House of Hearthside

It’s not often you meet someone and immediately desire their job. Yet, speaking with the brother and sister team at Coldwell Banker Hearthside Robin Mancuso, COO, and Jamie Mancuso, CEO it’s impossible not to envy the light in their eyes as they talk about real estate, and more so, the joy in the room when they describe their work family.

Coldwell Banker Hearthside was co-founded by Frank Mancuso, Robin and Jamie’s father, in their childhood. Initially, both siblings thought that they didn’t want any part of following in their father’s footsteps into real estate. But within minutes of hearing them banter and laugh, it’s evident that they both made the right career choice. They each took different paths into the business. Robin initially jumped into a tangential area of real estate right out of high school, founding a title, transaction, and conveyancing business. This gave Robin a behind-the-scenes understanding of real estate transactions; what happened beyond the walkthrough and the offer that made a real estate transaction close successfully. Jamie took a more direct route into the brokerage, but learned from the bottom up. His first job was putting up real estate signs for the agents who worked for his father’s two offices. Since 1997, Jamie has worked in every aspect of the business.

Their father retired in 2008, during the time that the world largely regards as “The Great Recession.” Jamie called upon everything he had learned from over 10 years in the business to not only protect it during that time, but to strengthen it and build toward the future. They invested in technology, process, and people. They found their success by being nimble in a changing market.

Strength in Numbers

The real estate market is constantly changing, and Hearthside has shouldered it all, from the booming market of the past few years, to the rise of interest rates and a market dip. Through it all, but especially in a market downturn, Jamie and Robin keep their finger on the heart of their business: the people. Coldwell Banker has been around for 100 years, and the Mancuso’s Hearthside franchise celebrates three decades of life. With a business’s longevity comes trust and respect, both with potential clients but also among realtors. Beyond history in the community, the Mancusos pride themselves on their commitment to innovation, adaptability and creativity. “You come to Coldwell Banker Hearthside if you want to grow. We are not the company for you if you want to be status quo”, says Jamie.

One of their greatest struggles is the perception that Hearthside isn’t locally owned and operated, which it is. As a franchise, the Mancusos believe they have the best of both worlds. They benefit from the name and experience behind the global business of Coldwell Banker, as well as the leadership and mentorship from senior industry leaders. As a locally owned and operated franchise, they also have the ability to remain flexible to the needs of the community and the individual business.

Becoming a successful realtor requires more than just a license. Jamie coaches agents. There is a reason some of the top-producing realtors and teams in PA choose Hearthside. “For our competitors,” said Jamie, “you sink or swim on your own. Here we are family first. It's different. You have to buy into the system which also means you can call us 24/7 and we celebrate your successes.”

Innovation and Power Collabs

The collaborative nature of the Hearthside strategy also manifested itself into a change in the way they thought about office space. At one time, the focus had been on maintaining local presence in each town and borough. Jamie was the one who envisioned the larger collaborative space. It was a significant departure in strategy, and people were skeptical. But the gamble paid off; it strengthened the bond and brought the whole corporation under one roof- title, conveyancing, transaction, and finance.

The office has been designed to be modern and open, similar to a contemporary coworking space. Parts of the space are truly Instagram-able; perfect for that post transaction photo op. There are small groups of realtors sitting together, huddled over a laptop, hard at work. On this day, Jamie and Robin, along with Chris Harding, the manager of the Newtown-Yardley office, have ordered lunch for everyone to inspire networking and conversation. What they provide to realtors is the backbone; a support system, camaraderie, education, and the best in technology from MLS it processing support.

When it comes to mentoring, Jamie and Robin are big believers both in the role as mentor but also as mentees. Beyond the leadership at Coldwell Banker, Jamie participates in a national group called the Multi Office Broker Group, which consists of independent companies that function as a peer-to-peer advisory group. They complete intensive company reviews, performing interviews with personnel, financial analysis, and provide a wealth of knowledge via feedback.

Thriving- Not Just Surviving- in a Down-Turned Market

The country has experienced not only major shifts in real estate of the past few years, but whiplash. With the pandemic, we saw a jaw-dropping number of millennials leave cities and invest in homes. Supply became an issue, and brokerages worked around the clock to keep up with demand. Fast forward just a few short years, and it’s a totally different story. The rise of interest rates has grinded deal flow to a trickle. And in the Philadelphia region, it appears as if the region has experienced a permanent market adjustment in property value. Some zip codes have seen their home values double. This poses a conundrum for boomers: affordable housing in our area for 55+ homeowners. Empty nesters who once contemplated “downsizing” are no longer making moves.

This type of whiplash can be extremely difficult for realtors who lack a support system. For Hearthside, this a moment where experience is in their favor, having navigated the twists and turns of the market for decades. Life happens; death, divorce, the fall of interest rates, it’s a matter of time. People outgrow their homes, transition comes, and eventually there will be more inventory.

While some people view this time as a period of panic, the Mancusos see the time as a period to learn and grow. Jamie credits his team for taking his crazy ideas and making them work. And, he credits his sister Robin as being the anchor, the balance in the equation. Their work relationship works because his mindset is out-of-the-box and hers is steady. More importantly the combination shines in a down market. They thrive with a growth mindset and have the coaching and support to succeed.

Take It From The Mayor

Chris Harding has been with Coldwell Banker Hearthside for more than 25 years. In his personal time he is also the mayor of Yardley Borough. With this experience comes the natural absorption of the culture that has been cultivated at Hearthside. He has recruited 12 agents in the last two months and attributes it all to the family atmosphere. “If you need help with an agreement of sale you can call your manager at 10 pm at night. We have in-house attorneys. We have in-house title. We are approachable, and we are always here for them.”

“They know you have a life and your family comes first. This is not a corporate environment. We aren't just pushing files through. There is a genuine interest in making the agents happy,” notes Chris. Harding is an example of Hearthside’s interest in promoting from within. Chris started in sales moved on to manager, and then went into mortgages. He left Hearthside for a period of time and joined Coldwell Banker corporate a trainer, traveling the country throughout the many dozens of Coldwell Banker local businesses. When the time was right, the Mancusos were excited to have Harding back in-house. For agents who want to get out of sales, there is movement and paths here for them here.

“When I was a real estate agent here not only did they offer me all the tools to be successful but I knew that if there was something that was new or something that I thought could benefit myself or the company they would find a way to get that done. As a manager they gave me my first opportunity to step into that role. They gave me a chance to grow and build my resume. Coming back, it's all about family now and that's why I'm here almost 30 years” he says teary eyed.

Growing the Family

For Chris it's easy to recruit agents when he completely believes in the Hearthside philosophy and mission. As a realtor, he took pride in telling clients that he would work harder than anyone to help them sell their home. Now, he sees the realtors as his clients. And to those agents, whether they are first-time realtors or looking for a brokerage, Chris confidently says they will have full support and be welcomed with open arms. He “guarantees this company will be there for them and continues to keep the culture alive.”

“There is an energy when you come together. You feel like you are a part of something.”- Chris Harding