Penny Toth, Realtor

Helping sellers prep strategically for market. Penny Toth started working at five years old, when she stood on a box behind the counter at her parent´s gift shop and helped with wrapping and packaging. Penny worked alongside her parents, so she worked hard to earn her own money. This independence eventually led to her successful career as a chef, and ultimately, her own catering business. After marriage and children, Penny began her decade-long career in real estate, a career that allows her to put her business background and entrepreneurial spirit to good use. "A real estate career is particularly suited to someone who has been self-employed," says Penny. "There are no nine-to-five hours and no division of labor when you run your own business: You do everything yourself, and your clock runs 24 hours a day." At KW Domain, Penny is a "lifestyle consultant" to her clients, rather than simply a real estate agent. The buying or selling of a home comes second to creating a satisfying lifestyle for a client. "Sometimes, after crunching the numbers, I´ll advise a client not to buy for three more years, or to rent instead of buy," says Penny. "I´m not interested in the quick sale; I want to build a life-long relationship with the clients I touch." After earning a BA in French, with a minor in Art History at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, Penny lived out a longtime desire to be a chef by acquiring an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan. "Both qualifications fit in perfectly with my interests: world travel and cooking." Penny is also an avid reader, gardener and is an active supporter of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Symphony, and charities to help Metro Detroit´s homeless. "My business philosophy is to listen - really listen - to what my client is saying, and try to discern what he or she is not saying, so I can do the best possible job of living up to KW Domain''s mission: To create an outstanding customer experience at every point of contact and become a trusted advisor to him or her."