A pair of Cambridge real estate agents have found the recipe for success.
By Juliet Pennington Photo by Conor Doherty
Listening to their banter, Realtors Gail Roberts and Ed Feijo sound like a cross between a stand-up comedy duo and a longtime married couple. They poke fun at each other, finish each other’s sentences, and clearly have a deep-seated mutual affection. But the Cambridge Realtors are not comedians, nor are they spouses. They are, however, very successful business partners.
For the past five years, Gail Roberts, Ed Feijo & Team has been ranked as the top-producing small team for Coldwell Banker nationwide, and for the past 15 years, theirs has proven to be the most successful residential real estate pairing in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“Combined, Ed and I have been doing this for a long time, so I think we’re a proven entity,” says Roberts about the key to their success. “We also work really hard and truly believe in giving the best service possible to our clients.” She explains that whether buyers are spending $500,000 or $15 million, “this is a huge deal to them, and we really want to help them navigate the process.” It is telling that the majority of Roberts and Feijo’s business comes from referrals.
Feijo says he believes it’s clear to clients that he and Roberts (and the team, which includes fellow Realtor Victoria Kennedy and Delia Holland, who provides back-of-house support) are passionate about their careers. “Fortunately, the level of our business is consistent, so we never push anyone into a purchase; it’s got to be the right property for them,” he says.
Roberts, who has been with Coldwell Banker for nearly 40 years, was raised in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Before recently moving to Back Bay, she spent several decades living in Cambridge and retains her encyclopedic knowledge of the neighborhoods.
Feijo, who is from Hopedale, Massachusetts, and lives in Boston’s South End with his 8-year-old poodle, Sophie, has been in real estate for 19 years. “I came in as a new agent and ended up working with Gail on a new listing that she needed help with,” he recalls. “We just worked really well together on our first deal and went from there.”
Roberts says she was—and still is—impressed by Feijo’s work ethic. “It matches mine. We both believe that we’re here to service our clients, to give more than expected,” she says. “I think in this business, people really do feel that we are here seven days a week, and there is an availability between us to cover that.”
Feijo says that even though he and Roberts sometimes “start from different directions, we always come to the same place.” Roberts agrees: “He’s good with facts and numbers; I need to feel it.” And while both acknowledge that making sales is the best thing about real estate, Roberts says that connecting people is right up there.
“Honestly, it’s a joy to introduce buyers to their neighbors and to organizations that might be of help to them,” she says. “We like to say that we’re connecting people to their community, one home at a time.”
While Roberts and Feijo do have listings in the surrounding area, the city of Cambridge makes ups 98 percent of the team’s sales. Roberts says the city’s diversity is a big draw, as well as its cultural offerings, access to Logan International Airport, and proximity to Boston. “It is still a leafy green city with a population of less than 120,000,” adds Feijo. “It’s urban-suburban.”
Even with current higher interest rates, Feijo says that business is strong in Cambridge—especially within the area’s biotech and life science industries. “There’s a need for housing, so they’re moving forward with buying because it makes more sense to them than renting,” he says. “One thing is for sure: We could use a lot more inventory.”
Roberts says that while some people think they just sell high-end, expensive homes, that is not the case. “We cover a wide range,” she says. “We have many first-time homebuyers, but it can be a challenge for them,” Feijo admits, adding, “Even for a small, 500-square-foot condominium, you’re still going to pay more than $1,000 per square foot.”
Roberts feels that helping a client buy a property that is ideal for their budget, needs, and lifestyle is paramount. “We’ll be the first ones to say, ‘This isn’t right for you … you can do better,’” she says. “I think our clients know this about us, and it is why we have had the success that we’ve had. We’re very grateful and appreciative that they put their trust in us.”
And even though Cambridge has been the epicenter of their careers, selling homes in this city never gets old for either of them. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” says Feijo, “when I am already doing something that makes me so happy every single day.”
