Purchasing a home with finite resources and a limited English vocabulary can be daunting. As a youth, Michelle Fermin watched her mother do just that, and it inspired her to enter real estate 27 years ago and help immigrant families achieve the dream of homeownership.

Fermin is team leader at Century 21 North East, where she specializes in first-time buyers, commercial properties, distressed properties, foreclosures and investment properties in the Greater Boston area and southern New Hampshire. She and her team focus on understanding customers’ needs and building lifelong relationships.

“I lead a team of 35 agents,” Fermin says. “Having a large and diverse team allows us to have more boots on the ground and serve a larger community base. We speak five languages, and that allows us to build stronger relationships with our clients.”

Fermin describes herself as process-driven. She believes in standard operating procedures and paying attention to return on investment and conversion rates. She believes a willingness to collaborate and teach others to be leaders sets her apart from the competition.

Over the course of her career, Fermin has received 51 awards and recognitions, either individually or as part of a team. In the past year her team was named the No. 1 Century 21 team in the country by adjusted gross commission (AGC) and units, and the No. 3 Century 21 team in the world. In 2023, her team was named the No. 1 Century 21 team in the country by AGC, No. 2 Century 21 team in the country by units and No. 3 Century 21 team in the world. The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals recognized Fermin and her team as a top-10 Latino team in the United States in its Top 250 Latino Agents Report. She’s also a member of the Northeast Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors.