Gilroy
– Gilroy resident and Realtor Susan Murphey Patereau recently
was named Realtor of the Year by South County Realtors’
Association, an award that recognizes outstanding Realtors who are
actively involved in the community.
Gilroy – Gilroy resident and Realtor Susan Murphey Patereau recently was named Realtor of the Year by South County Realtors’ Association, an award that recognizes outstanding Realtors who are actively involved in the community.
Patereau’s interest and participation in the Gilroy community is extensive. Along with working at Intero Real Estate Services in Gilroy, she serves on the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is in her second term on the Physically Challenged Board of Appeals, appointed by the Gilroy City Council.
Patereau is a long-time member of the Gilroy Rotary and serves on the Gilroy Rotary Endowment Board, as well as the Intero Foundation Board. Patereau also is a member of the Gilroy branch of the American Association of University Women, serving as their Web master.
Patereau has been a Realtor since 2001. She served on SCRA’s board of directors and was treasurer for two years. This year, Patereau also served as tour captain for the association’s Gilroy tour meetings, in which Realtors preview new listings.
Patereau and her husband, also active in local real estate, have two adult children and two grandchildren. The family has lived in Gilroy since 1981.
About eight years ago, the Patereau’s son was involved in a tragic accident that left him quadriplegic. Before the accident, Susan Patereau was working at Gavilan College as director of community education – a job she held for 15 years. But the accident made her better appreciate the value of life, she said, and that’s when she left Gavilan and got into real estate.
“I decided I needed to be happy every day, because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring,” she said. “I was kind of frustrated and burned out at Gavilan, and I realized I couldn’t wait around for retirement to be happy. I wanted to do it now. I wanted to be a little more in charge of my destiny.”
Patereau said her active involvement in Gilroy is a direct result of her love for the community and the curiosity she has in watching Gilroy grow and change. Seeing how the city has progressed over the past 20-plus years has been a joy, she said.
“I really love Gilroy, and I love it more today than I did when we came here,” she said. “I love the change, the way it’s cautiously growing, and the interest of the people to keep it careful and keep it happy.”
The association annually selects one outstanding Realtor who is involved in the community from its branches in Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill. Patereau formally received the award Nov. 20 at a ceremony at the Morgan Hill Community Center.
Association members said they selected Patereau for her exemplary service, professionalism and dedication to the community.
Patty Filice, who works with Patereau, said her co-worker’s enthusiasm for Gilroy shapes how she performs her job.
“Some of us have been in this business for more than 20 years, and even though Susan hasn’t been in real estate that long, she does her work like a long-time, seasoned veteran of the business,” Filice said. “She is extremely professional, she is reliable and she holds up her end of the deal.”
Patereau’s love for Gilroy also contributes to her ability to succeed in real estate, Filice said.
“That’s what makes a great Realtor – someone who brings their love and knowledge of the community to the table,” Filice said. “She puts all aspects of life in Gilroy into what she does.”
