Long & Foster Real Estate welcomes Dawn Schmitt to its Shore Drive-Coastal office in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Schmitt will specialize in working with home buyers and sellers.

“We are very excited and fortunate to have Dawn join our team of highly trained professionals,” said John Powell, manager of the Shore Drive-Coastal office. “The combination of Long & Foster and Dawn’s unique skills and knowledge will no doubt provide the highest level of service to local buyers and sellers.”

Schmitt is participating in the Shore Drive-Coastal office’s training program, along with Long & Foster’s STEP Program, which offers extensive training and resources for agents at any stage of their career. The program’s curriculum includes tools for agents to build their business, mentor-style programs, techniques for prospecting and working with buyers and sellers, skills for negotiating and more.

“I was in search of a professional, fulfilling, long-term career that utilizes and builds on my strengths and experiences as a teacher, tutor and salesperson that’s also in a supportive and solid organization with proven longevity and growth,” Schmitt said.

Schmitt has extensive leadership and management experience serving as a science department chair, anti-bullying trainer, union representative and vice-president, and student council leader. In 2006, Schmitt’s team won the Teams that Make A Difference grand prize for focusing on student achievement for academic/character building, awarded by the National Middle School Association and Pearson Prentice Hall. Since graduating from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Schmitt has taught in grades 6-12 in Iowa and Virginia. Schmitt enjoys do-it-yourself projects and the arts. In Iowa, she owned a small retail business for eco-friendly/organic children’s clothing. She currently lives at the oceanfront in Virginia Beach.

“The dynamics of today’s residential real estate market are constantly changing. Participating in our Success Path program has provided Dawn with the right tools to meet those changing dynamics,” said Gary Scott, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “We welcome Dawn to Long & Foster, a company that has helped local buyers and sellers reach their home ownership goals for nearly 50 years.”

For more information, visit LongandFoster.com.