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Rolling Out: UrbanStyle Weekly
February 2006
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Carole Griffin
Proprietor, Griffin Real Estate Group
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HOME SWEET HARLEM |
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Harlem isn't just a hot market for real estate developer Carole Griffin; it's home. That makes all the difference in the world regarding how she does business in the midst of the ongoing revitalization in America's legendary black mecca.
"I was here when Harlem was in its absolute heyday," she recalls. "And I would love for it to get back to that. So that's the number one reason why this revitalization is so important to me."
As a result, she feels a sense of responsibility to ensure that Harlem's essence perseveres. Over the years, Griffin has seen the concentration of the local real estate market swing from subsidized home ownership to multi-million dollar market rate developments. Yet, she's remained consistent throughout, committing herself to her growing clientele as well as the overall community.
"We've got an area in Harlem now that's got a great deal of homeownership [ranging] from moderate to higher incomes," says Griffin. "Now we've got [so many] services and businesses, I can't even keep up with it. A new restaurant opens every month in Harlem. It's real fabulous. Harlem has become cache to live in."
That means maintaining the balance that makes Harlem unique and valuable takes conscious effort. "When people say, 'it looks like the face of Harlem is changing,' it could," she says, "if the person that's selling that property does not say, 'I am going to reach out and make sure that there's diversity in those buildings."
Rather than rely on advertising alone, Griffin makes it a point to present Harlem homebuying opportunities to club, sorority and fraternity members face-to-face. "That's the extra yard that I go that makes me better at what I do than anybody else," she says. "I have passion for Harlem. I've been here for a long time." –rodney carmichael
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