For Howard Hanna’s Melanie Bowen, the business of real estate is personal
By Laura Briedis
With a record 50,000 licensed real estate agents and brokers in Ohio, it can be a daunting task to pick someone to sell your home or help find a new one. They all tout the latest technology, jazzy marketing and a sprawling online presence. But for Melanie Bowen, it comes down to personal relationships. Her approachable demeanor and genuine care make her stand out from the crowd.
An associate broker and multi-million-dollar producer at Howard Hanna, Melanie has bucked the trend to form a team and instead works individually with each client.
“I like to follow the transaction from beginning to end,” says Melanie. “I am not interested in being a mega-team, where so many different agents and employees work on a transaction. I like developing relationships, which often gets lost when working with a team.”
With 30-plus years in real estate, she has seen it all. From record-high 18% mortgage rates in the early 1980s, to the new home construction boom in Strongsville in the 1990s, to the current red-hot housing market.
And from experience comes wisdom. Melanie is well versed working with buyers and sellers, and also is a relocation specialist. “I work with all types of clients, from first-time home buyers to those looking for high-end luxury homes,” she says.
“I also like working with new construction and giving homeowners who are building ideas they may not have thought about and guiding them through the entire process. I have a great relationship with all the builders in town.”
Born in Dayton, Melanie moved to Northeast Ohio and attended Baldwin-Wallace University and earned a degree in psychology. When she bought her first home in Berea, her agent got her interested in the real estate industry. So, while working as a substitute social psychology teacher at Midpark High School, she got her real estate license.
Though the two may seem like unrelated career paths, Melanie has parlayed her skills of being a broker and a psychologist to best help others.
“There is so much more to real estate than just showing homes,” she says. “I can relate to each client and each situation and navigate clients through the many emotions of buying and selling a home—and keep them calm through what can sometimes be a turbulent process.”
With a guiding hand, Melanie has helped hundreds of families in the area sell and buy homes, including two generations of the same family.
“Many buyers are hesitant to look for a new home right now as they think home prices are overinflated, but I really believe we are at the price point we should be. Cleveland has finally caught up to the rest of the market,” she says. “It is a desirable place to live, and housing prices reflect that.”
As a relocation specialist, Melanie champions all things Cleveland. While her niche is the west side of Cleveland, she works all over Northeast Ohio. Raising a family in Strongsville, she takes pride in living and working in the same city.
“Strongsville is a wonderful place for families to live,” she says. “It has 15 developments with HOA swimming pools—more than anywhere else.”
As the top individual producer in the Howard Hanna Strongsville office, she knows this market so well. A recipient of the Howard Hanna President’s Circle Award, Melanie ranks in the top 5% nationwide for home sales.
A fan of golf, her keenness permeates to all she does. From negotiating the best deal for a homeowner to shaving strokes off her handicap, she approaches everything in life with sheer determination and a true passion.
Melanie Bowen works in the Howard Hanna offices at 12333 Pearl Road in Strongsville. For more information, call 440-667-6589 or visit HowardHanna.com.