Meet Laura ! She’s got Philly blood running through her veins and is ready to help you love your block!
Bio
Meet Laura! Laura first stepped foot in Philadelphia on April 2, 1994. She was going to see her first show at the Tracadero (Pavement in case you’re wondering). That one night hooked her on Philly. Laura came for fashion design school. After graduating, it took two years of designing for Mothers Work to know it wasn’t for her. Laura knew she needed a career change but didn’t want to leave Philly. So back to school for Laura. It was clear her passion was in her city. She ended up at Community College of Philadelphia and finished at Penn with a Masters of City Planning. During this time Laura was able to hone in on what drove her personally and professionally. It was almost 20 years later, after her night at the Tracadero, that Laura started Love Your Block.
“Hmmm, what else? My spirit animal is a pigeon–streetwise little spitfires who can have a busted wing and trash stuck to their foot and still strut around like the queen of England, most interactions involve pics of my pups (it just happens!), and I love a good show tune.”
Origin Story
After getting her degree in City Planning Laura went down a few professional paths before ending up with her realtor license. The first job that started her down this path was managing a home repair program for low-income homeowners in West Philadelphia. She also spent five years at the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. However, as the years went by she felt she wanted something more. In 2012, with the unending help of her wife Tiffany, she started Love Your Block. Laura and Tiffany often joke that they’ve been putting the “homo in homeowner since 2012.”
Love Your Block® is an LGBTQ+ woman owned real-estate team. Laura and Tiffany believe that the recipe for a great transaction is information, thoughtful guidance, and strong cocktails. “We don’t hide our politics or beliefs up in the attic; we bring them right down to the living room and show them off. Consequently, if you don’t like cursing, terrible puns, or the outrageous notion that black and trans lives matter, we’re not the realtor for you. But if you want an unrivaled combination of education, experience, and enthusiasm for the city of Philadelphia (warts and all), then yeah, we can ride together. In short, this is not your average real estate jawn. #gobirds” Y’all get it?
Roses and Thorns
As cliche as it sounds, for Laura and Tiffany the best part of running their business are the people. They recognize being a realtor can be a strange profession. You parachute into people’s lives to shepherd them through a gauntlet of decisions during one of the largest transactions of most people’s lives. What Laura and Tiffany have learned is that they can use all of these relationships to build a fantastic community through gatherings, parties, and sponsorships. “Some of our best (and most effective) events have basically been excuses for us to drink great beer with friends, clients, and soon-to-become friends or clients. Every rugby match or drag show is a chance to grow the Love Your Block flock, which is pretty great.”
The tough part for a lot of business owners is the minutia, the paperwork, taxes, insurance, etc.. and that is no different for Laura and Tiffany. The bureaucratic nightmare can be trying at times for these two. Luckily, for them and us, they know it’s all worth it in the end. A cold one with a client always turns those bureaucratic frowns upside down.
325 Chestnut Street, Suite 1300
Philadelphia, PA 19106
267-997-1148
https://loveyourblock.com
