At the Top of Her Game
A former lacrosse All-American at Penn State, Janique Craig uses the tireless work ethic and team mentality she honed in athletics to guide her career as a Realtor with Keller Williams.
Some people go through life by giving minimal effort, simply coasting in order to collect a paycheck. Janique Craig was never tempted to follow such a path, which should come as no surprise to anyone who saw her in action during her career as a star lacrosse player. Craig became known as a fierce competitor and a consummate teammate—traits that have served her well throughout her life, both on and off the field.
Craig was a three-sport star in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Central Bucks East High School, and went on to excel in lacrosse at Penn State University. A center midfielder known for lockdown defense along with playmaking ability at the offensive end of the field, Craig was named an All-American in high school and college, and was later inducted into the Central Bucks East Hall of Fame.
When she reflects on her playing days, it is not the awards or the victories that immediately come to mind. Rather, she recalls the experience of working with teammates to pursue a common goal and making the necessary sacrifices to achieve her dreams.
“Athletics were a big part of my life,” she says. “I started playing sports at five years old, and that helped shape the person I am. Being on teams helped me learn how to work well with others and how to be a great leader. There are so many amazing memories; it’s not just the games and winning that I remember, but the relationships and the hard work that we did together as a team.”
Those qualities have certainly carried over to the rest of her life, particularly in her thriving real estate career. Now in her 19th year in the industry, Craig is the highest-producing individual agent out of 250 at Keller Williams Real Estate Doylestown, and has been named to the prestigious “Best of Bucks County Real Estate” list three years in a row.
In 2021, she ranked 79th out of 66,000 agents in Pennsylvania—outperforming 99.9 percent throughout the state—and 7,103rd out of 1.6 million agents nationally, outperforming 99.5 percent throughout the country. Craig has sold more than $100 million worth of real estate on the resale side.
She represents both buyers and sellers, and while a large part of her business focuses on the high-end, luxury home market, she is excited to go to bat for a wide variety of clients, no matter what stage of life they may be in at the moment. That includes young home buyers, growing families, and retirees.
“In real estate, it’s a life transition for both sellers and buyers,” Craig says. “It can be a positive transition or a difficult transition, so they’re looking for me to give them guidance. Whether it’s an estate sale, a first-time buyer, or a downsizer, they’re looking for advice financially, and I can direct them to the experts and help them get to the next place they want to get into.
“I truly love my career, and I love helping others with their transitions,” she continues. “I have a ‘fixer’ personality, and I’m always ready to give guidance and solve problems.”
Craig got her first taste of real estate as a child, when she would accompany her mother to see model homes after church on Sundays. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in film and broadcasting, and had offers to coach lacrosse at the collegiate level. She chose to pursue real estate instead because of her ties to Doylestown, where she was born and raised.
“A lot of times you don’t really appreciate where you live until you get older, but I think I did at a young age,” she says. “That’s why, at 22, I didn’t want to move away from my hometown. I just love it so much, I’m very close with my family, and I have a great support group with my friends. There was nowhere else I wanted to live.”
Craig was introduced to a mentor, Kristen Nelson, and went to work in new construction with two well-known builders in the area. She learned the ins and outs of the business and eventually moved on to resale in 2008, and quickly established herself as one of the premier agents in Bucks County.
She has fostered key relationships along the way, such as Bill Rookstool, a longtime friend and colleague who is the regional vice president and managing partner at CrossCountry Mortgage. “I have learned so much from Bill, and I continue to respect his opinion in this industry, along with his brother Brian Rookstool, who closes many of my buyers’ loans,” she says.
Tony Maras, an attorney and president of PRDC Properties in Philadelphia, gave Craig her big break when she started out in resale and has also helped her with new construction. “I am incredibly lucky to have a great support system and mentors in the business,” she adds.
Craig’s years of experience are critical for clients, especially during market shifts like the current one. The turbulent two-year period that started during the pandemic has begun to ease up a bit.
“It’s still a great market for sellers,” she says. “Although interest rates are higher for buyers, they don’t have to compete with multiple bids and overpay for a property, and they can always refinance later.”
For anyone looking to move into Bucks County, Craig has intimate knowledge of the different towns and will always vouch for the community as a whole. She lives in Plumstead Township with her three dogs—Maggie, Molly, and MJ, all lab mixes—and has been the head girls lacrosse coach at Central Bucks South for 19 years. She also recently retired from a five-year run as a coach for Ultimate Lacrosse Club, a renowned club program that has sent players to top Division I schools.
“I don’t look at lacrosse as a job; I look at it as paying it forward and giving back to the community,” she says. “I love coaching. It’s not just about winning or losing games; it’s about making an impact on at least one child’s life.
“If I can be a positive role model, that’s amazing,” she continues. “It filters into my real estate career because I love having a positive impact on my clients’ lives too. Moving is a very stressful time for people, so if I can help them and eliminate some stress, that makes me feel good and it’s very rewarding.”
Janique Craig
Keller Williams Real Estate Doylestown
(267) 221-6968 | (215) 340-5700, ext. 357
KW.com
Keller Williams Real Estate Doylestown
(267) 221-6968 | (215) 340-5700, ext. 357
KW.com
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, November 2022.