Meet Michael Rossa: A New Local Realty Real Estate Agent
In our Meet the Team series, we’re covering a different New Local Realty team member each week, giving you a deep dive into the people who drive our company and community forward. This week: Meet Michael Rossa, a real estate agent with New Local Realty!
As a young and ambitious agent, Michael has become a resilient piece of the New Local Realty team. After growing up in Baldwin, Michael now lives in Peters Township and loves exploring the Pittsburgh region. With his background as an electrician, Michael offers a critical eye for each house he walks through, giving him the ability to spot any issues during a tour.
We sat down with Michael to get a better idea of who he is as a person and as a committed professional.
Michael Rossa: Personal Background
Where did you grow up in Pittsburgh?
I was born in Brookline, but I grew up in Baldwin.
Where did you go to high school?
Baldwin High School.
Where do you call home today?
Peters Township in Washington County.
Your favorite hidden gem in Pittsburgh?
That’s a tough one! One thing I love to do is walk around the Strip District on Saturday mornings to check out all the vendors and take in all the smells. While I’m down there, I like to stop by Kelly O’s Diner. They have these huge portions, and I’ll usually get a big breakfast platter or a really big breakfast sandwich or burrito.
Favorite Pittsburgh neighborhood?
I love the Brookline/Dormont area because it feels like home. There’s a lot of familiarity and comfortability walking through those neighborhoods.
I actually feel that way throughout a lot of Pittsburgh. The city has a reputation for, and history of, being a blue-collar town, and you can see that in a lot of the older houses in the older neighborhoods. I really like that.
Michael Rossa: Professional Background
How did you get into real estate?
I started shopping for a house right before COVID hit. I didn’t understand anything about it—how to find a real estate agent, what a mortgage was, anything.
It seemed like nobody was going to help me, so I decided the best thing to do was to learn as much as possible. I worked through my online courses for six months, completing a couple of lessons every night until I earned my license.
Today, I love it. I’m constantly reading books and listening to podcasts to stay on top of the industry. I guess you could say I got into real estate out of simple curiosity.
What’s your greatest strength as a real estate professional?
Communication, for sure. I’m really good at talking to people and making them feel comfortable. I don’t want any of my clients to feel like formal clients; it should feel like a casual friendship.
And thanks to my experience in the trades as an electrician, I can walk through any house and immediately spot things that were done incorrectly. Touring a house with me is a little like walking through the home with an inspector.
What do you like about New Local Realty?
The people. When you work in real estate, it’s kind of like you’re on an island, and you have to figure everything out on your own. The industry is full of independent contractors, and no one is responsible for teaching you everything.
But everyone at New Local Realty is friendly and helpful, and they answer all of my questions. It’s really a team atmosphere.
I really like their determined attitude and the way they approach things. Plus, many of them are experienced investors, and I’ve always wanted to learn how to do that myself.
Your vision for New Local Realty?
I’m really drawn to Theresa Ward’s vision. She’s always talking about how she wants to rebuild Greenfield for the families who live there.
And she’s not about pushing people away, which is what happens all over Pittsburgh. In areas like East Liberty, you’ll see really intense gentrification. One street, you’ll have a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW and a boutique, and then right around the corner, you’ll see all of these boarded-up shops and homes.
We should be accommodating the people who already live in Pittsburgh, not prioritizing new storefronts and upscale housing for people moving into town.
Michael Rossa: His Underdog Story
At New Local Realty, we celebrate underdog stories. As a company focused on helping individuals build wealth and go from renting to homeownership, we believe in the power of overcoming obstacles, and we’ve built our company culture on the idea that when we work together, we can do anything.
What is your underdog story?
I’ve always started from zero. When I started in the electrician’s union, all I had was a bag of tools. I didn’t even know what half of them did!
When I started classes for real estate, I didn’t know anything. But I pushed through it, and now I have my license!
I’ve always tried to create success from opportunities. College is important for a lot of people, and I even put in a few years myself, but it’s not everything. I’ve found a lot of success comes from simple grit and determination.
Michael Rossa: His Vision for Pittsburgh
How has Pittsburgh changed in your lifetime?
Working in construction, you get to see a lot of the city change first-hand. I’ve seen all of these buildings suddenly remodeled and all of these neighborhoods suddenly revamped.
In the Strip District, for example, we were redoing the old Terminal building. It was this big, empty shell of a building, but now it’s full of shops and people doing yoga.
We still have staple neighborhoods that haven’t changed much, but the city has changed overall.
We were a Steel town once, but Pittsburgh has been very good about pivoting. Now we’re all about big tech and hospitals.
How do you think Pittsburgh will continue to evolve over the next 10 years?
Seeing what’s being built, Pittsburgh is trying to get people to live closer to town. We’ve already seen new housing go up in places like Station Square and the Strip District, and now they’re even exploring new opportunities in old Downtown office buildings.
