Meet Pat Dornan, a no-nonsense, straight-talking REALTOR® with more than a decade of hands-on experience as a licensed home contractor.
After receiving a degree in American History from Catholic University, Pat landed a job outside his field of study, working for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)—which was a forerunner to Apple, Microsoft, and IBM. At DEC, Pat programmed routers and jokes that he, “invented the internet,” with 60,000 of his friends.
But then, in 2001-2002, when the dot.com bubble burst, Pat decided to try something different and started his own construction company. He says, “I’ve always had a pair of hands that could turn a piece of wood into whatever I wanted it to be.”
Eventually, Pat got into “flipping homes”—which means he would buy underappreciated properties, renovate them himself, and then sell them quickly for a “tidy” profit. Although, he warns, it’s not as easy as it looks on HGTV!
That being said, Pat has successfully “flipped” about 30 homes over the past decade. And today, as a REALTOR® with The Bob & Ronna Group, he leverages that invaluable experience to help his clients (especially investors) find good, solid properties.
Of course, Pat also loves working with first-time homebuyers. He says, “There’s nothing better than handing over the keys to a first-time home buyer. They’re thrilled…they’ve achieved the American dream…and I got to be a part of it.”
The most important piece of advice Pat gives anyone looking to buy a property—whether they’re an investor or a first-time buyer—is to, “be deliberate and avoid making rash decisions.”
Pat says he feels very strongly about protecting his clients against getting caught up in senseless bidding wars that only benefit the seller. He tells his buyers, “Let’s do our research, crunch the numbers, and look very carefully at this property to make sure it’s a good financial decision for you. There are plenty of properties out there. And we’ll eventually find one that works.”
Pat decided to join The Bob & Ronna Group because they have a strong reputation in the community for putting their clients’ needs first…
He says, “With other groups, there are quotas to meet each month. So, realtors in those kinds of groups push less-than-ideal properties onto clients to help them reach those quotas. But with Bob and Ronna, they put people first. They understand that buying a house is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make in your entire life. And you just can’t rush it.”
When not looking at potential properties, Pat enjoys hitting the links at his local golf course—Rattlewood—in Mount Airy, Maryland. He hits in the mid-80s and says his favorite club is, “anything that can put the ball on the green.” Pat also still enjoys woodworking and continues to make cabinets, bookshelves, and built-ins when he can find the time. He and his “awesome” wife, Sue, whom he met at DEC right out of college, have three grown children—two sons (one works in professional sports and the other is an aerospace engineer) and daughter who’s a professional ballerina.