As our spotlight falls on Janette Schafer, one thing to know is that she has been a leader upon many stages in her life.

 

Today, Janette leads The Janette Schafer Team with Realty ONE Group Platinum. In a prior life, she starred in a wide range of roles. She earned her BA in Business Writing from Carlow University and her Master’s in Poetry Writing from Chatham University, in addition to being a classically trained singer and actress.

 

She has always brought a well-balanced set of gifts to those around her. In fact after college, she got into the banking business for 24 years, starting as a phone representative and leaving as a Vice President with JP Morgan Chase.

 

Eventually, it was time for a change. “I stopped getting the warm fuzzies when I went to work. The business had changed from being service-focused to being widget-focused,” Janette says. “Now there were still a lot of things that I liked about it, but I was ready for a change. I just wasn’t sure what that something new would be.”

 

As the pandemic flooded the world, Janette had her own battle with the illness that led to a blood transfusion. As she recovered, she had a new sense of certainty. “Something happened to me through that experience,” she admits. “I had changed. I no longer felt a passion for what I did in banking.”

 

Around that time, Janette met with Denis, with Realty ONE Group Platinum. “I shared some referrals with him and worked with him and his wife, Sherri. He told me that he thought I would make a really good real estate agent,” Janette remembers. “One day, I went for a walk and I saw a sign with the name of another real estate company. I took it as a sign that I needed to call Denis and Sherri. I went home and had a heart to heart with my husband. Then I called Denis and Sheri and said I wanted to try real estate. I believed I would be good at it. I knew how to run a business and was good with service. I needed a change.”

 

For a time, Janette worked part-time at Starbucks to have extra money coming in while she made the transition into being a REALTOR®. However, she wasted little time in finding her footing in the business. “It took me seven weeks to get my license, and then I got my first closing within 45 days,” she says with a smile.

 

In the process, Janette set out some goals for herself. She received her license in June 2021 and wanted to complete 10 home sales by the end of the year. “At first, Sherri said that she felt that I might have been a little aggressive with my goal,” she recalls. As it turned out, Janette met that aggressive goal and then some … finishing out 2021 with a total of 13 closings.

 

Today, Janette is powered by a passion for working with both buyers and sellers. Above all, she focuses on the human element. “I love the ability to really help someone. Real estate involves sales, yet I run my business the way I want to run my business,” she says. “I want to feel like I’m helping someone every day of my working life. My dad was a minister and he drummed that into me… look for a way to provide love and service to others.”

 

As Janette considers her early success in the business, she feels happy that she has set her sights high with her goals. During her first full year in the business, in 2022, she completed 33 transactions and three off-market deals for a total of $5.3 million in sales volume.

 

Janette’s world is centered on family, including her husband, Garth, and her cat, Gino. Her free time is active, with her continued love of writing and music. She loves singing and dancing, as well. She even sings with a folk rock band called One O’Clock Monday and occasionally gets involved with theater productions.

 

When it comes to supporting the community, Janette has favorites, including the Pittsburgh Savoyards and Stage 62. Through time, she has taken part in about 40 productions in the last 20 years. “I love the environment there. And it’s where I met my husband and many of my friends,” she smiles.

 

As Janette talks about her future in real estate, she glows as she discusses her new, growing team.

“My members leave the business under their names. I want them to get credit on the MLS for the work they do. I don’t charge them a portion of their commission if they sourced the business themselves. I only charge them a portion of the commission if I generate the business for them. Another part that I love is the chance to be a mentor. One thing I had missed from my corporate background was coaching others. This role allows me to do that.”

 

As her experience mounts and her business grows, Janette keeps hitting the high notes when it comes to lifting others around her, as well.