to give back to the youth in our community in the Bronx,” she added.

In addition to the YCMA, Rondon is a member of NAREB Westchester and NAHREP Bronx and was also the past vice president of the NAHREP Bronx chapter. She is also a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and has won numerous sales awards throughout her career.

In her free time, Rondon and her husband keep busy with their two grandsons, ages 5 and 13, and love to travel, attend concerts and try new restaurants. “We are definitely ‘foodies’ and will travel anywhere for a good meal,” she said.

For anyone thinking about a real estate career, Rondon’s best advice is to let people know they can trust you. “Helping people comes naturally to me. There’s always a lot of hand-holding during the deals, but if you put people first, the commissions will come.”