Producing Results
Known as an accomplished Realtor with COMPASS RE in Doylestown, Paula Campbell strives to be an inimitable resource for buyers and sellers in Bucks County and beyond.
by Bill Donahue

A prospective homebuyer tends to have a specific checklist in mind when visiting a property they may be considering calling theirs—for starters, a desirable neighborhood, a competitive school district, and a home where they can envision living happily. 

Considering the stakes, buyers and sellers should take a similarly thorough approach when vetting prospective Realtors. The “right” Realtor should have years of experience, in-depth knowledge of local markets, an engaging personality, strong industry connections, a thirst for knowledge, and, perhaps most importantly, an intense desire to help others.
 
In other words, they should seek out someone like Paula Campbell.
 
“I love working with people,” says Campbell, a Doylestown-based Realtor with COMPASS RE. “I think I’ve done well because I have an eye for detail, find out what’s important to people, and pay attention to what they tell me. Someone will tell me about something they do or don’t want in a house, even a small detail, and I’ll remember it for later. If they see a home they’re considering buying, they look around and get caught up in the emotions of it all. I’m constantly there to remind them of the big picture.”
 
Campbell is modest about her success, including many awards, glowing reviews, and other hallmarks of a job well done. Her stature as a top-producing Realtor is doubly impressive considering the fact that real estate was not her first career choice. That said, every prior experience prepared her for the day she became a Realtor.
 
As Campbell was growing up, her family owned a construction business that built banks, houses of worship, and other commercial buildings throughout Bucks County, including iconic structures such as the original Raymond Goodnoe’s Dairy Bar in Newtown. Her grandfather had owned the business for over 60 years by the time she came of age. She remembers going to construction sites, seeing the hustle and bustle of the office, and meeting architects and other industry professionals.
 
Rather than go into the family business, which was being dissolved at the time due to her grandfather’s retirement, Campbell chose to pursue a career in banking. She loved the opportunity to work closely with clients. However, as the banking industry began to shift toward a climate of mergers and acquisitions, she considered making a change. She transitioned into an escrow administrator for a New Jersey-based real estate company, a job that required her to obtain her real estate license. The work did not appeal to her because she no longer interacted directly with clients. She then became an office administrator for a New Hope-based real estate agency, where she “did everything.”
 
A big change in her personal life came a few years later when Campbell and her young family relocated to Boston. The family spent three years away before returning to the area in 2003. At that point, while living in Montgomery County, she decided to get her real estate license out of escrow and start selling. She took to it like a duck to water.
 
“By 2006,” she says, “I was earning awards as a top producer and was recognized as the top-selling agent in my office.”
 
Campbell has remained in the pole position ever since, partly because of the A-list experience she strives to deliver to each client, whether they’re a buyer, a seller, or both. Each new listing benefits from expert staging, professional photography, and, if needed, Campbell’s connections with trusted contractors to ensure the home is shown in its best possible light.
 
Dually licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Campbell has put in the effort to acquire several key designations that have expanded her skill set and helped her serve the needs of a wide range of clients: Accredited Buyer’s Representative, Real Estate Negotiation Expert, Seller Representative Specialist, and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, as well as Commitment to Excellence accreditation through the National Association of Realtors. She’s currently in the process of becoming certified as a Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource.
 
“The market is constantly changing, so you must keep your skill set up to date,” she adds. “It’s also a very emotional business. My job is really about managing people’s expectations and trying to help everyone have a win-win. You have to make all parties feel good about [a transaction], which can be tough, especially when dealing with people’s money.”
 
In addition to her professional experience, Campbell brings a breadth of personal experience to bear on her client’s behalf. Her family’s two relocations and back—first to Boston, later to Pittsburgh—shaped her into an expert on setting down roots in an unfamiliar part of the world. Also, she enjoys finding resources for families who have children with unique needs; one of her two children, Jackie, was born with congenital abnormalities that required specialized medical care and education.
 
Although Jackie passed away in May 2008, Campbell is grateful for the 19 years her daughter was in her life. She also learned a great deal from the experience, which she hopes to pass on to families needing guidance.
 
“Our first relocation was very challenging because I was six months pregnant with my son, Trey, and Jackie, who was 10, needed to go to a school for deaf children,” she recalls. “Nobody was helping us, and we had to figure it out ourselves. It’s meaningful when I can work with clients who are in similar situations, where they’re moving to a new area or even a new school district, and their children need specialized help, and they’re not sure where to begin.”
 
In Campbell’s mind, being a capable Realtor stems largely from the strength of one’s relationships—not only with clients but also with lenders, contractors, other service providers, and other Realtors. Her involvement with professional organizations such as the Bucks County Association of Realtors (BCAR) and the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR) has helped on all fronts. She joined BCAR’s leadership team in 2017, also serving as a board member and committee member, and she currently serves on two PAR committees at the state level.
 
Campbell is the first to admit that she has not done it alone. She credits her success to the members of her ever-growing team and support from COMPASS RE, which provides behind-the-scenes marketing, a powerful technology platform, and other resources to serve her clients better.
 
“My goal is to be a resource for everyone I work with so they can feel good about their decisions,” she adds. “My job is to help, advise, and protect them along the way. This challenging work requires your attention around the clock, even when you’re on vacation, and it’s perfect for me because I always want to help everybody.”
 
Good Counsel
Paula Campbell likes to share a few words of advice with prospective sellers: “Buyers will pay over the asking price, but they will not overpay.” The difference is subtle but important.
 
“Say someone puts their house on the market with a sale price of $500,000,” she says. “They get 15 offers and it closes at $600,000. A neighbor might see that number and think they’ll get the same for their house. They’ll say, ‘Oh, I want to list my house at $625,000,’ even though their house is just not the same. It doesn’t work that way.
 
“My job is to counsel them,” she continues. “If a seller has priced the home right, the condition and curb appeal are good, and the home is in a desirable neighborhood and a good school district, it should generate multiple offers—even in a buyer’s market.”
 
The Paula Campbell Team at COMPASS RE
Realtor®, ABR, C2EX, RENE, SRES, SRS
54 W. State Street
Doylestown PA 18901
(215) 348-4848 office | (610) 308-7003 mobile
paulacampbellhomes.com
Serving Bucks and Montgomery counties, the Lehigh Valley, and parts of New Jersey
 
Photo by Alison Dunlap
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, September 2023.

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