Pete Moriello

I grew up with my mom in a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in a four-family house in Elizabeth. As an only child, I learned early to figure things out on my own.

For 18 years I taught phys ed in Elizabeth, sometimes with 45 or 50 kids in one gym on a rainy afternoon. When I first got into real estate I was still teaching, going straight from the school to showings. I learned more about people in that gym than anywhere else: how to stay calm, how to explain things simply, and how to keep everyone moving in the same direction.

Before real estate I also tried a clothing line with a few partners. It taught me what happens when expectations are not written down, and why I put every agreement, timeline and responsibility on paper with my clients today.

Today I help buyers and sellers across Union and Essex County, and I still run marathons. Most agents ease off the day your home hits the market. That is when I lock in.