By Charles Kim
WEST MILFORD – Local RE/MAX Agent Peter Kontrafouris is living proof that persistence and patience can pay big dividends, even making the cover of a statewide industry magazine.
Kontrafouris, 28, has been a real estate agent for the last six years, and was recently selected for the cover of the New Jersey edition of Top Agent magazine.
“It was very hard in the beginning, to get going,” Kontrafouris, who graduated from Rutgers University in Newark with a degree in business and marketing, said. “I saw other people making money in the business and thought ‘if they can do it, then I definitely can.’”
According to its website, “Top Agent Magazine is the premier real estate magazine featuring the best real estate agents, mortgage professionals, property managers, real estate attorneys, and insurance agents in the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.”
Agents featured on the cover of the publication are nominated by their peers and then interviewed and evaluated before being selected, according to the publication.
The work during the last six years has paid off for the agent, selling around $7 million in property last year alone.
He said it took some time to adapt to the lifestyle the business requires, including the pressure of handling the sale of the biggest asset most people will buy in their lifetimes and the nature of living on commission checks as opposed to a regular salary.
“It’s not for everyone,” he said, pointing to industry statistics that say only one of eight people succeed in the business. “You have to stick with it.”
Despite the ups and downs of the industry, Kontrafouris said he would much rather work in real estate than some cubicle-based financial job in the city.
Part of his success formula is being available for clients and serving them as the best real estate advocate for their needs.
As a millennial, he uses social media to stay in touch with clients and the community, and said he tries to work hard for his client base.
He said he is competitive in the industry and also tries to work harder than others in the business to come out on top.
“At the end of the day, it’s a competitive game,” he said. “You have to be better than the next guy because a seller or a buyer is going to want to work with someone they feel is the best.”
To help make that happen, Kontrafouris is licensed in both New Jersey and New York, giving him a huge territory to apply his craft, with some properties as far away as Jersey City.
Even though his net is cast wide, the township resident is quick to point out the value of investing in the local market, which he sees as a good deal for buyers.
“I grew up in West Milford my whole life and went to high school here,” he said. “It’s advantageous to live here because there are so many people so many people that I see that are from (New York) City or Bergen (County) that have weekend houses up here. They are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into their properties and that is bringing (property) values up.”
He said that the proximity to the city, about an hour, also helps.
“We’re so close,” he said. “People have homes in the Hamptons (on Long Island), or the Jersey Shore that are so much farther away. It’s a great place to be.”
Those looking to buy or sell a home can find Kontrafouris at the RE/MAX Country Realty office on Union Valley Road in West Milford, or can reach him at Peterkontrafouris@gmail.com.