Meet Cindy Oja

Cindy Oja

Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS (PMAR)
Million Dollar Club’s 2006 Broker of the Year

Success is measured by smiling faces
From Broker*Agent Magazine
by Mindy Sullivan
photography by Timothy J. Park Photography

Cindy Oja measures success by smiling faces. She stays busy putting smiles on many faces as she balances a flourishing real estate career with her other passions – namely spending time with her family and beloved granddaughters.

Oja is a top-producing Broker with Ken Hoffman, Inc. REALTORS^®. Although she can’t envision a more fulfilling career, her start in the business was somewhat happenstance. While off work recovering from knee surgery, her sister convinced her they should try taking real estate classes. “We signed up and took the classes. My sister didn’t like the long hours and weekends so she left the profession, but I was hooked. I loved it.” Today, her brother, Randy Hunzeker, works as a licensed agent in Vancouver. “It’s great to have my brother working there. We can refer customers and help people on both sides of the river.”

Oja approached her real estate career with enthusiasm and a commitment to personal service. She thanks her father, Clyde Hunzeker, for setting the example she chose to follow. “He worked hard and was always honest and dependable. I try to model my own dedication after his,” she recalls. That dedication to her craft led her to earn the highest professional designations available for Realtors – the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) and Certified Residential specialist (CRS). She is also a Certified New Home Sales Specialist (CNHSS).

The first company she joined as a new agent specialized in selling new construction and Oja soon discovered she had found her niche. She immersed herself in gaining the knowledge and experience that would make her a value to her customers and to her industry. She joined the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland and volunteered to work on various different committees. Oja has served on the Executive Board for the Street of Dreams for the past ten years. She was appointed Co-chair in 2005 and was selected to chair the event in 2007.

Great relationships are the key to great success Cindy and Ken Hoffman, mentor and principal broker.

Oja is quick to acknowledge that the relationships she has developed were key to her success. One of the most important relationships is with her Designated Broker, and company owner, Ken Hoffman. “I have worked with Ken since I started in the business and when he started his own company, I joined him right away. He has always been my mentor because I respect his professionalism, attitude and reputation. He has great integrity and is a wonderful boss and personal friend.”

She also credits her relationships with the other brokers at Ken Hoffman, Inc., REALTORS^® as integral to her becoming a top-producing broker. In 2005, Oja’s production topped $21 million in sales – and she did it without a single assistant! “I don’t really need one because we are a team at Ken Hoffman, Inc. We all help each other. Many of us are great friends. I’ve had the pleasure of working with my best friend, Tawny Klingman, who is always there for me.”

Oja also earned the respect of two of the greater Portland area’s most well-known homebuilders. They chose her to represent them exclusively in the Altamont subdivision, a premier gated community of homes and condominiums located on Mount Scott. She returns the admiration and refers to Gregory Heinz, Shelburne Development, and Dennis Derby, Double D Developments, as “the nicest, and most wonderful, duo to work with because of their commitment to building outstanding communities and top quality homes and condominiums. I’ve been blessed to work with them on Altamont.

Working on a project of this size demands dedication and creativity. Oja coordinates and participates in special promotions to introduce prospective buyers and to foster good relations among neighbors in this active community. She credits Ken Springer, a long time friend and co-worker, for filling in whenever asked at weekend open houses. Altamont is open every weekend for the convenience of busy house hunters.

Although she specializes in new construction, Oja is no stranger to the resale market. She works hard to stay knowledgeable about all facets of the eastside market area and represents either buyers or sellers with equal enthusiasm. “I love helping all my clients achieve their goals. From first-time buyers to move up or down buyers and sellers, helping each find their dream home is the favorite part of my job.”

Over the past 17 years, she has developed a network of trusted brokers across the region and she doesn’t hesitate to refer a potential customer when it is in their best interest to work with a broker who specializes in their chosen area. “I work by referral. My business comes from past clients who send me their friends and family. I have to honor that trust by taking the best care of everyone they send me. I truly put their needs first above everything else.” Her work ethic and sincere caring personality have inspired many clients to consider her a friend as well as a trusted real estate professional.

Commitment to industry garners recognition

Her contributions and leadership within the real estate industry have also garnered her respect and admiration from her peers. Oja was recently selected as the 2006 Broker of the Year for the Million Dollar Club of the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors and served as their 2005 President.

Kathy Querin, PMAR CEO, acknowledged her significant contributions. “Cindy is not just a top producer in the Portland metropolitan marketplace. She gives a tremendous amount of time to the real estate industry though her extensive volunteer work with the PMAR Million Dollar Club, service on the PMAR Board of Directors, and tireless involvement with the Home Builders Association annual Street of Dreams. I think that Cindy was selected to be 2006 Broker of the Year by her peers in the Million Dollar Club because not only is she well liked and respected, she demonstrates all the attributes of an excellent Realtor: professionalism, ethics, and a deep commitment to her organization and her community.”

Living a life with balance

Oja strives to live a life with balance. She believes she brings more value to her family, friends and clients by keeping all parts of her life in perspective and making time to enjoy the people and activities she loves. “I will never cut corners with my service and commit to more than I know I can realistically handle well. I can’t do the kind of business that I’m proud of if I’m stretched too thin.”

In her leisure time, Oja enjoys golfing and traveling, but her travels rarely take her too far from her favorite activity – spending time with her grandchildren. “Although I am blessed with a wonderful husband, Doug, and beautiful twin daughters, I am even more blessed because my favorite title is ’Grandma’ to my two five year old granddaughters, Ana and Brooklyn.”

The smile that lights her face when she talks about her family is remarkable similar to the smiles she creates on the faces of her satisfied clients. Smiles and success – a fitting tribute to a great Realtor and a remarkable woman.