Dynamic Duo
From fast friends to business partners, COMPASS RE Realtors Randy Snyder and Geniene Polukord have cultivated a flourishing enterprise and a seamless client experience.
Sometimes, you know about a person right away.
About 10 years ago, Geniene Polukord was interviewing Realtors to list a unique home she had custom built and designed with her family. The process was not going very smoothly, as she was hearing none of the innovative marketing ideas she knew it would take to sell such a distinctive home. None of the agents left a lasting impression.
Then came Randy Snyder. Snyder had been well established in her career, yet she still felt butterflies before any big meeting. When she walked into the house Polukord’s family had built, she felt an instant connection—one that Polukord also noticed.
“It was such a beautiful thing,” Snyder recalls. “I knew I was up against some of the top agents in the area, and I was a little bit nervous. But Geniene is incredibly warm and inviting, and her dad was there and he’s the same way. It was just a positive chemical reaction, and we all felt good as soon as I walked through the door.
“I pride myself on doing exceptionally thorough work when I prepare for my appointments,” she continues, “and that combination of being prepared and having a good gut feeling helped me win the listing. I continued to impress them because I found a buyer who could pay a price they were happy with, within a relatively short period of time.”
The transaction was so successful that the two kept in touch through the years and developed a genuine friendship. Polukord was working for an education publishing company at the time, managing a $30 million sales group with 15 employees, but the frequent travel of the job was taking her away from her young children. She made the bold decision to change careers. With her father, brother, and uncles involved in home construction and maintenance, she felt real estate was a natural fit.
“It’s a big step when you lose all of the corporate perks and venture out on your own,” Polukord says. “I worked alongside Randy for the first few years. As she established trust and knew I could work up to her caliber and energy level and be a part of all aspects of the transaction, then we fully partnered about a year ago.”
Snyder and Polukord teamed up under COMPASS RE, working throughout New Jersey, with an emphasis on Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties. They are routinely recognized by the NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence and combined for $15 million total sales volume in 2021.
“When Geniene decided to switch gears and reached out to me, I jumped out of my seat with excitement,” Snyder adds. “I just knew in my heart she would be a rare individual who I would want to work with, because I typically like to work alone. She’s got an incredible work ethic and she excels in areas I don’t, and I excel in areas she doesn’t. We really make a beautiful team.”
Polukord brings an impeccable eye for design, enjoys the staging process, and has been known to personally shop for extra accessories that will help showcase a home. She is also well versed in technology, marketing, and social media. Snyder, on the other hand, thrives on old-fashioned networking and has developed meaningful connections throughout the area and beyond. Having almost two decades of industry experience, she is a skilled negotiator and understands the fluctuations of the market.
“We definitely complement each other, and where we’re very similar is our work ethic and our high energy,” Polukord says. “It never feels like a burden to accept a call or have a conversation about a client between us or with them. It’s just how we operate. We’re on the go all the time.”
Snyder and Polukord take a hands-on approach to helping clients. They are unafraid to roll up their sleeves, whether it’s moving furniture for a home staging or walking the family’s dog during a showing. In addition, they have curated a team of trusted lenders, contractors, and other vendors should a client need anything related to the buying or selling process.
They handle a wide range of clients, from first-time homebuyers to downsizing retirees to house flippers, and are equally comfortable working with high-end homes as they are fixer-uppers. “We give everyone equal opportunity with our time,” Polukord says. “We never cut corners, whether you’re buying a $300,000 home or a million-dollar estate. That’s how we ethically run our business.”
Snyder has never quite seen a market like the current one, which has been driven by low inventory and high demand, leading to bidding wars and homes selling well above asking price. She admits the challenging conditions require extra patience, especially while working with buyers. But that’s where the duo’s personal touch comes into play.
“From the minute we meet people, we make people feel at ease,” Snyder says. “There are no silly questions that they can ask. These are highly intelligent people who are not necessarily experts in real estate transactions. We handle the process from beginning to end, and the end doesn’t mean at the closing of a transaction. There’s a lot of follow-up with us and people feel comfortable staying in touch with us.”
Like Polukord, Snyder started out in a different career, having worked as a personal trainer for 20 years. Both women have undoubtedly found their niche in real estate, and they are thrilled to have formed a thriving partnership.
“I love what I do, to the point that my husband thinks I have a love affair with real estate,” Snyder says with a laugh. “When you think about the two primary jobs I’ve had in my life, which are personal training and real estate, they both involve interacting with people on a very close level, and I thoroughly enjoy that. If I’m able to, I’ll do this the rest of my life.”
“I can’t envision myself ever again in an office-based position,” Polukord adds. “I’m glad I had all those years of experience because it showed me where I want to be and what I want to do. When you’re your own boss and you’re in control of your clients and what you do each day, it gives you that extra push to do more.”
Randy Snyder and Geniene Polukord
COMPASS RE
(609) 285-3588
compass.com/agents/randy-and-geniene
COMPASS RE
(609) 285-3588
compass.com/agents/randy-and-geniene
Photograph by Michelle Wolfe
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, March 2022.
