Melissa Cartier: Real Estate Broker and Entrepreneur

The agility and persistence of a hummingbird mirror the work ethic of Melissa Cartier, principal broker for Cartier Real Estate Group, Saratoga Springs, New York. That’s why the logo for the company catches the eye.

Melissa began her real estate career in 2007, when her daughter was six weeks old, moving from a position in advertising and marketing to launch a real estate career that allowed her to be with her baby and work on her own time. “I was in marketing and advertising since college, but my father always suggested I look into real estate,” she noted. “I was intrigued by the career, but nervous to try it for fear of losing the steady paycheck I depended on.” 

Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree in English, with writing concentration, from the University at Albany. After college, she started work in advertising and met her husband, Cohen, while on the Carnival Destiny, a cruise with their respective friends. “As cheesy as it sounds, it was love at first sight,” she said. “We married two years later and relocated to Saratoga Springs in 2003.” 

Risk = Reward
“After I had my first child, the toll of working more than 40 hours per week with travel for a salaried position was wearing on me, despite the fact that I loved the work and the company. The appeal of working for myself was growing; I realized that I could reap the rewards of my hard work.” Melissa earned her license while working and pregnant with her second child. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, she took the leap and joined a large real estate agency in Saratoga Springs. This gave her the opportunity to learn the local market and glean all she could from the experienced agents around her. 

Upon launching Cartier Real Estate Group in January 2018, she worked with John Bolster, owner of reduced fat, a website and brand design firm in Saratoga Springs, to develop her brand identity. After she shared her values, vision and goals about her new business, he created a logo that depicts a hummingbird, which embodies the characteristics Melissa feels are crucial to her success. 

Work Like a Hummingbird
“The hummingbird is agile; it’s the only bird that flies in all directions, even backwards. They’re small but incredibly hardworking. They’re independent, adaptable and are commonly believed to symbolize the enjoyment of life,” she continued. 

Melissa doesn’t look at real estate as a sales job. “I simply keep my head down and work ethically yet persistently for my clients to help them reach their goals with a proactive and optimistic outlook. It’s an emotional and personal process, and I want my clients to enjoy it despite the fears they sometimes have and the challenges we sometimes face.”

Construction a Plus
Melissa and Cohen, who recently celebrated their 16th anniversary, are partners in their professional lives as well. “My side hustle is as the design partner for my husband’s company, Cartier Construction. Cohen is a terrific custom home builder with a wonderful team.” The two love partnering to create one spec home each year from start to finish, choosing everything from the layout and plans to the design selections and finishings. 

“My background in construction gives me the ability to help clients assess the condition of homes and land and estimate costs to improve or repair,” she continued. “Advising clients on the area, potential for increasing resale value and strategies for advantageous negotiation are key components as well.

It’s been quite a journey for Melissa and Cartier Real Estate Group as they continue to grow. She opened Cartier Real Estate Group with another full-time Realtor, Colleen Cameron, and a marketing specialist. In their first year they worked on 62 transactions for a total of $17 million in sales. This year, six full-time agents have moved to the firm and they’ve sold more than $18 million in sales thus far. 

Cartier Real Estate Group is licensed throughout the state of New York and is a member of the Greater Capital Association of Realtors, the Southern Adirondack Board of Realtors and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, NYSAR and the National Association of Realtors. On the commercial side, they are members of the Commercial & Industrial Real Estate Brokers, Inc. The primary market is the Greater Saratoga Region, but Cartier Real Estate Group’s brokers regularly work for clients from Albany through the Adirondack region, west into Fulton County and east to Washington County. 

“I think it’s my background in strategic marketing, hardworking nature, commitment to doing the right thing and optimistic outlook that set my brokerage and me apart,” she underscored. “I continue to believe that by doing right by our clients, maintaining positive relationships with our fellow professionals and working our tails off, success will come.” ■ 

The Cartier Real Estate Group is located at 28 Clinton Street, Suite 3B, Saratoga Springs, New York. Visit thecartiergroup.com or call 518-321-5762.