In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re sharing the story behind Dwell Real Estate — because it’s ours, and we’re proud of it!

Rita Doria and Nell Donnelly-O’Boyle had been actively working as Realtors and Associate Brokers in the Northeast Pennsylvania region, collectively bringing nearly 40 years of experience helping clients achieve their real estate dreams. 

In an industry where women outnumber men and build the majority of careers, it’s still surprising how few brokerages are actually owned by women — a disparity that didn’t sit right with either of them.

On a lovely spring evening over a glass of wine, Rita and Nell started asking the hard questions. Why couldn’t they start their own company, making decisions they knew were best for their clients? Why couldn’t they offer an approach that was truly equitable and fair? Why couldn’t they reward agent’s hard work with better income splits?

With seven daughters between them, Rita and Nell decided that 2018 was the perfect year to build something of their own. Built on a foundation of no extra fees, fair and negotiable broker percentages, and decades of hard-won experience, Dwell Real Estate was born. They knew that clients who felt genuinely cared for would recommend them to friends and family — and that word-of-mouth trust has always been the heart of how they grow.

Eight years later, they couldn’t be prouder. Dwell has grown to a team of 15 Realtors, all united by the same values that started it all: care, integrity, dedication, honesty, and exceptional communication — for every client, every time.

Looking for numbers?

You can sign up here to receive your own market report, delivered as often as you like! It contains current information on pending, active and just sold properties so you can see actual homes in your neighborhood. You can review your area on a larger scale, as well, by refining your search to include properties across the city or county. As you notice price and size trends, please contact us for clarification or to have any questions answered.

We can definitely fill you in on details that are not listed on the report and help you determine the best home for you. If you are wondering if now is the time to sell, please try out our INSTANT home value tool. You’ll get an estimate on the value of your property in today’s market. Either way, we hope to hear from you soon as you get to know our neighborhoods and local real estate market better.

What’s the market like in Northeast Pennsylvania?

Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, understanding the demand in real estate is very important when negotiating your contract.  2025 has been another year for sellers, with the demand still high in most areas of the market, whether it’s single family homes, or investment opportunities.  Buyers often are competing with other buyers in bidding wars, however it is nothing like it was just a few years ago.  

The banking professionals are not anticipating any significant interest rate drops over the next few years so many homeowners are pushing off selling their home simply because they do not want to lose their low rate.  However, if you are a seller without a low rate, or have 100% equity in your home, this may be the PERFECT time to consider selling if you have been weighing your options.  With fewer homes on the market, buyers will make a generous and aggressive offer if they know they are competing with several other buyers and especially if they are up against a personal timeline to buy.  We see this often and including “Escalation Addendums” to offers is quite common.  It’s also not uncommon for buyers to waive contingencies such as inspections just to make their offer seem more competitive.  

When you are considering either selling or purchasing a home, you should know what role you play and how to use negotiating techniques to your advantage.  We will discuss more about some of these techniques in other blogs to better help you understand some of what we see on a daily basis.