We are pleased to present our Spotlight on The Beach Buoys at Gibson Sotheby's International Realty in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
What did you do before real estate and how did you get started in the business?
Rick Tourgee: I spent the first 27 years of my life in Rhode Island, until I was hired to take on a sales position for the largest German chemical company, Hoechst.I loved sales and traveling around the country. However, chemistry was not in my blood! In 1998, I purchased a summer getaway in Provincetown. My real estate agent asked me, Why don't you move into your condo and sell real estate here on the Outer Cape? I was looking to be in love with my career. I started in a small independent office in Provincetown prior to running a Century 21 office for seven years.I attribute my success to learning from Buffini & Company, the worlds largest real estate coaching firm. Buffini teaches how to build a referral-based business by consistently going above and beyond for your clients.
Devin Coutu: Although I am only 35, I have been marketing and selling real estate for 15 years! I remember graduating high school feeling super excited to apply and test for my licensure. I always loved working with people and encouraging friends to pursue their goals. I initially wanted to be in the medical field and enrolled in a tech school to earn a pharmacology degree. After graduating valedictorian, I soon found that sitting behind a desk was not the role I felt most alive in. I needed to be with the people! I pivoted and continued my career path in real estate and have not looked back since.
What is something your clients find comfort in that makes them turn to you for their real estate needs?
RT: Clients find my personality comfortingI am not a salesman! I prefer to treat people the way I want to be treated. Clients feel that I am sincere and there to properly advise them. I am not there just for a commission check.
DC: A comment I hear often from our clients is that they love the honest advice we give. We never sell our clients on a property, location or timeframe. Instead, we believe in being their sounding board. When they have a goal in mind or want to make a strategic move in real estate, they can trust our market knowledge and look to us to coach them along the way. I am a very transparent person by nature. When prospective clients pick up on my sincerity, a trustful relationship emerges.
What are some of your favorite local hobbies, activities or organizations that you participate in?
RT: I live in North Truro with my partner of 27 years, Bobby. We have done a lot of traveling but are very comfortable being homebodies. We live on 3/4 acre of land and enjoy being outdoors on our deck, riding our bikes and caring for our two cats, Pilot and Bomber. When we do travel, we enjoy Las Vegas and Palm Springs. We plan to spend time in Europe once international travel is safe.
DC: As cliche as it may sound, I consider real estate to be a favorite pastime of mine. If I am not out with clients, previewing properties or writing offers, I enjoy attending open houses and walking through waterfront homes with my wife and saying, One day, baby, this could be us! I also love trading in the stock market and spending time with my wife and puppy.
What do you love most about where you live and work?
RT: We love the quality of life that Provincetown and Truro offer! A true sense of community, no traffic (only one traffic light in the area!) and the beauty of the National Seashore. I can easily walk to Coast Guard Beach or to Highland Links, a nine-hole golf course right on the Atlantic Ocean.
DC: I feel truly blessed to work and live on the Outer Cape! I love the natural beauty of the beaches and the Cape-style homes throughout the different neighborhoods. I love my neighbors as well as the associates and clients I work with on a daily basis.
What are three sources of joy in your week?
RT:
- All of the above!I love my career, where I live, my partner, my home and my cats. What more could I ask for?
DC:
- Fulfilling a closing of a clients sale or purchase.
- Working and strategizing with Rick.
- Coming home after a successful day to my family.
