After growing up in a family of builders, it’s no surprise that Dan Contino purchased his first home at the young age of 22. Inspired by the entire process of remodeling the home, reselling it, and reaping the financial rewards, Dan realized he had a passion for real estate and never looked back. Now, three decades later, he continues his work on the coast of Southeastern Connecticut, where his reputation for extraordinary knowledge and personal service brings him repeat clientele.
While Dan’s real estate goals have shifted over the years, they’ve always been ambitious. He opened his first brokerage office in 1996 and successfully grew that company to a total of 47 agents, before selling in December 2005 “in anticipation of the market crash.” He also stayed busy spear-heading a senior community called Clark’s Hollow, made up of 55 single-family homes in Niantic, Connecticut. That community is still thriving, along with another subdivision Dan developed — Farm View Estates — located in Norwich, Connecticut.
Despite all of this obvious successes, Dan remains modest and sharply focused on his customers. He works hard to get in front of buyers and sellers daily, often building a rapport at various events around town — for example, families with kids he used to coach in football have called upon his real estate expertise. In fact, he says communicating with friends and clients about their specific needs is “his strongest point,” and he loves picking up the phone and chatting with people, to the tune of 400 calls a month.
Dan is well-versed in a variety of transactions, often helping his clients out of financial “jams” in cases of short sales or upside-down mortgages. He is also knowledgeable about new construction, from the materials to the overall building process, and he is not hesitant to get “hands on” with clients who choose to go the custom home route.
Dan is enthusiastic to begin teaching his children the ropes of real estate, perhaps forming a “Continos Team.” His wife of 23 years manages his administrative tasks, making real estate a true family operation for the sake of “families helping families,” according to Dan.
When he steps away from the office, Dan values spending quality time with his wife and three children, typically engaging in outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, and hanging out on the beautiful New England shoreline.