Sandy Balzer Tobin
Title: Real Estate Agent
Age: 54
Experience: 12 years
Few real estate agents have seen the community they work in from as many angles as Sandy Balzer Tobin. She has lived her entire life and raised a family in Needham. In addition to that, she was a reporter and editor for The Needham Times for over a decade, and has been selling real estate in town for more than 12 years. Plus, her husband, David Tobin, is the town’s counsel, and she’s lost track of the number of town committees she has served on.
Q: How did you get your start in journalism?
A: When I was in college, I got an internship at the Needham Times. I worked there part-time all through my four years of college. They gave me my own beat, the school department.
Whatever days I didn’t have classes or was on break I would come in and fill in for people who were away. Then I just worked my way up to being the executive editor. I was there for a long time.
It was different in that we were owned by an independent company. The publisher was there every day in his office and he was very committed to good, quality, community journalism. He was very invested in the company. He really let me do what I wanted to do, so it was really nice having that support.
Q: How did you go from journalism to real estate sales?
A: It was perfectly synced. I left the paper to become a mother and I spent about 12 years at home with both my kids. All I did was volunteer work throughout the community. It takes up the whole second page of my resume.
When my kids were little, we decided to upsize and buy a new house and just watching the process, I thought, “This looks like fun.” I got my license and once the kids were in middle school I went back to work. It’s perfect because, in my opinion, you’re not just selling someone a house, you’re selling them on the whole town. You’re selling them a lifestyle.
Q: Do you miss journalism?
A: Sometimes. I miss the camaraderie and the excitement of a deadline. I remember we were just about to go to press and a verdict came in on a murder trial. I was literally saying “Stop the presses!” The reporter called me from court and she read me her notes and I was typing the story and we ripped apart the front page and put a new front page together. That kind of stuff was fun.
I miss all the different people that you get to interact with, but I love that about real estate, too. I’m not one of those people who can sit and crunch numbers, I like to be out, moving around, talking to people and that and that was the best part of journalism. I loved to do features about fascinating people.
Q: What about working in journalism prepared you for real estate?
A: I understand that I’m not just selling a house, I’m selling a community and a lifestyle. Who better to sell you a house in town than somebody who knows the town inside-out? Also, being able to deal with a lot of different kinds of people. I think, as a journalist, I was good at putting people at ease and letting them tell their story and that’s exactly what I need to do with my clients. I have to hear their story to make sure they’re getting the best possible property and that their needs are getting met. I think it’s that interpersonal communication skills that were most valuable to me. I have a blog in the Needham Times and I’ve done some freelance work for some magazines over the years. Also writing descriptions of properties and emails. A lot of what we do with clients these days is over email and being able to craft a good, concise email is important.
Q: What stories stand out from your time as a journalist?
A: Once, when I was still in college, I was sent to do a puff piece on a new diner that had opened, so I went to interview the diner owner and I asked him the first thing I always asked everybody: where were you born? He said he was born in Poland, so I asked him what brought him to America and he pulls his sleeve back and showed me the numbers tattooed on his forearm. He had been in Auschwitz. It turned out to be a very different story than I’d expected.
Q: What do you love about selling real estate?
A: All the different people I’m in touch with, the different personalities and constantly changing scenarios. Even now, 12 years later, I still learn something from every single transaction. I work crazy hours, but I have time to spend on the golf course during the week. Needham is a great town full of great people. I feel very fortunate. I’m grateful to my clients for helping to make me a success. I just can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing.
Balzer Tobin’s Top Five Favorite Things (Other Than Selling Real Estate):
- Spending time with her children, ages 24 and 21
- Cooking
- Reading
- Golf
- Golf
