Orlando Realtor Karen Arbutine Closes Record Home Sale

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(NEWS ADVERTORIAL)

Orlando, FL-- At a time when the local real state market is down, Realtor® Karen Arbutine is at the top of her game. So much so that Arbutine, the leading agent for RE/MAX Central Realty, just recorded the largest residential sale in the history of Seminole County.

The 16,809-square-foot residence, which closed Oct. 24, is an award-winning Street of Dreams property listed for $9.7 million in the Estate Homes section of Markham Woods/Lake Mary. The undisclosed buyer, a well-known professional athlete, paid $8.1 million, according to Arbutine.

The name of the custom lakefront home located just a short drive north of downtown Orlando is Chateau D'Usse, which means "Sleeping Beauty's Castle."

Arbutine's most recent success story in the luxury real estate market is no surprise for the Pittsburgh, PA area native, who has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience.

Prior to joining RE/MAX Central Realty, the accredited Luxury Home Specialist was the top listing agent for Watson Realty Corp.'s Heathrow, FL office, selling more than $9 million in real estate in 2004.



After moving over to RE/MAX, Karen topped the charts again in 2006 when she earned a Platinum Club Award for recording more than $10 million in sales. Now, Arbutine is listed among the top 1 percent of some 10,000 Realtors® that comprise the Orlando Regional Realtor® Association.

Despite years of success, Karen remains grounded and easy-going by nature, two reasons most people find her so enjoyable to work with.



"Being in real estate doesn't seem like work to me," says Arbutine, who can often be found with her "good luck charm" Roxy, a beloved Labrador she rescued four years ago from Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, a cause dear to her heart. "There are times when you have challenges, but this comes natural to me. I just love what I do. It's not like, 'Oh my gosh, I have to go to work today.' I really love it."

Arbutine loves this business so much she recalls having just one day off her first year in the business. As Karen likes to say, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." When times are tough, she notes, "...it's even more important to work harder and stay more diligent in one's duties."

"You have to position yourself in the market and stay determined and focused on what you want," Arbutine adds. "You also need to be advertising in all the major global markets."

That approach has proven profitable for Arbutine, evident by the impressive customer base she's collected from her own website: www.GetOrlandoRealEstate.com.

Arbutine's work ethic and strong passion for the business also contribute greatly to her success. The consummate professional also credits years of industry-leading success to simply keeping the client's best interests in mind.

"I truly believe in putting the customer first," says Arbutine, who leads a team of experts that includes her brother and fellow Realtor®, Rick Arbutine, a marketing assistant, a web/graphic designer and a commercial real estate specialist. "I wouldn't sell anybody anything that I wouldn't sell to my own family...You must put the customer first. And I just love to help put people in homes that will make lifelong memories."

This past week, Arbutine's luxury home sale put someone in a home that will most definitely be remembered for years to come.

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For more information on Karen Arbutine, visit her website at www.GetOrlandoRealEstate.com or email her at karbutine@remax.net. You may reach her toll-free at 1-888-727-7778 or 407-928-3788.