Julie Tetreault
At the tender age of 10, Julie Tétreault caught an early glimpse into her life’s direction.
“My parents had a summer rental home in Rhode Island. I enjoyed helping out with that – making the flyers, getting it ready to show, meeting people,” she said.
While a student at Bryant University, she studied marketing and economics, with her sights still on real estate. A spring break spent going door-to-door in search of an internship landed her a job at the office of Wallace-Tustin Realty.
“I was organizing files in the basement, but I didn’t care, I was happy to be in the field,” she said. “I’d go upstairs during breaks, talk to agents, shadow them when they’d let me. It was the best learning experience I could have had.”
Tétreault sold multiple homes while still a college student, and by age 24, was Wallace-Tustin’s top salesperson. A year later, she accepted their offer to become a partner and part owner. The firm became Wallace Tustin Tetreault Realty, where she remains today, maintaining a multimillion dollar real estate sales business and managing a rental property business on the side.
She particularly enjoys working with first-time homebuyers, a direction which came about from a challenge she faced early on: when seeking listings, sellers were hesitant to work with a young agent. She shifted her focus to the first-time buyer – a group closer to her in demographics – which ended up propelling her career forward.
“Age wasn’t an issue; they could relate to me,” she said. Finding ways to save her buyers money became a focus, and after a lender taught her how to write up a sale to include closing costs, she began doing it routinely. Today she negotiates 6 percent, on average, off the list price of homes for her buyers.
Tétreault is a firm believer of the biblical principal of living debt-free, and approached her pastor with an offer to share financial guidance. She was appointed a finance ministry and provides confidential financial consulting to others. She has also volunteered to help teens with money management, career choices and avoiding debt.
“I’ll shown them photos of homes, and ask them to pick out where they’d like to live. Then we’ll talk about what steps you need to take to get there,” she said.
Over the years she has obtained other real estate designations including the Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI), Appraisal 1, e-PRO (Internet and online marketing certification) and the Brian Buffini Peak Producers Program. She’s also been recognized by Connecticut Magazine for outstanding customer service, and has been a four-time recipient of the Five Star Realtor Award.
While much of Tétreault’s success stemmed from her unwavering determination, she said faith and her family played an instrumental role. “My parents were constant source of support, and my faith helped me to get through the trials that come with any commission-based job.”
