Inspiring Conversations with Nick Lucchetti of LucchettiHomes – REALTOR with Century 21 Affiliated

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Lucchetti.  

Nick, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After running through a few different career paths since graduating high school, including massage therapy and secondary education, I started working for Trident Properties here in Kalamazoo. While I knew since high school that I wanted to do something with my life that gave me a chance to work directly with people and help the community, the pathway to housing wasn’t one that I thought of until I was referred to work there part-time. 

My friend Amber was the property manager for one of the communities owned and operated by Trident, and she encouraged me to apply for the leasing position. I was just stepping away from education and feeling very burnt out, so a fresh start at a place with a good community reputation and coworkers I already knew was the perfect fit. The money was good, the job was satisfying, I connected with many people who are my friends and colleagues still today, and I fell in love with helping people find homes. The job wasn’t always sunshine, but the satisfaction made it easy to punch in every day and be present for every phone call, visit, and apartment tour. Getting people into secure and safe housing, helping them find solutions and work through the hard times, and celebrating the good times all played a part in this becoming the best job I’d ever had. 

After advancing up to property manager, Trident was sold. Unfortunately, my philosophy didn’t mesh well with the new owners, so I chose to step away after aiding in the transition. My father-in-law, Rich LaPorte has been a REALTOR® in Kalamazoo since 2002 and insisting for years I would also become one. After what had just happened, my wife, Mallory, encouraged me to start the process to get my license and work with him. I started my pre-licensing work while finishing up my time with Tricap Residential Group, and in July 2021, I became licensed and signed my first contract with Century 21 Affiliated. With all that I’d learned at Trident and my desire to continue helping people find a home, my entrepreneurial spirit was fired up, and I’ve been working hard for the last year to drive my new real estate business forward. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a new business always has its challenges, and building a new clientele can be a struggle with any endeavor–particularly when you’re trying to help people make what may possibly be the biggest purchase of their life. Luckily, I’ve had an amazing team behind me to help support me and get me through. I was able to close a handful of transactions within my first handful of months. This gave me momentum to keep moving forward and helped me gain valuable experience early. 

Learning to read the housing climate and the industry as a whole has a learning curve to it, as well. There’s not a hard and fast answer on how to do it, let alone do it right, but my background in education and higher learning equipped me to be able to step back and take a look at the information that will aid me, my team, and my clients. Again, my excellent supporters at my back in the office have played an integral part in this area of my growth here, as well. 

As you know, we’re big fans of  LucchettiHomes – REALTOR with Century 21 Affiliated. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My real estate practice with Century 21 Affiliated has been largely shaped by my background and passion for education. As my mentor says, houses sell themselves, and I’ve learned that it’s up to us to figure out what kind of service we, as REALTORS®, provide to our clients. Anyone can open a door and talk about the structure and features of a home, but there’s a whole client experience that needs to be driven. 

When my clients buy or sell a home, I want to make sure they are informed about what they are doing and understand the pieces of the process rather than just signing on the dotted line. They are working on an investment for their future and want them to be able to look back and be happy with where they are and proud they can share that experience because they understood. 

This is also a relationship business, and I see my clients each as friends. I love meeting their friends and families at the showings and inspections and closings, seeing updates on projects and moving, and seeing them celebrating holidays and birthdays in their new homes is something that makes me incredibly proud. I’m honored when someone reaches out and asks me to help them, and those relationships are what make it easy to come into the office and talk to new people every day. 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I love this question! 

Honestly, a lot. I feel fortunate that an avenue presented itself to me to have a career that leaves me feeling satisfied because I get to use the skills I’ve acquired and the passions that I’ve discovered. Had I not met my wife in high school, I may not have ever considered real estate as a profession. A lot of hard work and hard lessons have made me who I am today, and I feel lucky that I found a path to use these the way I am. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.LucchettiHomes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucchetti.homes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucchettiHomes/

Image Credits
Rebecca L Photography