U.S. Virgin Islands Sotheby’s International Realty takes great pride in congratulating Chris Hanley and the Farchette & Hanley Team on earning the distinguished honor of the top broker on St. Croix in 2014. Hanley has been a dedicated broker for 26 years, starting his real estate career at his mother’s brokerage after his college graduation in May 1989.
Three months later, the island and the real estate market would suffer a devastating blow from Hurricane Hugo, crippling the St. Croix economy and housing market for the foreseeable future.
“The early 90’s proved to be a really tough market with no end in sight” Hanley said, “especially difficult as a rookie in the business. I definitely thought long and hard about my future on St. Croix in the real estate business. I briefly looked at other job opportunities in the states, but there was just something about this island that kept calling me back. Having grown up here, this is where I call home and I was determined to make it work.”
Hanley is not new to this top honor, having earned the number one ranking on St. Croix and the U.S. Virgin Islands multiple times in recent years. But this year’s accomplishment is especially gratifying.
Hanley commented, “It’s much easier to be successful in real estate when you are in the midst of a booming market. It’s the bad times that really test your strength in this business. Looking back, I have spent the majority of my career fighting through the down cycles, only enjoying one up cycle from 2000 to 2008, when our market came to a screeching halt. So I guess you could say that’s all I’ve ever known and was forced to learn how to thrive in a tough market.”
St. Croix has taken the brunt of the recession in the U.S. Virgin Islands, hit also with the closure of Hovensa oil refinery in 2012.But statistics show the market is slowly improving with more buyers in the marketplace now than the island has seen over the last few years. St. Croix has also seen a significant boost from recent exposure through various media outlets. Many buyers who had never heard of St. Croix are learning about this hidden gem on Home and Garden Television’s show Caribbean Life.
“We were able to feature St. Croix in the first and second seasons of Caribbean Life and the response has been so positive,” Hanley said “It’s amazing how many people were not aware of our island…and so pleasantly surprised at how livable St. Croix is compared to other Caribbean locations.”
When asked what advice he would give to up-and-comers in the real estate business, Hanley said, “Take a team approach to this business. My wife Kerri and I have worked together for more than 20 years. We make a good pair because we are able to complement each other’s strengths in real estate. We definitely couldn’t do this without our dedicated support staff…Arisa Camacho and Brianna Burns work diligently to keep us organized, focused and in-line. Each person excels at their part, so our clients and customers are able to benefit from four people working hard for them.”
Chris and Kerri Hanley were recently featured on the HGTV show Caribbean Life. Chris is the managing broker of the Farchette & Hanley Team, formerly Farchette & Hanley Real Estate, which was founded in 1930 by John Farchette.
Chris and Kerri Hanley were recently featured on the HGTV show Caribbean Life. Chris is the managing broker of the Farchette & Hanley Team, formerly Farchette & Hanley Real Estate, which was founded in 1930 by John Farchette.
USVI Sotheby's International Realty 