Article published in Northampton Living
(October 2020)

In a place like the Connecticut River Valley, where land preservation, smart growth, and sustainable development are in demand, shouldn’t your Realtor also be an agent of change? Shouldn’t you be dealing with a Realtor who walks the-walk on big-picture issues?

I became a Realtor in 2003—with a special niche. The most successful Realtors are those who have an identifiable niche, or even two. I specialize in the sale of houses near to biking and walking trails or other conservation lands. I also specialize in antique or historic houses, particularly those near village center locations. And, of course, lesson number one for niche marketing is to stand out from the crowd.

This unusual niche has afforded me a successful career. So much so that I’ve now begun to train Realtors in NY, VT, and MA on not only how to do this, but more importantly why those Realtors need to get involved in rail trail projects in their service areas. At a recent annual conference, the National Assoc. of Realtors awarded me the national Evergreen Award for not only being the first Realtor in the US specializing in this niche, but also, for my 20-plus years of work in developing these rail trails throughout the Northeast.

In the realm of where the trails are currently located, and when they’re going to be extended next, I am the expert. My niche of specializing in this area has been recognized in both local and national real estate publications. I have been featured in two National Association of Realtors (NAR) trade magazines, in two Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors (MAR) trade magazines, a Certified Residential Specialist trade magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and the United Airlines in-flight magazine, Hemispheres.

Also, in the past few years, four books have featured me as a case study in creative marketing and 21st century branding. A fifth book is coming out later this year. I’m not your average Realtor.

My wife Kathleen and I also operate an award-winning bed and breakfast in Northampton’s historic village of Florence. The renovation of our Civil War era house was so dramatic that HGTV featured it in an episode of one of their Restore America programs. Each year, several of our bed and breakfast guests come here and discover our beautiful valley for the first time. Often they love it so much that they decide to relocate here and use me as their Realtor. Think of selling a house within a ½ mile of a rail trail around here? Give me a call. 413-575-2277 or email at CraigDP413@gmail.com

More contributions from Craig Della Penna