Good Neighbor Podcast: Pittsburgh

E71: Beyond HGTV: The Real Truth About the Housing Market with Gold Standard

• Leila Carter & Dionne Malush • Episode 71

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What makes Dionne Malush with Gold Standard Realty a good neighbor? 

Ever wondered what happens when you merge creative talent with real estate expertise? Meet Dionne Malush, the force behind Realty One Group Gold Standard Pittsburgh, who transformed personal adversity into entrepreneurial triumph.

Dionne's journey from graphic designer to real estate innovator offers a masterclass in career pivoting. After her 17-year design business partnership dissolved, she entered real estate and quickly matched her previous income. Recognizing the powerful synergy between design and real estate marketing, she established a brokerage that disrupted Pittsburgh's century-old real estate practices. "We came into an area where everything was the same for over 100 years and we disrupted," Dionne explains. The result? Over 100 agents joined in the first year alone, making Gold Standard the fastest-growing real estate company in Pittsburgh.

What sets Dionne's approach apart is her fierce commitment to authenticity and agent support. With six offices throughout the region and 207 agents, Gold Standard prioritizes education and marketing resources. The brokerage uniquely features a real estate attorney as broker, providing invaluable legal expertise that prevents issues before they escalate. Dionne candidly dispels industry myths, warning that "HDTV is not the truth" and that real estate success requires genuine relationship-building and consistent marketing. Behind her professional achievements lies a poignant personal story—channeling grief over her father's passing into creating the "Shine On Success" podcast, where she showcases stories of resilience. Despite facing her husband's recent liver transplant, Dionne believes "grief has made creativity my superpower," demonstrating how personal challenges can fuel professional innovation. Her enthusiasm for AI technology further illustrates her forward-thinking approach to an evolving industry.

Ready to experience the Gold Standard difference? Discover more at realtyonegroupgoldstandard.com and witness how Dionne's unique blend of creativity, resilience, and innovation is reshaping Pittsburgh's real estate landscape. How might her story inspire your own professional transformation?

To learn more about Gold Standard Realty go to: 

https://www.realtyonegroupgoldstandard.com/

Gold Standard Realty

(724)941-1427


Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Lila Carter.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a realty company? One might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, dionne Malish, with Gold Standard Pittsburgh. Dionne, how's it?

Speaker 3:

going. Hi, it's going great. This is so exciting. I love this opportunity. How cool is this? Thank you for having me here.

Speaker 2:

Oh, we're thankful you're here as well, so we're excited to learn all about you and your business. Please tell us more about your organization.

Speaker 3:

So our company is Realty One Group Gold Standard, and we always say Gold Standard Pittsburgh because that's our real name. We love being the gold standard in the city that loves black and gold. We started the brokerage around 2018. We had an amazing startup our first year. We had over 100 agents join our company, which was the fastest growing real estate company in Pittsburgh. We were definitely a disruptor model. We came into an area where everything was the same for over 100 years and we disrupted, and it's been such a pleasure doing business in the city that I love so much. So, yeah, we're a real estate company, but we do a lot of things differently and we really put the agent first and not the company. So we're spending our time like marketing agents and doing the best for them, because, at the end of the day, without agents, we don't have a company.

Speaker 2:

That's so true. And how did you get into this business, Deanne?

Speaker 3:

Yeah. So I had a graphic design business for 17 years and my partnership destroyed the company. So at that point I got my real estate license and realized in my second year that I'd made as much as I had in my 17th year of my design business. So I saw something really cool by marrying the two industries. You know, real estate, graphic design perfect marriage.

Speaker 3:

When I started, microsoft Word is what everyone used. Now today we have Canva and things like that that help the agents be more creative. So we I got my license. I did really well, and then I had an opportunity to become an owner in a small office and I did that. And then we decided to buy this franchise and bring it to Pittsburgh. So we have six offices all around the city. You know we have over two. Today we're at 207 agents, and when I say we have amazing people in our company, I am not lying. There is some really fantastic human beings and great agents. We have a broker that's an attorney which truly sets us apart, so it helps us to not have issues as much because she's able to squash them before they get too bad. So that's a little bit about how it started. So graphic designer turned real estate mogul.

Speaker 2:

Awesome. So what are some myths or misconceptions in this industry?

Speaker 3:

I think, geez, there's so many. Okay, the biggest one I would have to say that really jumps out at me is what you see on TV is not the truth. Hdtv is not the truth. You know, people that aren't making a lot of money can't afford to buy a million dollar houses. It's just not the way it works. And they make it look so pretty and so easy. Real estate is hard. People can't. They get into real estate thinking, oh, I'm going to do what they do on TV, and they realize it's not that easy.

Speaker 3:

You have to really focus on the people. You know your sphere of influence, your your past clients. If you've been in business and you need to, you know constantly be doing something to promote yourself. Marketing is such a huge part of real estate and if, especially now with AI and all the things that, the tools and technology that are out there if you're not using them, you're going to be passed up in a couple of years. And it's a shame because some people have been in business a long time doing it the old way. But the old way is not working anymore and HDTV is not the truth. Please don't watch that.

Speaker 3:

And Zillow doesn't know everything, that's for sure, because they're not inside a house, they only know what they see in pictures. So there's a lot of misconceptions and I think for us you know we try to make our agents at the forefront so the consumer knows when they, when they meet a realty one group agent. They are well educated, they love marketing, they know how to, you know, to market the house. Some of our agents, the things that they do would just be will blow your mind. And so there's a lot of misconceptions. But there's also a lot of really good things about real estate in Pittsburgh. It's a very stable market and we had some highs during COVID but now we're back to stability, so we're lucky to have that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's so important what you do helping people find a house that really feels like home. So, as we're thinking about the market that you're serving and attracting your target market, who are your target customers and how are you bringing them to the business?

Speaker 3:

Yeah. So for me, as a brokerage owner, my target market is our real estate agents. We have over 9000 real estate agents in the Pittsburgh market, so we have 207. And there's other Realty One groups as well. They have different names, but we are Realty One Group Gold Standard and there's other Realty One groups as well. They have different names, but we are Realty One Group of Standard.

Speaker 3:

So for me, the target market is more agents to understand, you know, that they don't have to give up half their money, they don't have to be in a company that really doesn't support them, that they can have all the support, all most of the money and still, you know, be able to live their life. And I think that's an opportunity that we give them is that they can live their life differently because they can come here, make more and have all the things that they need. So that's what my client is. But our agents, their clients, of course, are buyers and sellers. Looking in the Pittsburgh region, we have agents from Johnstown, you know, to Washington, to Wexford, to almost to Beaver Falls, you know. We have them all over the city. We have an office right down right in Shadyside as well, so we're in the middle of the city, plus, we're everywhere around. So that's what we're looking for.

Speaker 3:

You know, home buyers and sellers that want an agent that's well educated, want a brokerage that has an attorney that actually is the forefront of the brokerage. That really helps because she's been a real estate attorney for over 25 years. So having all of that in our mix has really set us apart in the market. Like I said, that was the same. But I'm going to tell you one thing for sure is they're not the same anymore. When we came in this market we gave so many reasons for the companies to step up their game and they did and they had no choice because when they saw what we were doing they had no choice and literally was little old me and we had the computer doing all this stuff to market our agents, to put them at the front side. So it's been an amazing ride. You know. Eight years in, it's been just such a great opportunity.

Speaker 2:

Have you ever thought about offering a digital level of support to people through a podcast?

Speaker 3:

I actually have a podcast myself and so it's called shine on success, and I actually did that because my dad had passed away and I was looking for a way to take my grief and put it into something. So I created the podcast to to share people that are going through adversity and pushing through to the other side, that we all can get through it, you know, to try to help others. And so I think I'm at number 90. So so far I've been 90 in a year and a half that I've put together. But, yeah, I love having a podcast. I think everybody should have a podcast because we all have different stories and I think podcasting is such a great opportunity to meet some of the most amazing people in the world not just in the pittsburgh region, all over the world. So, yeah, I love having a podcast.

Speaker 2:

I love that story about how you catalyze your grief into something beautiful, and may he rest in peace. I'm sorry for your loss.

Speaker 3:

It's been a hard couple of years and a couple of months ago my husband had a liver transplant. So the last two years have been very trying. But you know what? I am still picking up the pieces and getting back up. So that's what makes me, that makes me Dion, yeah, oh well, outside of work.

Speaker 2:

What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I don't know. I think about that a lot. I love to travel, but we haven't traveled in a while because my dad was sick and he was sick, so it's been about two and a half years since I took a vacation. But I do love going on vacation and I love learning about AI, so that's like fun for me. So I am obsessed with AI and I don't know. Most people have things that they do. We like to boat, but we, you know things like that. But having fun is just spending time with my husband and my family and my dogs, which are super fun, and you know, of course, the agents. When we have events we have a great time. But overall, I love working and I love spending time learning and so I learn so I can teach.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, I love learning about AI, too, in my spare time. It's so quickly changing and there's just so much to learn about these different platforms and how to use them together, combine them. So, yeah, it's just definitely something that we need to stay on the forefront of right.

Speaker 3:

Sure, and I love that I'm doing that at the forefront of this company so that our agents know more and can do more. And yesterday I made this little eight-second video and it was so good and I thought before this would have taken so long. So it's the opportunity to save time and actually enjoy your life. That's what I love about AI. So something that would take you hours now can take you minutes, so the rest of your day you can do something that you enjoy. Yeah, so that's one of my favorite parts of it. And the fact is it's changing every single day and there's so many different kinds of software. You have to just pick one you like and stick with it, work with it, learn it and then go to the next one because, like, if you're like me, you have 20 different ai things going at one time. I do not recommend that. I have to actually make a list to write down what are all the ais that I have and what are they for. So I know so great.

Speaker 2:

I know several business owners that are now making what they call ai twins. Have you heard of that?

Speaker 3:

yeah, yeah, for sure I've had that. I've had one for about a year and a half now, so that's been really helpful. And you know I was a good writer before. Now I'm a great writer and it's because of the use of AI. You know it fixes what I don't write properly and I just think it's enhanced my skills. My creativity is through the roof. In fact, I do believe grief has made creativity my superpower, even greater than it's ever been.

Speaker 2:

I love that. I love that you said that. So now, dion, what can stick with our listeners about gold standard? Just one thing that you want to sit with them.

Speaker 3:

That I am who I portray to be. So a lot of times people will say to an agent is she really that nice, is she really? Is that really her? It absolutely 100 is. So I want everyone in pittsburgh to know that I am who I say I am that's lovely, and how can our listeners learn more about gold standard pittsburgh?

Speaker 3:

yeah, so you can just go to my website, dion malish, d-i-o-n-n-n-e-m-a-l-u-s-hcom. It's a little bit about me, and then you know, realtyonegroupgoldstandardcom is our company web address, so all you have to do is type in RealtyOneGroupGoldStandard and you'll find us everywhere. I think I've done a pretty good job getting us out there in the market of Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2:

Excellent. Well, Dionne, we really appreciate your time today and having you as a guest on our show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you. It's so nice to meet you. I appreciate this very much. Thanks for being here.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPPittsburghcom. That's GNPPittsburghcom, or call 412-561-9956.