Christine Fairchild Selected As Newtown Realtor Of The Year

By Nancy K. Crevier

Christine Fairchild takes her job, the buyers, and the sellers whom she assists seriously as a realtor with Coldwell Banker. And that attitude is one among many reasons, said nominating committee member Laurie Silber of Century-21, that Ms Fairchild was recently chosen as Newtown Realtor of the Year by the Newtown Board of Realtors.

“Christine was one of my mentors when I started as a realtor seven years ago,” said Ms Silber. “She is so phenomenal. She really enlightened me to learn to look at a house for what it was when pricing, to look past the decorations and really see the house. She taught me a lot and made a big difference in how I carry on in my career, so I am thrilled that she is the Realtor of the Year,” Ms Silber said.

The nominating committee looks at the level of local and regional real estate activity and how a realtor has contributed to the support of local real estate issues and home ownership rights when considering a person for the honor. Ms Fairchild represents Newtown with an exceptional attitude and professional demeanor, attending all of the Board of Realtor meetings — she was vice president of the board in 2007 and is currently serving as president of the board — and attending many of the Connecticut Association of Realtor (CAR) events around the state, said Ms Silber. She also participates in the Realtors at the Capital events each year, meeting with state legislators and senators in Hartford and discussing the issues that affect the rights of property owners in the state.

In addition to support of the local real estate issues, the nominating committee also looks at community involvement, added Ms Silber. “Christine works closely with the Danbury Hospital in volunteering for their development fund, their golf tournament, and their fundraising auctions. She provides support to the American Cancer Society, Regional Hospice, and the local Amber Alert in her office,” Ms Silber said.

“I was very happy to be selected as the Realtor of the Year, and so honored. In Newtown, there are so many deserving realtors,” Ms Fairchild said. She enjoys her work with the other realtors in town, she said, as well as the state and local real estate activities such as the Board of Realtors and CAR.

 “We at CAR are advocates for the homeowners,” stressed Ms Fairchild. “Right now, we are hoping to implement a program called ‘Learn Here, Live Here,’ for example. Our state is losing many young people between the ages of 25 and 35 who are educated here, but find jobs out of state. We want to work with the state legislators to set up incentives to keep our educated young people working and living here in Connecticut.”

Ms Fairchild also represented Newtown at the National Association of Realtors in Las Vegas in 2007, where she was able to meet with realtors from around the country for discussions and “brainstorming” sessions. “It gives you a way to bring back new ideas about buying and selling to your community,” she said.

She has lived in Newtown for 22 years. She has been a realtor for 18 years, working first out of an office in Danbury, and then for the last nine years in Newtown, where she lives with her daughter, Jennifer Badillo, now in her first year of law school in Boston. “I wanted to be right here, specializing in Newtown,” said Ms Fairchild.

It is a town that practically sells itself, no matter what the market, she added. “It’s a great family town and people love the schools here; the schools are the number one draw for buyers here. There is a lot here for families — the tree lighting, Halloween on Main Street, the Labor Day Parade — and so much recreation for children. Newtown is also a little more reasonably priced than down county, and with its proximity to New York City, people are willing to commute. They get more of a home for the dollar in Newtown. It’s just a great town,” she said.

Ms Fairchild has seen the ups and downs of the real estate market, particularly in the past year. From January to August of 2007, realtors in Newtown had sold 259 units. During that same period in 2008, only 178 units had been sold, down 32 percent. Still, even with the recent downturn in the economy, she continues to feel positive about the market. “Newtown really is a healthy real estate climate right now,” she said. “I try to market the homes and work with the seller to get a realistic price. They have to be aware that with so much inventory in town, the buyers are looking for homes in move-in condition. It is a lot more work for the selling homeowner today than it was two years ago,” she said.

 The average selling price in 2007 was $563,629 for a home in Newtown; this year, the average selling price is $505,326, said Ms Fairchild, and average market time for a home is about 115 to 120 days. But that is not necessarily bad news, she said.

“Prices went up so high in past years, that they have really just come back to normal pricing. And it is a buyer’s market, so for first-time buyers, especially, this is a great time to be house hunting. There are some great plans out there geared toward the first-time home buyer,” Ms Fairchild said.

She is dedicated to her clients, she said, utilizing the Internet, open houses, postcard mailings, and other techniques to help her clients sell, and assisting buyers in finding the home that is perfect for them.

“Selling a home is emotional, and I try to guide my sellers in a tactful manner,” said Ms Fairchild. Likewise, she is sensitive to the needs of her buyers. “I feel that buying a house is the biggest financial investment people make. So I listen to people and I don’t push. I want people to find what they really love. I love taking people through the whole process of buying a home, from the finances to the inspections, all the way to the closing.”