This month, we chatted with Rachel Mangiapane, who brings a unique perspective and plethora of diverse experiences to our Lake Norman office. As a transplant from Indiana, Rachel has lived many lives - from studying Chinese culture and language, to living in various parts of Europe, to growing up building furniture with her father, Rachel is a natural explorer with a creative spirit.

With a background in international consulting, Rachel’s innate ability to strategically advise and guide her clients is derived from years of perfecting one skill in particular: listening. This expertise paired with her lifetime passion for real estate leaves us without question why her clients adore her.

 

Since joining Helen Adams, Rachel quickly blossomed into an incredibly valued and trusted real estate agent, with years of her own personal real estate experiences to pull from - including building a custom home and managing several AirBnB’s. Gaining her clients’ trust is not something Rachel approaches lightly, and in her own words,

 

“I do nothing on a whim. It has to make sense.”

 

Read more below on how Rachel and her family landed in North Carolina and why she chose Helen Adams Realty as her real estate home.

 

 

"Bloomington was an amazing place to grow up. The town is all about the Indiana Hoosiers, and we loved being Hoosier fans! The basketball team was always so good and fun to watch. In the era of Bobby Knight, we took our basketball very seriously, but beyond basketball, Bloomington was such a cool place to grow up - the university offers so much. I was able to take ballet with the Indiana University ballet; dancing in The Nutcracker every year was a highlight. Because it has a large international university, Bloomington also has really cool shops, the best farmer's market on the planet, and amazing restaurants. In addition to being a really cool university town, I grew up in the country and we spent hours every day playing with our animals or hiking all around the area. Bloomington also has several lakes and limestone quarries, so it’s really beautiful too."

 

 

"After 8th grade, I enrolled in an intensive Chinese language program at Indiana University. For 10 weeks, I lived in a dorm on campus and only spoke Chinese - I loved it! I was lucky to go to Phillips Exeter Academy for High School in New Hampshire and continued studying Chinese, which was pretty unusual at the time. Because I went to high school in NH, the presidential candidates came through on campaign trips; I loved attending their speeches and realized I enjoyed learning more about politics. Dartmouth is also in New Hampshire, so it was a hotbed of political activity. One of my favorite parts about Dartmouth was the opportunity to travel to other countries and to find really awesome internships. I spent a term in Harbin, China at the Harbin Institute of Technology; China is beautiful and diverse, both in terms of land and people. I ended up double majoring in Government and Asian Studies, because I loved learning more than just the Chinese language - religions of the East, history, language.. it was all so interesting! That was the international side, but I also loved following politics at home because of the active campaign trail in New Hampshire. One semester I was even an intern in the White House. Dartmouth really helped find a way to bring all of those interests together, and I am grateful for my time there."

 

 

 

"Real Estate has always been interesting to me. On family vacations, one of the first things I would do with my mom and sister is go to the supermarket and get those little real estate booklets. We would each go through them and pick our favorite house on each page. Then we'd debate why ours was the best choice. Was it the prettier paint, the area, or maybe even the value. I have always collected books on design and architecture, and everywhere I go, I try to take note of the architectural details native to an area. One of my favorite books is a nerdy book called "Traditional Construction Patterns." It covers everything from the proportions of window panes and columns to the details surrounding a dormer... I just love the details that go into a home. I have absolutely no skill on the architectural drawing side, but I think I'm really good at visualizing spaces. On long drives, I analyze and mentally remodel or design spaces. It seems somewhat weird, my husband reads baseball box scores, I mentally draw floor plans! So real estate is a pretty natural fit."

 

 

"I worked as a consultant after college, with each consulting project being very different. Each project had different needs, and I learned very quickly how to listen. At one point I lived in Rotterdam, and my team had some guys from India, a few Germans and several Dutch folks. Not only did we have language barriers, we also had major cultural differences, which made it the most interesting! From sharing food ideas, to Oktoberfest, to Dutch food and flower markets, I loved being able to learn more about their families and cultures. I feel the same approach is really important in real estate, where I listen for details to really get to know my clients. By taking the time to listen, I feel I can really help them find a home that meets their needs, and I love it!"

 

 

 

"What's not to like here! Growing up in a college town, I loved that Davidson is centered around the college. Also, the proximity to the college attracts people who are educationally-minded too. We moved here in the middle of the school year for Nick's job, and I'll never forget going to the Davidson Elementary / JV Washam annual basketball game at Davidson College - the spirit was amazing! I felt so happy seeing my kids engage and feel comfortable here. Davidson has so much to offer, and it has also been a pretty idyllic spot to grow up."

 

 

 

 

"My favorite newish spot is Barrel and Fork, and of course Kindred. I have avoided carbs for a long time and never tried their famous Milk Bread until recently... I was truly missing out - it is amazing! For day trips, we often go over to visit our oldest son Alex in Chapel Hill."

 

 

"I'm resourceful. I am a constant learner and love to dig into numbers and databases and even just to drive around to really understand an area. I have a lot of life experience in terms of real estate. I have bought and sold many homes, rented, lived in apartments in Europe, dorms in China, bought land, built a custom home. I have bought and sold several investment properties, and managed several Airbnb's. I understand the financials of how these things work, and at times, why they don't make sense. I am always trying to learn something new. Right now I am reading some books about Feng Shui along with other Asian inspired design as well as taking a Strategic Pricing course. I've always thought education is incredibly important, so if there is an opportunity to learn, I'll take it! While I love to learn and always have, I also understand some of the fears people have related to real estate. For years I'd wanted to dive into investment property but felt fearful. We modeled the numbers and always found a reason not to do it. Finally, my husband Nick and I decided to take the leap and do it. Not only have I learned so much, it was a great decision, and I wish I'd taken advantage sooner! But, being very process driven and methodical helps me to guide clients in real estate, because I do nothing on a whim. It has to make sense."

 

 

"I think every single client is completely different and listening and getting to know them is critically important to best help them. This is where I believe I can add the most value. My varied life experience means I can relate to a lot of different people and situations."

 

 

 

"Helen Adams Realty is a perfect fit for me. Helen Adams Realty is relationship based, and I love building relationships built on trust with my clients. Whether it is a family member or a brand new client, my goal is to listen and serve them so well they recommend me to all of their friends and family. From a branding perspective, the firm does such a great job letting us each learn and develop our own strengths. The training and education is a perfect complement to my desire to learn, and I feel so thankful to Helen Adams Realty for their investment in me."