Interview with Broker Adrienne Mickels

Ever wondered how deconstruction can benefit all parties involved in real estate? Green Donation Consultants sat down with Adrienne Mickels, Broker with Raleigh Custom Realty and Certified Green Donation Specialist to talk through the process and advantages that deconstruction provides.  

Where do you primarily work?  
The Triangle area of Raleigh, NC. This is Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest, and the surrounding areas.

How did you get started in real estate? 
My parents always instilled in my sister and me to be productive, financially self-sufficient, and independent. Growing up, they always had rental homes and showed us the value of real estate appreciation and hard work. For “fun” on the weekends, we would drive around to look at homes or work on painting and landscaping on rentals when tenants would move out. You could say, my parents gave me the real estate “itch!”

How long have you been involved in real estate? 
Since 2005. Over 442 or $136M in homes sold!

What is something you have learned about your particular area and/or demographic you routinely work with?  
The Triangle NC area is consistently ranked one of the best places to live, best places to relocate, top growth cities, etc. Therefore, I work with a lot of out-of-state investors and people relocating from all over the country. I assist them by being their eyes and ears here on the ground. They put a lot of faith in me, and I am responsible for helping them know what updates would cost, what it would rent for, and what it would sell for with the updates completed.  

Have you ever recommended deconstruction to a client? 
Not yet! It is a unique and relatively unknown niche in my area. I wanted to become a Certified Green Donation Specialist and do my due diligence on the company and process first. I wanted to learn all the ins and outs before I would be comfortable recommending.

Knowing the benefits deconstruction can provide, would you in the future? 
For sure! If I can bring my clients added value and it does not cost them anything, it just makes sense! Plus, the benefits to my clients are that they are helping the environment by keeping waste out of the streams, extending the life of the landfill, and helping the less fortunate with their donations.

What are two benefits of deconstruction that you feel will resonate with your clients?  
My clients would love being able to take advantage of the tax credit as well as help the environment. It’s truly a win-win!

Any client horror stories with teardown properties/demolition?  
I have had investors run into many unexpected issues once they start the demolition. Now knowing about Green Donation Consultants, if they had gotten the tax credit and donated instead of just demolishing, that could have offset some of the unexpected costs.

Would you consider yourself eco-conscious? If so, what are some things you have
implemented in your own business to benefit the environment? 
We are far from perfect, but we are always trying to improve!  Currently, we try to buy locally to have less carbon created. If we do need to get something online, we skip the overnight shipping to have fewer trucks on the ground. We teach our boys to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This includes trying to reduce food waste and water usage. We changed to all LED bulbs and energy-efficient toilets. We have attempted planting gardens but do not have a green thumb. But we will try again this year!

Anything else you would like clients to know? 
Communication and transparency are keys to building lifelong relationships and have produced a healthy repeat of clients and referrals. I believe client appreciation and respect are mandatory while working to accomplish the overall real estate goal. With more than 15 years of real estate experience and selling over $127,000,000 of real estate, I have successfully launched and sold out new communities, worked with local builders and developers, and helped hundreds of buyers and sellers with their individual properties.

You can reach out to Adrienne at 919-649-4118 or email Adrienne@RaleighCustomRealty.com 
If you would like to learn more about deconstruction, contact the GDC team at 540-786-8220 today!