Celeste Dunn has been a licensed Realtor in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for more than 20 years. She works with buyers and sellers in Chelmsford, MA, the town where she grew up, and across both states as part of the Rogers / Melo Team at LAER Realty Partners, a brokerage headquartered in Chelmsford. Her road back to New England was not a straight one. After leaving Chelmsford in the late 1980s, she spent 14 years living in different parts of the country and relocated more than 14 times. She enjoyed seeing the country from one coast to the other, but New England always felt like home. Today, a large part of her work comes down to explaining things. Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people make, and the process can feel overwhelming. Celeste spends much of her time walking clients through their options so they understand what is happening and feel comfortable with each step. “My business has been built on the personalized service and focused attention I provide to each client,” she said. Real estate has changed a lot since she started, but that commitment to her clients has stayed the same.
Learning Houses From Her Father
Her interest in houses started with her father. He bought foreclosed multifamily houses, fixed them up, and rented out the units. When someone moved out, Celeste and her siblings cleaned, painted, and made repairs to get the unit ready again. In her teens, the family put new siding on one of his four-unit houses. She was in charge of cutting the siding to size while her brothers called down the lengths from the ladders. Early in her career, he became her best client.
When the Right House Is Not the Expected One
Her sister has also bought and sold with her several times. She wanted to live on the coast and was looking at multifamily homes between $500,000 and $800,000, but none were on the water, and some had no parking. After seeing several places one day, they stopped for lunch, and Celeste asked whether she would look at something outside what she had in mind. Her sister said yes. The property took six months to close, but she bought a waterfront home for $156,000, turned it into a two-family home, and later sold it for more than $700,000.
“Go with your gut,” Celeste said. “Sometimes what you think you want is not what you end up loving.”
Helping Clients Understand Inspections
She also tells clients to ask questions, even if they have bought before. Someone who purchased three properties decades apart is still new to the process, she explained, while she has done this every day for two decades. She and her husband have remodeled four homes. “I know houses,” she said.
Inspections and contingencies often need the most explaining, since each one can become a new negotiation. “A home inspection is to learn how to run a house, not to rip it apart,” she said. She keeps the focus on safety and structural issues. “My main job is to keep my clients’ money safe and make sure they are secure with how we proceed.”
Negotiating With People in Mind
In negotiations, she looks for value that is not only about cash. In estate or hardship sales, family members on the selling side may not agree with one another. An offer that lets the sellers take what they want and walk away can ease a lot of that stress, and it has worked for her more than once. She also tells buyers not to be wary of homes that have lingered on the market. “There is nothing wrong with it. Usually someone was overzealous with pricing,” she said.
Some lessons came the hard way. Early in her career, a client kept her writing offers through many holiday weekends, then walked away each time with cold feet. “I learned the hard way not to let someone run over me. My time and work are worth respect.”
A Team That Makes Room for Travel
Last year, Celeste led her team of four with more than $7 million in sales, and the full team passed $21 million. The Rogers / Melo Team has received the top-level Platinum award for decades from its local MLS and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.
Phones and transaction platforms now let the team work from almost anywhere. That gives Celeste room for her other passion, travel, while someone on the team is always there for showings, inspections, and anything that needs to happen in person. “We truly have each other’s backs,” she said.
She plans to keep teaching buyers and sellers about houses and guiding them through the process. After 20 years, she still loves being a Realtor.
