Main Line Find
Lynise Caruso, a Realtor with Keller Williams Main Line Luxury, relies on her 20-plus years of experience and a keen eye for aesthetics to match buyers and sellers.
“When I walk into the right property, I know I’ve found something special,” says Lynise Caruso, a Realtor with Keller Williams Main Line Luxury. “In order to succeed as a Realtor, you really have to get to know your buyer. It’s like a dating game and I’m trying to make a match. The right buyer and the right house really is love at first sight.”
Lynise matches buyers with homes throughout the Main Line, with a particular concentration in the western suburbs, from Radnor to Malvern. Among her areas of expertise is relocation, helping people from outside the area find the home and neighborhood best suited for their lifestyle. Lynise has her own relocation story, having moved to the Philadelphia area from her native Chicago. She has since amassed more than 20 years of experience in the Philadelphia-area real estate.
“There’s something indescribable about this area that people love,” she says. “The Main Line especially is home to so many top schools. And it’s so perfectly located; we are just two hours to the beaches, the mountains, New York, and D.C. Plus, Philadelphia has a unique spirit. Philly has it.”
She also mentions the tightknit support in the community, and loyalty between friends and families.
“It floors me every day when I think about how this city has supported me and allowed me to build up this great business even though I’m from Chicago,” she adds. “Also, even in this spike in the market, Philly is still affordable compared to other major cities. We are lucky.”
In addition to knowing the ins and outs of the area’s unique cultures and neighborhoods, Lynise has a keen eye for those special features that make a home shine. For example, she cites the distinctive stonework of homes along the Main Line.
“You don’t get that kind of stonework anywhere else—it’s historic and beautiful,” she says. “Even though the outskirts of the city are becoming very urban-suburban, places are adding town centers that are extremely beautiful. In and around Malvern, you can’t subdivide lots under five acres now because they’re trying to keep the horses, trails, trees, and other gorgeous features. You can’t find that anywhere else, and I do appreciate all that.”
Lynise credits her stepfather for her strong work ethic and drive. He led by example and pushed her to work hard and “be the best example of me I could be.” Her mother, a Chicago art dealer, passed along her eye for design and appreciation of the arts.
“I think it was always in my genes,” Lynise shares. “I always had it in me. Real estate allows me to explore a little bit of that fine-arts side to me. I can walk in and out of homes all day long. I love stonework, old farmhouses, and mixing contemporary with modern; I like an eclectic look that mixes different woods and eras.”
Lynise works closely with sellers to properly stage and prepare their home for market. It’s an essential skill; a potential buyer can make up his or her mind about a property in the blink of an eye.
“You have to grab someone’s attention as quick as you can,” Lynise says. “There are proven statistics saying that a buyer knows in the first five minutes whether or not they want a house. Usually, it’s aesthetics right up front, then the feel comes right after that. I see this in action time and time again with buyers; it’s why I want someone’s attention in the first five seconds.”
She says networks such as HGTV have fueled people’s appetites for the latest and greatest innovations in design and décor. This trend presents its own challenges, but when the right buyer walks into the right home, she says it’s a magical moment.
“You can tell when a buyer is completely excited,” she adds. “I call it their ‘wow face’ because the buyer doesn’t even have to say a word. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s so rewarding when it does. Getting a ‘wow face’ is my favorite part of the business.
“Everyone deserves a home, whether it’s $200,000 or $2 million,” she says. “If you take care of people, they’ll take care of you. That’s why I work to take really good care of my clients, no matter what the price bracket, no matter what location.”
For more information about Lynise Caruso, visit www.lynisecarusoteam.com. Contact Lynise directly at (610) 564-2102 or lynise@comcast.net.
Photo by Nina Lea Photography
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, September 2022.
