Ronnie Heller started late in the brokering business but has certainly made up for lost time. She has been a broker for only 12 years at Young, Stovall and Company in Pinecrest, but about four months ago she was promoted to vice president (one of only three).

Ronnie Heller recently became a vice president with Young, Stovall and Company

In spite of her success it was never an easy road for Heller.

"When I first came in I had no idea what to do, so I took as many classes as I possibly could and eventually got my license. It was a very frightening, very humbling experience -- particularly at that time because it was such an unfriendly environment for female brokers. Back then, men just wouldn't deal with women, but that's changed...I'm proud of what I've accomplished not just as a broker, but as a woman also," Heller explained.

And while it was her hard work and determination that helped her to persevere, she said that without a fundamental love of the profession, there is no way she could have succeeded.

"I love it even though sometimes I come home and can't see straight. I like helping people. It's a great feeling. I constantly need to stay on top of what my clients want and what they need me to look for. It's a challenge, but one I love and look forward to," Heller said.

Young, Stovall and Company is owned by partners Rocky Young and Helen Bueno and was founded in 1980. In addition to their Pinecrest office, they have locations in Turnberry and Germantown, TN.

Between all three offices they have about 25 brokers, a size that Heller thinks is manageable and prefect for today's market.

"We are technically as sophisticated as anyone out there and we have a very talented and experienced staff. As for us, compared to one of these new on-line brokerages, I like to think we offer a voice of reason that might otherwise be missing. Those programs are like Vegas, like you're playing with poker chips. It doesn't seem like real money. It's a video game, you just point and click and that's it," she said.

As vice president, Heller needs to be extremely adept at dealing with clients, as well as being patient and helpful to the other brokers.

"The key is to always be very sensitive to your client's needs and condition. If the market should take a downturn, you sometimes need to be the shoulder to lean on and sometimes need to let them vent," she said.

Heller is very involved in the community as well. She's a member of the Miami-Dadeland Rotary Club, Founders Club of Miami, sometimes cooks lunch for the homeless in Homestead, organizes her office's Toys for Tots program, and was president of the PTA and on the board at MAST Academy.

She lives in Palmetto Bay with her husband, Jay, a chemist. Their children grew up there as well, including Howard, a behavioral psychologist; Melissa, a massage therapist, and Shawn, who attends George Washington University.

Heller thinks incorporation is crucial, if just for the increased police patrols.

"We were held up at gunpoint in our driveway five years ago. I don't think that sort of thing could happen in Pinecrest given the police force and the presence they have," she said.
But despite that, Heller loves the community and is happy to provide the service that she does for the people of the community.

"You need to know your clients, what they expect of you, and then go beyond. I have clients that have been with me six, seven, eight years that are thrilled to still be with me. I don't lose many clients to dissatisfaction," she said.

Young, Stovall and Company is located at 9627 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 101, in Pinecrest.