Michele Travis & Tony Tortorici
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
WRITTEN BY ZACH COHEN | PHOTOS BY VAST MEDIA
As we sat down with Tony Tortorici and Michele Travis for our interview, Tony jumped in with a question.
“Did you bring donuts?” he asks with one of his classic, heartfelt laughs. “We always bring donuts everywhere we go.”
In one question, Tony offers an insight into the approach he takes in real estate. He is both caring and lighthearted. He is willing to take the extra step to bring joy to his clients. But don’t let Tony’s lighthearted side fool you – he takes his “post-retirement” gig quite seriously. Tony and his daughter Michele, who has 25 years of real estate experience under her belt, have formed a unique niche in the real estate market.
Eighty percent of Michele and Tony’s work comes from working with seniors. They have become local experts on helping seniors transition, and that commitment goes far beyond just real estate sales. Michele and Tony have formed relationships with every ancillary organization that a senior would need to engage with during a transition, from Medicare to estate planning attorneys to moving companies to senior communities.
“As a real estate agent, if you are not specializing in an area…you’re not going to make it,” Michele reminds us.
Rewind: Michele’s Real Estate Beginnings
In the mid-'90s, Michele was working in a sales role for the family business. Her husband, Tim, suggested that she try her hand at real estate, and in 1996, she officially launched her real estate career.
“After all, a career in real estate would offer me the ability to have a flexible schedule to allow me more time for the upbringing of our daughter. So, I did it,” Michele remembers.
Michele began her career with Jane Maxey, Realtors, where she fit right in. Michele admired Jan’s beauty and the way that she carried herself; she was everything Michele thought a real estate agent should be.
“Little did I know that when I stepped in, I would totally love my choice of career,” Michele continues. “I became a million-dollar producer my first year, with sales in excess of $1.6 million. My first clients had no idea that I was a new [real estate agent] and told me so when I told them I had just begun my career. I was a natural.”
Since her career began Michele has been an award-winning, multi-million dollar producer year after year. After over two decades in real estate on her own, Tony joined Michele in real estate in 2017. Her eventual partnership with her father would signify a brand new stage in her career, offering refreshed meaning to her work.
Seniors’ Real Estate Specialists
Tony spent the better part of his life as a mechanical engineer. He was a longtime employee of American Airlines and also ran his own engineering consulting business. He traveled the globe as an expert on transportations systems for decades.
“When I decided to retire, Michele said, ‘Dad, you can’t retire; you have to be doing something. Come to real estate with me.’ I said, ‘Great,’” Tony laughs.
Tony began to consider Michele’s proposal but under one condition.
“I wanted to focus on something I really want to do,” Tony continues. "My entire career was doing stuff for other people that they needed me to do because of the skillset I had. Now, I want to do something I want to do.”
Tony began to brainstorm. What would inspire him? How could he best support his community?
“What struck me was the difficulty I had with my mother, not understanding what to really do to help her with her inevitable aging needs. My wife and I encountered things we had never gone through in our lives before. How do we handle things? Who do we call? There was no one person we could call with extensive knowledge to help us through this process.”
Tony felt like he could be that person. As a senior himself, and as someone with experience navigating systems for his parents, Tony had a unique opportunity. He committed himself to become an expert not only in real estate but in every aspect of helping seniors transition from their long-time homes to senior communities.
“We have become an all-inclusive group to not only help people sell their home but manage the entire process of getting out of this home – disposal of furnishings via estate sales, auctions, etc. We help clean their homes. We also help spouses of veterans get spousal benefits that they had no clue they were eligible for,” Tony says.
Today, Michele and Tony work together to assist Tulsa area seniors with their transitions. It’s more than a niche; as Tony says, “It’s a mission.”
“It’s not just a handoff for us. We actually manage the process from A to Z. I get my hands dirty. I am in it. [We] put sweat equity into every job we do…it’s about helping somebody move on with their lives in a positive way. It’s a mission, and we do it passionately.”
“Yes, Tony is unique—he functions as a life coach in disguise as a REALTOR®. He is a man who thinks smarter, creatively, and out of the box while gracefully checking on his client to see that she is OK. and if she needs help. He is always only a phone call away.
There are two outstanding features that resonated with me. Tony has chosen, rather than to relax and have a life of leisure, to devote his life and his time passionately to helping seniors have an easy transition into a facility that is just right and affordable for them for their golden years. He works very hard and tirelessly for his client, yet charges only the standard REALTOR’S® fee. Secondly, Tony made it quite clear and upfront that his wife had priority in his life and in his schedule. Her needs and her desires came first. I have great respect for a man who honors and esteems his wife by putting her first.”
