By Melanie Robitaille, Sr. Staff Writer & Graphic Designer
For nearly sixty years, Franchisee, Sharon Miranda’s family has made their livelihood in the real estate business. That’s why when it came time to open her own brokerage 15 years ago, she didn’t take the choice of brand lightly.
One of the first, most important steps any real estate professional should take, whether looking at ownership or sales, is researching the various office or brand options available to them in their market. Sharon knew that not all are created equal, and each brings their own business model and/or culture to the table. When she found EXIT’s single-level residual Formula, she knew immediately she could work with that.
“It creates a camaraderie in the office,” she explains. “It’s a sense of contribution.”
At EXIT, she saw real estate being done differently, where agents are encouraged to achieve their personal and professional goals; doing the work while enjoying a better quality of life.
“When you wake up with a direct deposit of a $1,000, $2,000, sometimes it’s $4,000 that’s something that changes the dynamic for you and your family.”
It’s the differentiator that she’s brought to her family’s real estate legacy, building her three thriving EXIT offices across Ocean County, anchored by EXIT Realty Jersey Shore, her flagship operation serving Brick, Toms River, and Point Pleasant.
With deep roots in both the industry and her community, Sharon has a profound understanding of what home means to customers but also to agents looking to belong to something greater. That’s the potential she saw in residual income.
“It makes everyone in the office feel like they’re part of the growth and strength of this office,’ she says. “I do feel it’s important to have an office; a place where you can go, ask questions, have that camaraderie. In my opinion, I do not believe in a virtual office.”
It’s a bold statement given the rise and changes in technology right now, but she saw just as many changes when she was first opening her office. What hasn’t changed, she says, is “this business will always be relationship driven.”
It’s bigger than a house for Sharon. Her professional motto to help people fuels her mission to champion the transformative power of home ownership and help families understand its lasting value, saying, “Real estate is personal. It’s families, it’s a fresh start. It’s sometimes emotional, death or divorce, downsizing, a new baby. Sometimes people need that [steadiness] in their lives when their landscape shifts.”
And things are definitely shifting right now, but with her foundation in business administration, economics, and an extensive banking background, Sharon is a trusted industry thought leader and resource who provides a sophisticated analytical edge. She leads the way she lives, with loyalty and honesty, extending this dedication to excellence to her agents through training and coaching. Her goal? To build a team of top-tier professionals equipped to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.
“I’ve been in this business a long time. The current market isn’t crashing, but it’s definitely re-balancing…It’s price sensitive and it’s important to know that it’s [more] negotiation-driven than it has been the last five years,” she explains. “That’s why we’re always educating our agents. It’s important for the agent to stay on top of all the changes for themselves and for their client.”
