For Westfield residents David and Lorena Barbosa, realtors for more than a decade, opening an office together had been a long-term goal.

The couple, who met on a blind date, took themselves off the market when they married in 2004.

Parents to two daughters under the age of four, the Barbosas started David Realty Group in October after years of thinking about joining forces. Equal partners, Lorena focuses more on training and recruiting while David specializes in the technology side of the business, including Internet marketing, website design and managing day-to-day operations.

The two also collaborated on their street-level South Avenue West office space, with David creating the layout and Lorena choosing the color scheme.

"I wanted to open up an office because I live here and I know the area; I grew up in Cranford," said David, who spent much of his 18-year career in Jersey City. "When I was 17, I started hanging out in Westfield. One of my best friends owns Bovella's. He's the godfather to one of our daughters. My other good friend is Vinny Ferraro of Ferraro's, so we know a lot of people in town. It just made sense to open up this office.

"If you go to Jersey City, go to Hoboken, go to Weehawken, there are a ton of upscale boutique real estate offices, so in talking with Lorena, I said you know I lived in this area my whole life and there's never been an upscale, boutique real estate office, ever."

While the Barbosas acknowledge it is daunting to open a real estate business in today's economic climate, they said it is all they know. Throughout the process of starting their business, they have been asked repeatedly how they hope to compete with "the big guys."

"We're not here saying we're going to take the market share from Coldwell Banker or from Weichert or Keller Williams," David said. "If we tried to do this 20 years ago, there's no way we could compete because 20 years ago there was a lot of print ad needed to market the homes. All of that has changed with the Internet. The Internet has leveled the playing field."

David said by participating in four multiple listing services in New Jersey, David Realty Group's offerings appear on over 50 websites.

"That's what's changed the game today and that's why you will see more small boutique offices popping up," he said.

With eight agents and a growing number of listings, David Realty Group believes it can keep up with larger firms but aspires to keep the personal touch.

The Barbosas believe the key to success is listening to their clients and being available "24/7" to meet their needs. They also feel being small can have its advantages.

"With the big guys, if the customer has a problem with their agent, can they call the owner of the company?" David said.

Another feature the Barbosas believe will set their office apart is their equestrian division.

"One of our agents specializes in horse properties and that takes the agents all over the state. It's a great avenue for us to go down. It just builds our brand even more," said David.

The couple also offered advice to prospective buyers and sellers.

"It may sound cliche, but it's always the right time to sell your house," Lorena said. "People think the spring is the best time, but really, if you want to sell in the winter, there are fewer houses on the market so that's a great time, too."

The Barbosas also recommend shopping around for the right agent for what is probably "the biggest transaction" of one's life.

"Interview at least three agents," Lorena said. "If you needed plumbing work, you'd probably get three estimates."

"We work with sellers to let them know what we think will make the home more marketable," Lorena said. "We do work with home stagers so we offer that, too."

And how is working together working out?

"I love it," said Lorena.

"We actually get along better at work than we do at home," David joked.

The realty group participated in a holiday coat drive and the Barbosas said they hope to volunteer in more community-wide activities.

"We're already entrenched in the community," David said. "We look forward to getting even more involved."

For more information, visit David Realty Group's website or call 908-264-8843.