This Realtor Knows Houston’s True Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods, Millennial Home Needs and Tex-Mex Dreams
Getting to Know Marnie Greenwood
BY Promoted Series Correspondent // 04.07.19Marnie Greenwood is serving up some helpful real estate advice and sharing what makes her so fabulous, inside and outside the office.
This article is part of a promoted series and not produced by the editorial staff.
Houston’s real estate market helps drive the city — and the realtors leading the way are true impact makers. In this new regular series, we profile some of the Bayou City’s most interesting realtors.
First up is Marnie Greenwood of Compass.
Number of years in real estate business. 7.
Area of expertise. Areas in which I’ve lived and know well, including Memorial Villages, Montrose, River Oaks, Spring Branch and Tanglewood.
Hottest up-and-coming neighborhood in Houston. I can think of several, and one of my favorites is the area just north of I-10 inside the Beltway. There are some great ranch-style homes on good-sized lots that are excellent for remodels.
Best location for purchasing a second home or vacation home. Somewhere that is a relatively short travel distance from home. I think people like to take advantage of long weekends, and being close to your vacation spot makes this much more accessible.
Best advice for buying a home. Buy in an up-and-coming or a well-established area that retains its value. Whenever I’m assisting a buyer, I am constantly reminding them to consider resale.
Best advice for selling your home. Put an emphasis on curb appeal. You only get one chance at a first impression.
A real-estate trend you’re currently excited about. Millennial homebuyers. I enjoy assisting clients in all stages of life — and first-time homebuyers are especially gratifying. Millennials are expected to account for 45 percent of mortgages this year.
Predictions for where the market is headed. The market will continue to improve. We’ve seen many new buyers entering the market and inventory that’s been stagnant is moving.
The No. 1 thing all homebuyers should know. There are more options when it comes to mortgages. There are many new products that allow the buyer to put down less than 20 percent and still secure a good rate.
The neighborhood you call home. I currently call Spring Branch home and have lived in Highland Village, Hunters Creek and Montrose.
The most-used room in your house. The kitchen.
How do you make a house a home. By hosting friends and family.
Your dream house, if cost is no object. On the beach in Santa Monica or the mountains in Aspen.
Community involvement/philanthropic affiliations. The nonprofit I founded 13 years ago, Marnie Rocks Beading Cancer, which supplies patients and their families at Texas Children’s Hospital with beading supplies as a creative outlet and entertainment option.
Your home away from home. Armandos restaurant with good friends.
What do you love most about living in Houston. You can travel just a few miles and feel like you’re in a different city — but will be reminded you’re in Houston because of the humidity and the mosquitos!
Describe the perfect day. My perfect day starts with Pilates instructed by my good friend and founder of The Breathing Room, Alicia Gordy, at her new studio, which also offers yoga and other wellness programs. After that, I head to the office or wherever real estate takes me that day. I end with dinner at home with family.
Items currently on your coffee table. An orchid, a hand-beaded skull I purchased in San Miguel de Allende, a piece of blown glass that was a birthday present from girlfriends, and a book from my assistant William Finnorn of signs at El Arroyo restaurant in Austin, where I worked while in college at the University of Texas at Austin.
Houston restaurant you couldn’t live without. Armandos, of course.
Most-shopped boutique/store in Houston. Tootsies, where I recently purchased a dress for my Compass headshots; my good friend Shannon Hall’s shop Sloan/Hall; and my talented designer friend Cindy Witmer’s showroom.
If you weren’t in your current profession what you would be doing. I’d have a talk show with my good friend and hairdresser, Ceron, or with my creative-genius friend Zack Dobbins. I’d also write a book about birth mothers who place their children for adoption. I have two adopted children and plan to write that book when I can find the time between them, my two other children, and my real estate career.
Secret skill. Speaking Spanish (not so secret!).
Guilty pleasure. Champagne.
The Realtor 411
Marnie Greenwood,
713.416.8402,
marnie@marnierocks.com