An accomplished realtor, sales executive and consultant, Suzanne Altobello attributes much of her success to working hard, being upfront and honest, and listening carefully to her clients’ needs. She first embarked on her studies at Endicott College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in interior design in 1973. While taking a year off from her studies to work in interior design at a small furniture store, she was exposed to the field of cosmetics, which piqued her interested. She resumed her studies at the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education in 1976.
During her time at Hartford, Ms. Altobello worked at G. Fox & Co. and Charles of the Ritz behind the cosmetic counter. Greatly impressed by the cosmetics trainers she worked with there, she realized that that was the career she wanted for herself. Working briefly for W&J Lawn in Washington, D.C., following her graduation, she joined Lord & Taylor as a beauty adviser in 1977. From 1979 to 1981, she was a training manager at the Erno Lazlo Institute, and worked as a regional training supervisor for Chanel in New York City from 1981 to 1983. In 1983, she joined Frances Denney Inc., where she excelled as a regional manager of sales development until 1985, and began work as a consultant for C.A.’s Compliment in Seattle.
Subsequently, she served as a regional sales manager for the Uniperf division of Unilever and the Depute division of DEP Corp. in 1985 and the senior account executive for Sanofi Beauté from 1988 to 1994. She was then hired on by Vary Magazine as a beauty editor from 1994 to 1995 and concurrently did freelance public relations work in 1995 and was an independent cosmetics sales rep from 1995 to 1999. She concluded her career in cosmetics as a columnist for Beauty Fashion from 1997 to 2000 and a regional manager for Hard Candy and Urban Decay from 1996 to 2001.
When she turned 50, Ms. Altobello decided it was time for a career change and obtained her real estate license along with accreditation as a staging professional and certification in relocation services. From 2004 to 2010, she found success as a realtor with Wayne Garcia GMAC Real Estate before joining Prudential Texas Properties in the same role from 2010 to 2012. Since 2012, Ms. Altobello has been active as a realtor with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate and holds considerable expertise in intown markets, residential real estate, condominiums, buying and selling, and relocations.
In her day-to-day work, Ms. Altobello is involved with keeping sellers updated on showings, preparing materials for them about best offers, and providing them with advice and counsel to help them make the best decision, while her work with buyers entails giving tours in different areas. Additionally, she stands out in her field for as a result of her background in art and interior design, which gives her the ability to help her clients who are considering renovations. She also greatly enjoys helping people relocate and has a particular skill for inventory management following her years in the cosmetics industry. In that vein, Ms. Altobello notes that the skills she gained during her years in the cosmetics industry have proved vital to her growth and success in the real estate industry.
Alongside her primary responsibilities, Ms. Altobello maintains professional affiliation the National Association of Realtors, the MetroTex Association of Realtors and the National Association for Female Executives in order to keep abreast of the frequent changes in her field. She also holds a great love of the fine arts and has been a member of the Dallas Museum of Art since 1984 and served as the board secretary for The Artist’s Outreach. Other civic activities of her include volunteer work with her local chapter of United Way and Home Services of America. In 1979, she notably served as a campaign worker for the “Kennedy for President” campaign in Boston.
For excellence in her career, Ms. Altobello was featured in an article in Top Producer magazine and, in 2017, was named a Top Producer by Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate. She has also been recognized as a Best Realtor by D Magazine every year since 2016. Early on, she was selected for inclusion in the 15th edition of Who’s Who of American Women, which was published in 1986.
Born in Meriden, Connecticut, to father Henry D. Altobello and mother Josephine A. La Montagne, Ms. Altobello has lived her life by the motto, “Create more than you consume. Create value for everyone you interact with.” She takes pride in her ability to read situations and get along with many different types of people, and considers relationship building to be incredibly important. In her free time, she enjoys going to restaurants, visiting museums and art galleries, walking and Pilates. More information about Ms. Altobello can be found on her Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
