A Day in the Life of Cassie D'Agata

24 Hours With’ takes a look at a day in the life of CORE’s agents. Cassie D’Agata talks about organization, a designer touch and the perfect end to everyday.

I am not a morning person and I am not a creature of habit, so real estate is really perfect for me because no two days are ever the same… ever. And I USUALLY don’t need to start my day at the crack of dawn, well except for Wednesday’s when few of us at CORE train for the upcoming Urban Mudder in July.

6:00 My alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed and head to the East River Park where the CORE team does a bit of running and conditioning with our trainer.

8:30 I head home, shower and get ready for the day. I also feed and take my dog Leila for a quick walk around the block. I live on Thompson Street in SoHo, or as I have coined it, West SoHo (still waiting for it to take off as a thing), which has a very different feel from the central part of the neighborhood. I’m near the action, but not right in it and there is a difference that is palpable. The other great thing about the neighborhood is that it’s close to all public transportation. So however my day starts, whether in the office or at a showing appointment, I can get there with ease.

10:30 Today I am starting at my office in Chelsea. One day a week I set aside time for business planning. I am typically working with 10 to 20 clients (buyers, sellers and renters) that are all in different stages in the process. Some are just starting to look into buying, some are getting ready to list their apartments for sale, and others are already in contract and awaiting their closing date. There are many steps that have to happen to get to that point and it is my job to make sure nothing slips through the cracks and they are kept informed along the way. I identify and prioritize everything that has to happen that day and the rest of the week and set deadlines and reminders for myself. I use tools such as Contactually and Todoist that make it much easier.

12:30 I have a new listing in Williamsburg coming to market and today the professional photos are being taken. Every space–no matter how well designed–needs a little revamping for the listing photos. Designing for how you live in a space is very different from staging for sale, and with a background in design from Parsons, this is my favorite part of the job. The goal is to highlight the unique features of the property while making the space feel as big, fresh and bright as possible for viewing both online and in-person. This could mean shifting furniture a little, de-cluttering, and bringing in fresh flowers and new accessories for pops of color. I pull items for my own apartment all the time, re-purpose the owners’ things, and I often use free pillow samples that a friend in the textile industry is happy to share. And sometimes when I’m feeling

extra creative, I break out a canvas and paint to create wall art with just the right colors I need.

1:30 I make sure everything is ready to go for when the photographer arrives so he can work quickly from room to room.

2:15 Quick lunch at Urban Rustic – check it out!

3:00 I sometimes have clients interested in new development projects that they would like me to take a look at for them. Luckily today, the property I needed to see was down the block from the apartment being photographed and they were giving an afternoon tour. Love when that happens! When I work with buyers for the first time I like to meet them in their current home to get a sense of how they live and their style. Then when I tour a new development–which is a few months from completion–I can gauge if it’s right for the client. I view the quality of the finishes and construction. Also, touring new developments can also be a great way to get a peek at current design trends.

5:00 Off to the Upper East Side for two appointments at one of my listings–a newly renovated unit that shows great. If I happen to be listing an apartment that is not in good condition, the design background definitely comes in handy again. I can offer suggestions on how the space can be reimagined or reconfigured to meet the buyer’s needs.

6:30 I used to stay at the office until 10pm or later most of the time, but having Leila has helped to get me home at a reasonable time each night, which is a good thing. She gets dinner and another walk and I also water the plants on my patio. My brown thumb is slowly turning green.

8:00 Back on the computer for a few hours to follow up on emails and unfinished tasks.

11:00 At this point I usually realize I have gone the entire day without having a moment of downtime for myself. So although it’s difficult, I try to make a point to shut everything off by 11 o’clock for at least an hour of me time. It has become one of the most important parts of my day where I will either just sit in quiet, journal, make a gratitude list or meditate. I find it wraps my day with a neat bow and gets me ready for the chaos of the next day.

12:00 Lights out.