The Alternative Press

The Madison office of Coccia Realty, Inc., which opened in the center of downtown in March 2011, is the Madison Chamber of Commerce’s Merchant of the Month for July. 

Coccia’s target customers are buyers, sellers, landlords and renters of residential real estate and commercial real estate, according to Jeffrey David Halpern, Coccia’s vice president and branch manager. 

Coccia is located at 49 Main Street and its mission is to provide “independent, comprehensive real estate services,” Halpern says.  

Personal and professional service and a 95% success ratio, Halpern said, is what keeps customers coming back to Coccia. “Coccia is one of the fastest growing independent real estate companies in Northern New Jersey,” he said.

Established in 1961, Coccia has offices throughout Morris, Bergen and Hudson Counties and provides referrals throughout the world. Jan Kwapniewski is Coccia’s president and broker of record.

Halpern credits Coccia’s success to its own method of doing business, which he calls the “team concept.” The “team concept” allows “Our Realtors do what they do best while our administrative team does all the rest,” he said. 

Coccia large facility is located in the center of the historic business district. This facility, along with Coccia’s superior customer care and exemplary community service, benefits its clients and Madison at the same time. 

The Merchant of the Month Award program recognizes businesses for their contributions to keeping the Madison business district inviting and prosperous through the upkeep and design of their properties. 

The award program, which has celebrated forty-two businesses since its founding in 2007, is a partnership between the Chamber and Madison Downtown Development Commission. 

“Our office started out as the old Schnipper’s store. It was completely gutted and totally renovated,” Halpern says. The Chamber awarded Coccia with the “The Best Renovation of the Year” in 2011. “Our client-friendly office is always clean and tidy,” he said. 

“Our unique state-of-the-art office is conducive to a professional experience for both client and agent,” Halpern said.  “Every conference room contains a big screen computer for easy access to listings. Our location is an easy walk to area shopping and the Madison train station and we have convenient hours of operation.”

Coccia gave its facade special treatment. “Our signage has the look of yesteryear and fits into the Madison Historical Society’s theme,” Halpren said.

The design and upkeep of Coccia’s workplace allows Halpern and his colleagues to focus on their clients’ needs. “We utilize property-specific ‘out-of-the-big-box’ thinking, while using a personal approach to selling, incorporating all of the tools necessary to ease the real estate selling and buying process,” he said.

“I believe in community,” Halpren said. “As a former Rotarian in Denville, a coach for several recreation teams and having held several positions supporting the Morris Knolls Marching Band, I understand the importance of helping. It’s all about family and your neighbors.”

Coccia lends its conference room, Halpern said, to local civic organizations for meetings. The Madison Historical Society and Coccia sponsored a presentation on “The History of Madison” by Drew University Professor Emeritus Douglas W. Simon in April. In June the Chamber held an instructional seminar about its new website for its dues-paying members in the Coccia conference room. 

Coccia also gives back to the community by holding an annual coat drive and a toys-for-tots drive, according to Halpren, who added, “We will soon be giving a monthly educational series on various topics.”

Coccia’s windows face the sidewalk and Main Street. The windows are put to good use for clients and the community. "Coccia has generously offered the use of their large windows to help promote local community, non-profit, civic organizations and their events," said Karen Meyer, the Chamber’s executive director and an owner of Sprouts Consignment, 250 Main Street. 

Coccia joined the Chamber as a member as soon as it opened last year. “We have found that our fellow business owners are here to support each other as one voice for Madison. They believe as I do that there is enough business to go around and the better we do individually, the better we do as a community,” Halpren said.

Halpern is helping the Chamber to re-launch its Senior Discount Day program, Meyer said. The Senior Discount Day program is an initiative of the Chamber’s Focus on Foot Traffic for Retailers group, which is led by Meyer. 

"Jeff Halpern and the entire team at Coccia have made the Madison Chamber of Commerce feel right at home, just like they do with their customers,” said Ken Toumey, the Chamber’s new president, who assumed office on July 1, first day of the of the new fiscal year.

“We are grateful for Jeff and Coccia Realty and are glad they are here for us in the center of downtown Madison," Toumey said, whose business, Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants, is located at 42 Valley Road.

“Madison is a community that allows new business to thrive,” Halpern said. “Before we opened our doors, or even before we put up one nail on the wall, I handed out Coccia tote bags at the annual Madison Christmas Parade.  The response was incredible with well wishers,” Halpern said.

“I also believe that Madisonians look for alternative companies to sell their homes.  They look for that specialized boutique to give a personal approach to getting it sold with property-specific marketing campaigns that are rarely found at the big-box companies,” said Halpern.

Coccia can be contacted at 973-377-4400, madison@mycoccia.com, jeff@mycoccia.com  and www.cocciarealty.com

Each winner of a Merchant of the Month Award receives an engraved blue brass plaque for permanent display and the traveling blue Merchant of the Month banner that depicts the Hartley Dodge Memorial building, the seat of Madison’s government. The banner can be displayed inside or outside.