Raised in Eveleth, Angelo Poaletti has been helping clients find their ideal home for the past 15+ years. Before turning to real estate, Angelo worked as a banker for 22 years specializing in real estate loans, commercial lending, and appraisals. Naturally, the transition into real estate business seemed the next logical step. He earned his license in 1991 and has sold many different kinds of property ranging from single family homes to resort properties located along the
LakeshoreDreams.com had the opportunity to speak with Angelo and learn more about him and his work.
LD: You've worked with a lot of different property throughout your career. What kinds of developments are you working with now?
Poaletti: Mainly I've been selling residential and second homes on various lakes in the area. I have also been working on several developments, namely some subdivisions and common interest communities.
LD: Where have most of them been?
Poaletti: Vermillion and Burnside in Ely.
LD: How much have those properties been selling for?
Poaletti: Prices vary from lake to lake. Vermilion, Burnside, and
LD: So Vermilion and Burnside are the most popular lakes in your area?
Poaletti: All the lakes are good. It depends on what the client wants to use it for. Some people don't use the lake, they just look at it, and so the view is very important to them. Some families like to use the lake for recreation. They like to fish. They like to ski. They like to swim. Some people just like to fish and some people just want privacy. Once you find out what people are looking for, you can narrow it down to certain lakes and certain areas, and certain price ranges, things like that.
A lot of times, people think they are looking for one thing, but they are actually not. What they are looking for isn't necessarily on one lake, but they may think it is. The biggest questions that families or individuals have to answer are what they want to use the water for and what they want from the property they are buying? Answering those questions save both the client and agent time, money, and frustration in the long run.
LD: What is the most important obligation an agent has to his or her client?
Poaletti: "Always work in the client's best interest at all times." Understanding what they want and getting them what they want. Ideally, you want them to have full use and enjoyment of the property they're getting. That includes making sure everything they need is already on the property, can be built there, or added to the parcel.
LD: How do you make sure that happens?
Poaletti: Agents have to be thorough. Generally, they need to be knowledgeable about county planning/zoning, township planning/zoning, septic rules and regulations, building rules and regulations, setbacks, what kind of lake it is and what kinds of buildings can go on that particular lot and lake.
We should be knowledgeable about the lake and its particulars. Is it deep or shallow? What is the structure? How does the depth vary from spring to fall? Is it fed by rivers, streams or springs? All those things people ask you, and hopefully you can help them. But you don't know everything, but you can find the answers or let them know where they can get the answers.
LD: That's a lot of information to keep track of.
Poaletti: Yes, but it's not just about looking up the answers. I think you have to go out there. You can get a lot of information off the computer, but there is no better information than going out there and seeing it for yourself. I've been raised on these waters and am very familiar with them, but I still go out to see what's changed, what hasn't, what's new, or what's different. I try to notice things that would be beneficial to my customers and to me.
LD: Do you make it a point to take your clients out and look at these properties in person?
Poaletti: I try to take clients out as much as possible, especially if they aren't familiar with the area. All the clients are different, with different needs and wants. I do different things with different clients depending on what needs to be addressed. I'm not pushy with my clients. Unfortunately, that's a common misconception of agents and most people in sales. What I want to do is facilitate the sale. Show them what they want, occasionally help set up the financing and when they are ready to buy, they will buy. I just try and help the process move forward in an orderly and timely manner. The property sells itself. We just help it along. The last thing I want to do is sell something to somebody that they don't want. I'll probably not see them again. If I truly help them, I will see them again.
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