Above, seated from left, Kendall Sneddon, Jaime Sneddon and Ashley Howell Petraska; standing, from left, Aileen Mastey and George Bakes
From the day Jaime and Kendall Sneddon met at a Super Bowl party in 1991, they knew they were on the same wavelength. They are energetic go-getters with corporate backgrounds and an equally passionate work ethic.
Today the co-leaders of the Sneddon Team at William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in New Canaan, Connecticut (JSneddon@wpsir.com) call on their bi-coastal backgrounds, their real estate investment experience and their well-honed people skills to manage a five-person team that in 2022 produced $125 million in sales, has been named as the Number One Small Team by Sales Volume in the state of Connecticut, and is consistently recognized as a top producer in their Fairfield County market.
“We found our passion in real estate,” said Jaime Sneddon, who made the leap from banking and business development to the real estate industry in 2004. “Early in our marriage, after watching a lot of HGTV, we began buying and renovating homes for resale. We learned first-hand the value of real estate as a means of building wealth.”
Barbara Pronin: Kendall, when did you follow Jaime into real estate?
Kendall Sneddon: I was able to stay at home for several years after our twins were born. But it was easy to see how Jaime’s leap from corporate work to real estate was providing him with exciting new challenges, high earning potential and the kind of work flexibility that allowed for more family time. I’ve been with him in the business for 10 years now, and I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
Jamie Sneddon: It’s been real estate at the breakfast table at our house for more than 10 years. They may not stick with it, but from the time our kids were old enough to get involved, they’ve enjoyed helping out in our business with social media and various other capacities.
BP: How do the two of you divide your leadership responsibilities?
JS: We are fortunate in that our Sotheby’s office provides all the administrative services we need. Basically, Kendall takes the lead on marketing, advertising, staging and public relations. I am the single point of contact to our clients and take the lead on pricing and negotiating deals—and I often liaise with other agents, mortgage brokers, home inspectors and attorneys. In the simplest of terms, Kendall makes our listings look great and exposes them globally so buyers want to come, and I close the deals.
BP: Who else is on your team, and what are their backgrounds?
Jamie Sneddon: We partner with three talented team members, Ashley Howell Petraska, Aileen Mastey and George Bakes. They all have corporate backgrounds as well, and we’ve been making waves in the industry together since we entered the brokerage side of the business in 2005.
BP: What’s your method for staying organized as a team?
KS: We have weekly sales meetings, but most of us talk at least once a day as needed, and Jaime and I are always available if they want us to come along or weigh in on a listing presentation or a kitchen table meeting or whatever.
BP: Are you open to expansion, and what would your ideal new team member look like for you?
JS: We will always be open to people who are enthusiastic go-getters with a great work ethic. They’d have to add value to the team in some way, be professional and be a little hungry—and they’d have to have great people skills because the truth is we exceed our goals every year because we are committed to providing an unmatched level of service to our clients.
BP: What markets do you serve?
KS: We serve a high-end clientele, mostly. New Canaan is a popular bedroom community for Wall Street, so there is steady demand for homes here, and in and around the Greenwich to Westport areas of Connecticut. The median price is in the $2 million range.
BP: What is the market like right now?
KS: There are far more buyers than sellers, of course. Inventory is very tight. We have two active listings right now, as opposed to the 25 or 30 listings that we typically had pre-Covid. We’re seeing a lot of multiple bids, cash offers, deals with no financing or other contingencies—and closing dates are important.
JS: More than ever, serious buyers today can’t afford to go it on their own. They need a well-informed, experienced broker—someone who knows the market intimately and often knows about a property even before it hits the market.
BP: Any advice for team leaders starting out?
JS: Work hard. Know the territory—and know that when it comes to good vs ordinary, you need to be extraordinary. Be the best!
Sneddon Team Listing
85 West Hills Road in New Canaan, Connecticut
Sold on 7/18/23 for $5,695,000
