One thing that 2020 taught us was the importance of that which is close to the heart. For many, that turned out to be home and local community as our worlds became smaller, and we became more focused on life’s basics. If you think about it in literal terms, often our only in-person encounters outside our homes were during walks in the communities in which we live. Two East Cobb-focused real estate agents, Christine Love and Randi Soniker, who not only survived, but also thrived in 2020 with a collective $27 million in sales during the difficult year, accomplished this feat through two means – using the tools offered by their broker, Compass, and tapping into this newfound priority for home and community.

Both Love and Soniker bring a wealth of experience to their roles and have been top real estate producers in the metro Atlanta area for years. As the pandemic emerged and they saw the real estate industry enter “seas that had never been crossed,” according to Soniker, they were even more grateful to have made the strategic move to Compass.

According to Love, “When you are an agent at Compass, you are surrounded by other amazing agents, which pushes you to be your best.” A New York City-based firm,Compass provides its more than 15,000+ agents in major markets throughout the country with superior support and innovative technology that help them take successes a step further.

Soniker discloses what drew her to join Compass was its modern platform, hip vibe, and the brokerage’s entrepreneurial spirit which means that the company pairs highly motivated, top-selling producers with innovative technology and the tools to succeed. “Compass is a forward-thinking technology company that is crushing the competition because we are armed with tools that help us sell homes quicker than ever before,” she says. “In turn, our clients are thrilled that we got their homes sold at top dollar with minimal days on the market.”

Love goes on to discuss some of the various programs that Compass offers with one unique program in particular, that’s entitled Compass Concierge. With this program, once the client qualifies, Compass helps by fronting the cost of home improvements and renovations before going on the market. “Take an older property that hasn’t been updated,” she explains. “The owners can use Compass Concierge to pay for necessary improvements without having to use cash reserves. Then at closing, the cost is paid back with no interest or fees to the seller.”

Another program these women have found to be instrumental is Compass Bridge Loan Services, which provides access to bridge loan lenders with the option to get up to six months of the loan payments fronted when the home is sold with a Compass agent. Also, Compass offers the Compass Coming Soon and Compass Private Exclusive programs, which pre-market properties on compass.com.

With Compass furnishing the backbone for marketing, Love and Soniker can focus on shared convictions regarding home and local community. Both agents live in East Cobb and support “all things local,” according to Love. Their focus on home and the local community proved to be contributing factors to their 2020 successes.

“We both believe that home is so much more than just a house,” says Love. “This affects all that we do when helping a client buy or sell. During this past year, the concept of home evolved as it acquired new attributes with people working from home, studying from home, and everything in-between. Looking at this landscape, we also continued to build on our relationships with past clients.”

Soniker is quick to point out the many great facets of East Cobb living that she shares with all her clients. “When considering the East Cobb area, many people only think about the quality of the schools,” she says. “I agree with that train of thought. I couldn’t be more pleased with the education that my three sons – one at Sope Creek Elementary and two at East Cobb Middle — are receiving.”

With that said, she goes on to stress that East Cobb offers so much more than quality schools, including excellent restaurants, shopping, historic sites, park youth sports programs, access to hiking and mountain bike trails, as well as safe places to cycle on the road. Love and Soniker share a list of just a few of their favorite local spots:

  • Camps Kitchen & Bar Paper Mill Village
  • McCray’s Tavern, Parkaire Landing
  • Moxie Burger, Paper Mill Village and Shallowford Crossing Shopping Center
  • Reveille Café, Sandy Plains Centre
  • Seed Kitchen & Bar, Merchant’s Walk
  • Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar, The Avenue East Cobb
  • Fresh Squeezed Juice Bar, Parkaire Landing
  • Solstice, in the Synovus building
  • Casabella, Merchant’s Exchange Shopping Center
  • Eagle Nails, Market Plaza Shopping Center
  • Sugar Nails, 3822 Roswell Road
  • Dance Stop Studios, Merchant’s Exchange Shopping Center
  • The Art Place, 330 Sandy Plains Road
  • Sope Creek Trails, Paper Mill Ruins, Hyde Park, and Gold Branch Trail.

Both Love and Soniker invite anyone who is interested in buying or selling real estate to give either of them a call, “Even if you are not sure when or if you are ready to make a move, come be part of our village,” says Soniker. “Let’s meet up for coffee or juice and discuss the current real estate market.”

For more information on Christine Love, check out closedwithlove.com or contact her at christine.love@compass.com or 404-375-2180. For more information on Randi Soniker, check out realestaterandi.com or contact her at randi.soniker@compass.com or 678-923-7337.

MEET THE REALTORS

CHRISTINE LOVELOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS PROVIDE GUIDANCE 2
REALTOR® Compass
christine.love@compass.com
Christine brings energy, enthusiasm, and 11 years of learning the business to each real estate transaction. She is a member of the Cobb Association of Realtors and a four-year member of the Multi-Million Dollar Club. As an East Cobber, she promotes all things local and recognizes that real estate molds a community’s landscape and lifestyle. She has the experience and resources to help her clients whether they are buying a first home, buying investment property, choosing a builder for custom construction, needing a home evaluation, or looking for information on pre-market repairs and staging.

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RANDI SONIKERLOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS PROVIDE GUIDANCE 1
REALTOR® Compass
randi.soniker@compass.com
Randi is a boutique-style real estate professional who provides top-notch, individualized services to all her clients. She is an Atlanta Realtor “Top Producer,” with many years of experience in the industry. She helps clients sell their homes at top dollar and purchase their new homes or investment properties.

Having lived in the metro Atlanta area for more than 30 years and living in East Cobb for more than 10 years, she brings local flavor and expertise to all that she does. Her degree from the University of Michigan in Civil Engineering helps her on the construction front, and she always crunches numbers to get her clients the best value in all real estate transactions.

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue. You can access the digital edition HERE.