Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate Newsdesk Blog

Honoring America’s Best: 11 PSA Agents & Teams Earn National Recognition

RealTrends recently released the 2023 America’s Best Real Estate Professionals rankings, and Patterson-Schwartz is thrilled to announce that eleven of our best and brightest agents and teams have made the list! This remarkable achievement positions them as industry leaders, representing the top 1.5% of more than 1.6 million real estate professionals nationwide.

Now in its 11^th year, the recent rankings measure closed transaction sides and closed volume for 2022. In total, over 27,500 U.S. real estate sales associates from every state are featured in America’s Best.

Each honoree earned their spot during another competitive year in our industry, surpassing production benchmarks and delivering outstanding service. We are proud of our local brand and service legacy that proves our agents and teams are prepared for any market challenge and only getting stronger.

Being recognized among the highest performing agents in the United States is a well-deserved honor for these hard-working members of the PSA family who continue to raise the bar in the real estate industry. Get to know them on the list below!

America’s Best – Delaware Rankings 2023

PSA Top Individuals by Transactions Sides (Out of 25):

#14 John Zacharias (Ocean View)

PSA Top Individuals by Volume (Out of 35):

#10 John Zacharias (Ocean View)

PSA Top Small Teams by Transactions Sides (Out of 20):

PSA Top Small Teams by Volume (Out of 18):

#11 Delaware Shore Properties (Rehoboth Beach)
#13 The AnnMarie Germano Group (Hockessin)
#15 The Hadley Group (Hockessin)
#17 Eddins & Hanna Team (Hockessin)
#18 Team Landon (Newark)

PSA Top Medium Teams by Transactions Sides (Out of 16):

PSA Top Medium Teams by Volume (Out of 16):

America’s Best – Maryland Rankings 2023

PSA Top Individuals by Transactions Sides (Out of 121):

PSA Top Individuals by Volume (Out of 233):

#126 Amber Durand (Chesapeake City)

Click here to review the comp lete list

About Us

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate is Delaware’s largest independent real estate brokerage and offers a full range of services that include residential home sales, purchase and rental, relocation services, and property management. We’ve been guiding home buyers and sellers since 1961, and invite you to connect with us when you’re ready to partner with a local real estate expert.

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Worth a Click: PSA’s New Online Home Valuation Tool

Selling a home can be an exciting yet daunting task, especially when it comes to determining its market value. Fortunately, Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate has partnered with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® and Percy, the renowned real estate technology company, to address the two most important questions every potential seller has: What is my home worth? And do you have buyers for it?

Get a Feel for the Market

By analyzing nearby sales, buyer behavior, and your home’s unique characteristics, our home valuation tool provides three valuations along with insight into the number of buyers actively searching for a property just like yours! Whether you’re considering selling or simply curious about your home’s value, this user-friendly online tool presents real-time buyer activity heat maps and profiles of potential buyers that make the data come alive. With just a few clicks, you can gain a clearer understanding of the value your property holds in today’s competitive market.

Sell with Confidence

Our new online home valuation tool acts as a powerful stepping stone towards a successful home selling journey. Armed with comprehensive insights, you can confidently navigate the real estate market, set an optimal listing price, and make informed decisions throughout the selling process.

As a renowned real estate agency with a long-standing history of excellence, Patterson-Schwartz brings in-depth local knowledge and industry experience to the table. Our team of local experts is readily available to provide personalized guidance and expert advice when you’re ready to take that step.

Discover the new “What’s My Home Worth?” tool, now available on pattersonschwartz.com, and embark on a successful selling journey with confidence.

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From Rookie to Mentor & Manager: PSA’s Dave Watlington

Get ready to meet one of the most passionate and dedicated real estate agents out there! Dave Watlington is not just any ordinary manager of the Middletown office at Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate; he is a leader who takes the time to coach new agents and ensure they have the knowledge and resources to thrive. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Dave and pick his brain about his experiences at Patterson-Schwartz and what keeps him going.

How long have you been at Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate? How did you grow with the company?

I started my real estate career with Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate in 2003 and this month marks 20 years with the company. I have been growing with PSA since the day I started. For the first five years I learned as much as I could from the agents and leaders of our company, participated in numerous networking events, and took countless number of hours of continuing education classes. In 2008, I was provided with an opportunity to support my broker/manager with the training and development of agents in the office. Little did I know I would spend the next eight years under the tutelage of Chris Cashman learning how to be an effective managing broker! In 2015, I became the managing broker for our Middletown sales center and also obtained my instructor’s license which allows me to teach continuing education and pre-licensing classes.

What keeps you here?

That’s easy, the people. I have truly enjoyed working with the agents, leadership team, and various other valuable contributors from our administrative departments. I have always felt appreciated and valued here — which is why I have never considered being anywhere else.

What does Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate mean to you?

Professionally, Patterson-Schwartz means the world to me. They provided me with the platform to be successful in the real estate industry. I have also created many relationships through my work with Patterson-Schwartz, many of whom are now some of my closest friends.

What opportunities has working for PSA given you?

Working for Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate has provided me with a wide range of opportunities, such as establishing a career while maintaining a healthy work-life balance; meeting, helping, and teaching people; volunteering; and contributing to the future success of a local company that has been providing exceptional services since 1961. I’m currently in the running for the LLS Visionary of the Year. It’s all about raising money for the fight against blood cancer. A group of Patterson-Schwartz leadership and employees, including myself, raised over $5,000 as guest bartenders at BBC Tavern as part of this campaign. I love how everyone at PSA supports each other.

How do you like to spend a relaxing day?

Finding time to relax can be a challenge, but I do really enjoy going to the beach with family and friends, playing golf, or watching sports.

Ready to grow with us?

Dave’s experiences at Patterson-Schwartz have shaped him into the leader he is today, and he is grateful for all the opportunities he’s found here. If you’re looking for friendly, dedicated management with experience and passion for real estate that will ignite your career, then look no further than Patterson-Schwartz!

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Building Your Real Estate Career Starts Here

Are you a new agent looking to break into the world of real estate? Or maybe you’re an experienced agent looking to take your real estate career to the next level? Look no further than Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate, where our Successful Start program provides incredible support and training tools to help you succeed!

We understand the importance of a strong foundation for all of our agents, which is why our comprehensive in-person training program features informative classes with our experienced office managers, Q&A panels with experienced agents, and hands-on marketing and technology training from our dedicated and knowledgeable team of experts.

Don’t just take our word for it — hear from our new agents themselves!

Amanda Sabin, with our Hockessin office, believes the Successful Start program is a great way to get started in the industry. “As a new agent, I didn’t know what to expect or the questions to ask. When I was given the opportunity to learn more through the Successful Start program, I jumped on it, and I’m so glad I did. The class was so informative and a jumpstart into the real estate world. Justin was an awesome instructor along with everyone involved.”

Julianna Lee, who has seen great success in her first eight months at Patterson-Schwartz, credits the training and her instructors for her achievements. “You will get everything you need to become a successful agent through Successful Start. It’s been eight months since I joined Patterson-Schwartz. I have two listings and six buyers under contract. I could not have done this without Successful Start!!! Thanks to Sal, Angela, Justin, and Emma!!! The best teachers and friends, EVER!”

Armando Gomez, of the Brandywine office, emphasizes the depth and breadth of content covered in the program. “When I heard Successful Start would be five weeks of additional education following the 99 hours of my pre-licensing course, my first thought was that it would be duplicate information. However, the Successful Start Program is completely different than the pre-licensing course. It provides the tools you need to put your knowledge in practice and our PSA instructors make it fun and experiential. I can’t think of new agents succeeding without it.”

Matt Harkins, with our Rehoboth Beach office, praises the support and encouragement he received from the PSA team. “As a new agent, I truly believe there aren’t any other brokerages out there that compare to Patterson-Schwartz when it comes to support and training. Since my first day, everyone I’ve come across has been so pleasant and helpful while I inundate them with my seemingly never-ending questions!”

Beth Barry, a member of the Schwartz & Barry Associates team, adds, “Joining Patterson-Schwartz to begin my real estate career has been a perfect fit. The Successful Start program provided pertinent information, data and tools to help me start as well as advance my business. Everyone has been open and available. We continue to be introduced to new tools and opportunities. I am happy to be part of this caring and progressive team.”

What you need to succeed

As you can tell, our agents believe the training and support they receive through our Successful Start program has been essential to establishing their career in real estate. And with opportunities to learn and grow that extend well past this outstanding program for new hires, our agents further benefit from a robust culture of on-going support that continues to move their business forward. If you’re looking for a brokerage with excellent support and training wherever you are in your career, we’d love to chat with you about a career with Patterson-Schwartz!

Ready to grow with us?

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A Strong Foundation: Giving Back at Patterson-Schwartz

What does it mean to partner with a company that shares your values on charitable giving? We spoke to members across the PSA family about how where they work is helping them make a difference where they live.

“Always there, always supporting!”

“From winter dances and bowling to golf and summer bocce ball, it is the highlight each month to get together with our Cecil County Special Olympic athletes. Thank you to Patterson-Schwartz for being supportive of this great organization and caring about our community of athletes.” – Linda McKinnon, PSA Elkton sales team

“As a real estate agent, I like to be involved in the community that I serve — especially with Cecil County Special Olympics. The support and donations from Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate have directly contributed to the success of the annual “Ice Splash” fundraiser for our athletes. And in 2022, my PSA family supported the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man & Women of the Year and helped my fundraising campaign in a huge way. Always there, always supporting!” – Danielle Ward, PSA Elkton sales team

In addition to being colleagues, Danielle Ward and Linda McKinnon are friends who partner up to support the Cecil County Special Olympics as well as the local real estate community through their work with CCBOR®. Our Elkton office is a small but mighty force when it comes to caring about the people and area it serves.

“So giving, so caring — that’s PSA!”

“There was a wonderful opportunity to help Faithful Friends Animal Society, which I hold so close to my heart. I asked for a donation, and, of course, the Patterson-Schwartz Foundation came through! So easy, so giving, so caring within the community we live and work in — that’s Patterson-Schwartz!” – Jennifer Jamieson, PSA Greenville & Coastal Offices admin team

Jennifer’s cat, Augustus, was adopted from Faithful Friends Animal Society in April 2022. Located in Wilmington, Faithful Friends Animal Society is a private, nonprofit animal welfare organization with a No Kill shelter and community veterinary clinic. Learn more about their adoption, foster, volunteer, and donation opportunities on their website.

“Values philanthropy as much as I do“

“For nearly 17 years, I have worked with Meals on Wheels, DE, to help home-bound seniors as well as raise funds and awareness for the cause. When I joined [PSA] it became immediately apparent to me that the company has been supporting [MOWD] and the greater community for far longer! It’s so great knowing I work for a company values philanthropy as much as I do.” – Mike Clement, The Crifasi Group of PSA Greenville

Patterson-Schwartz was a proud returning sponsor of the 2023 Meals on Wheels Delaware Cellar Master’s Wine Auction — their largest grossing event of the year. From fundraising to volunteer efforts, PSA remains a committed community partner of MOWD year after year.

At Patterson-Schwartz, we embrace the philosophy that being a good neighbor is more than just giving money to a worthy cause – it’s about developing and investing in the community in which we live and do business. That’s why our sales associates and employees give countless hours of their time to charitable causes.

In support of this culture of giving back, Patterson-Schwartz donates a portion of the proceeds from every real estate transaction to the PSA Foundation. Since its inception in 2001, the PSA Foundation has donated nearly 1.4 Million to local charities and organizations that are close to the hearts of the PSA family of sales associates and employees.

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PSA Rises in Top Independent Broker Ranks, No. 1 in Del.

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate is proud to be among the nation’s top brokerages in The RealTrends Five Hundred, an annual report published by RealTrends of the top 500 real estate brokerages in the United States. Rising to 66^th nationally among private independent brokerages and maintaining the number one spot as Delaware’s leading locally owned and independently operated brokerage, Patterson-Schwartz closed 2022 with a total sales volume of $1,484,562,093 with 3,756 transaction sides.

Real People, Real Local

Patterson-Schwartz may stand out as one of the few locally owned companies in an industry dominated in recent days by big brands and franchises, but our connection to the community and its people is hardly a novelty.

For over 60 years, we have honed an ability to adapt and overcome market challenges by listening to, learning about, and anticipating the needs of our agents, clients, and industry. And as independent broker, we have the freedom to react quickly and efficiently to implement the methods and technology that best suit our unique market.

We’ve weathered good markets and bad with innovative marketing strategies, top notch tools and resources, and a supportive company culture that pulls from our collective experience and knowledge. And at the root of all our success is the hard work of our family of sales associates, staff, and leadership team who live and breathe what it means to be local and genuinely care for the people and communities they serve.

“I firmly believe that Patterson-Schwartz is about the people, the relationships, and the overall compassion that we have for each other and our customers. I’m proud of the culture that Patterson-Schwartz fosters. I’m proud that we truly are a local brand that gives back and supports the local community through its agents and employees. It is certainly unique in today’s world.” – Jason Giles, PSA Executive Vice-President, Brokerage Operations

Locally Grown, Nationally Recognized

Headquartered in the town of Hockessin, Delaware, Patterson-Schwartz has been lighting the way home for over 60 years. We are Delaware’s largest independent real estate brokerage with ten offices and over 500+ sales associates and staff. We offer a full range of services including residential home sales and rentals, relocation services, and property management. We invite you to connect with us when you’re ready to partner with a local real estate expert.

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Someone to Count On: PSA’s Laura Walls Losco

Meet Laura Walls Losco, Accounting Manager at our corporate headquarters located in the Hockessin office! She has grown with PSA, having started in 2010 as an assistant agent in the Hockessin and Greenville offices before joining our Financial Services department in 2016. We sat down with Laura to learn a little more about her, what she does at Patterson-Schwartz, and when she discovered her love of real estate.

Laura Walls Losco (right) posing with Patterson-Schwartz President & CEO, Joe Pluscht, Jr.

How did you choose your career in real estate?

Since I can remember, I’ve had an inherent interest in real estate and interior design. When I was about ten years old, I recall asking my parents if we could buy the newspaper on Sunday. I would spend hours combing through every real estate listing I could find in the paper, circling the ones I thought my parents might be interested in purchasing. My dad actually drove me to open houses a few times to meet with the agents on duty so they could tell me about their job!

I got my real estate license at 18 years old and worked under an experienced agent for five years, learning invaluable knowledge about the market and this business. During this time, I also got my degrees in Finance and Economics from University of Delaware. Working in the Financial Services department here at Patterson-Schwartz has been a great way to combine my love of real estate with my love of mathematics!

Tell us a little about what you do.

Arguably the most important task I perform every day is processing commission checks. I always try to exceed expectations by having a fast turnaround time while retaining accuracy.

In the words of Charlie Schwartz, I am always “ticking and flicking” while reconciling our accounts

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes on in the Financial Services department and I learn something new every day! Joe Pluscht has been a wealth of knowledge in my transition to Accounting Manager! I love working with and learning from the best in the business!

Do you have a motto that you follow for your business, real estate, or in general?

Growing up, my tennis coach imparted a lot of wisdom to me for both on and off the court. To this day, I live by two things he taught me:

“No problem is too big or too complicated that I can’t overcome.”

and

“Press the reset button.”

This is a great reminder that I can do anything I put my mind to, whether it be on the tennis court, at work, or in life.

How do you like to spend a relaxing day?

In our spare time, my husband Matt and I love playing and watching tennis, doing yoga, and cooking up specialty gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free meals in the kitchen!

I’m an avid animal lover and can usually be found walking with our dog, Charlotte, around Carousel Park or Lewes Beach!

Ready to grow with us?

As you can tell, Laura believes in the power of partnerships within our PSA family and the benefits our long service legacy bring to the organization. If you’re intrigued by how easy access to experienced mentors and leadership can move your business forward, we’d love to chat with you about a career with Patterson-Schwartz!

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Business Management Gets a Major Boost at PSA

“This industry moves and changes fast and our agents need the ability to quickly and efficiently access the information and resources they need,” says Donna Greenspan, Patterson-Schwartz Executive Vice President of Administration. “We love offering the right tools in the right moment, especially ones thoughtfully crafted for own agents.”

Last month the Patterson-Schwartz tech team wrapped up a series of office roadshows demonstrating our re-imagined and newly mobile-responsive online business and listing data management system, PS@NET. It’s a project our technology team and in-house focus group proudly worked on for a great part of 2022.

Donna Greenspan addressing a packed training room at PSA Hockessin in January 2023

Designed for PSA, by PSA

“Building technology internally allows us to customize and create access to tools and resources that work best for our agents and our ever-evolving industry,” says Sue Kennedy, Patterson-Schwartz Technology Manager. “We launched PS@NET in 1998 as our first internal online listing management system. We’ve been fine-tuning with added features and functions ever since.”

While a one-stop resource for property searches, transaction management, real estate tools, and company news, this latest version of PS@NET is our most robust version to date. It was re-designed in response to how our agents do business — on the go and on the spot.

Streamlining the mobile experience played a large part in the re-design. Menus and most-used tools are front and center; and added features, like goal-trackers and quick search options, further enhance the user experience. But making it feel fresh was just as important as making it feel familiar.

“We really listen to our agents and carefully watch the way they do business. Our internal systems support them by being smart and intuitive, but also accessible and uncomplicated. We launched the new PS@NET at the beginning of the year, and our agents are already becoming fluent users,” says Sue.

Launched at the Right Time

Agents were able to start using the new PS@NET and take advantage of its new features in January — a time of year when business planning and goal-setting is top of mind, and ahead of the busy spring market to come.

“Change is good! In addition to the new look, I can find things with less ‘clicks’, customize my frequently used tools, and the entire system mirrors what I see and do on my cell! In today’s world, we require quick and easy access to the tools we need and the new PS@NET does exactly that!”
Lori Davis, Patterson-Schwartz Newark sales team

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We Speak Your Language at Patterson-Schwartz

At Patterson-Schwartz we are proud to have a diverse team of real estate agents who help buyers and sellers of all backgrounds and cultures. By speaking the same language, our agents’ approach to assisting their clients comes from a place of compassion, understanding, and connection.

National Foreign Language Week (March 5 – 11) serves to highlight and honor all languages across the globe. To celebrate and recognize this week, we invited our agents to share how speaking another language has shaped their life or career.

Language Connects Us

“Because my family is from Mexico, I grew up speaking Spanish. My parents wanted me to continue to embrace our culture and traditions. Growing up multilingual has given me empathy for others who learned English as second language.

“My language skills have given me patience and understanding of cultural differences and the ability to read expressions. I have somehow managed to hold conversations with Brazilians and Italians, even though neither of us knew exactly what was being said.

“Language connects us, even when we don’t speak the same language.”

Diana Vieyra, PSA Hockessin sales team, Spanish speaker

Language Teaches Us How To Listen

“Languages shaped not only my career but also my life in full. I was born in Latvia, which was a bilingual country at the time. From a very young age I learned that not everyone speaks the same language and it is okay… I have to learn how to communicate.

“By the time I moved to the United States, I knew three languages and could ask simple questions in two more. I’ve met people from all backgrounds and ethnicities — Arabs, Israelis, Ukrainians, Romanians — and, so far, I have never had a problem communicating with any of them. And it is not because I know their language. It is because my exposure to foreign languages taught me how to listen, hear different accents, and relay that information to my knowledge. That is why I think it is vital to recognize foreign languages: it will help us to become closer with someone from another part of the world.

“This is truly a priceless experience!”

Karina Pippin, Rehoboth Beach sales team, speaks Latvian and Russian

Language Helps Us Appreciate Different Backgrounds

“I grew up speaking Hungarian in my grandmother’s home. She had come to America in 1956 as a refugee from Hungary. She didn’t pick up English easily so, from a young age, I always made her phone calls and accompanied her on appointments — always happy to be her translator.”

“This gave me respect for the courage and bravery of immigrants coming to this country to start a life here in our land of the free.

“Fast forward to having children of my own: they attend an amazing local public school with people from all backgrounds. After meeting a new classmate-turned-friend who only speaks Spanish, my 8-year old daughter was inspired to learn the language. Our family of four now takes daily Spanish lessons over Duolingo. We’re hoping to learn enough to be helpful to someone, someday. “

Monica Bush, Greenville sales team, speaks Hungarian

Did you know?

Nearly 11% of our agents are bi- or multilingual representing 22 languages and a large number international communities. Find a Patterson-Schwartz sales associate who speaks your language from the list below:

Spanish	Hindi	Polish
Arabic	Hungarian	Portuguese
Chinese	Igbo	Punjabi
Farsi	Korean	Turkish
French	Latvian	Ukrainian
German	Mandarin	Urdu
Greek	Mandarin Chinese
Gujarati	Norwegian

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Teaming Up for Charity: Giving Back at Patterson-Schwartz

In support of this culture of giving back, Patterson-Schwartz donates a portion of the proceeds from every real estate transaction to the PSA Foundation. Since its inception in 2001, the PSA Foundation has donated nearly $1.4 Million to local charities and organizations that are close to the hearts of the PSA family of sales associates and employees.

What does it mean to partner with a company that shares your values on charitable giving?

“‘We Are Local’ is embedded in the core of Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate’s investment in the local community. When I received the call that The Hadley Group was going to be the main event sponsor for the First State Half Marathon, I knew beyond a doubt that [PSA] would support my team, the cause, and the community. Already looking forward to the next race.” – Brian Hadley, PSA Hockessin sales team

Patterson-Schwartz will be back running along side Brian and The Hadley Group for the second annual First State Half Marathon and 10k planned for Saturday, March 25th 2023. Visit the event page for more information.

“The Delmarva Aces North Baseball Team, a local little league program that my grandson is a part of, lived a dream and had the time of their lives in part because of PSA’s support. The parents told me their travel team had so much fun and made so many memories thanks to the donations from their sponsors.” – Kelley Quinn, PSA Brandywine support team

From supporting local little league teams to organizing coat drives, Kelley and her Brandywine office colleagues are making a difference in the community beyond assisting with real estate needs. Follow the Brandywine office Facebook page to learn more.

“I have been working for Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate for 19 years and they have always generously supported causes that I was personally involved with. Their support of events, such as the American Heart Association Golf Outing, shows how much the company cares about local organizations that support worthy causes. Their generosity has incentivized me to be more active in my community!” – Dave Watlington, PSA Middletown management team

Patterson-Schwartz is a proud returning sponsor for the 2023 Swing For Heart Classic benefiting the American Heart Association Delaware. Learn more about the July 10 event by visiting their webpage.

As you can see, giving back at Patterson-Schwartz is a true team effort, and every member of our PSA family plays an important part. We truly love where we live and work, and embrace efforts that make the communities we serve great places to call home.