RODEO REALTY JOURNAL
local expertise, global presence. DECEMBER 2012
December 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. RODEO REALTY Welcomes New Agents 2. RODEO REALTY Monthly News 3-4 Agent Appreciation Letters 5. HOT PROPERTIES IN THE PRESS 6. Q3 & YTD TOP PRODUCERS 7. Advanced Training Classes 8. AGENT STORY: Eydie Herrera 9. Beverly Hills HOME Project 10. Happy Hoildays from Rodeo Realty
INDEX
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RODEO REALTY
Welcomes You
Beverly Hills Sherman Oaks Yashia McGuire Aliki Deffan Lina Chang Jonathan Pearson Brentwood Woodland Hills Alex Parlar Malous Nadjmi Claudia Hansen Neil Singerman Calabasas Sunset Strip Dawn Edmond Jason Ling Marie Brand Encino Northridge David Strauss Maryann Stein Karen Strauss Anna Shatravka Patricia Harrington
Thank you for the confidence you have entrusted in me and my team. Welcome to the Rodeo Realty family -- Syd Leibovitch
MONTHLY NEWS
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APPRECIATION LETTERS FROM CLIENTS
Corrine Draper, Calabasas PERSEVERANCE
I remember in 2006 saying to myself that I would probably never be a homeowner as I saw the skyrocketing home prices in Los Angeles (and lots of other areas as well). Then 2008 hit, I got a promotion and well….things change. When I first set out to fulfill my dream of becoming a homeowner I had no idea that I would have to go through such a struggle and overcome just about every obstacle and scenario that one could imagine.
My great adventure started in January 2012. I began by searching online just as most people do and was put in touch with an agent through an inquiry from a website. I looked at maybe 15-20 homes with her and made a couple of offers. In the middle of a short sale she began speaking to me disrespectfully, so to make a long story short I took my business elsewhere. A few days later I was contacted by another agent who was also not very respectful to me. I don’t stand for that so…on to the next one. Shortly after my 2nd negative experience with real estate agents I was contacted by Mrs. Corrine Draper of Rodeo Realty. I could tell by her demeanor that I would not have the same issue. So on with the house hunting. I looked online every night for listings that I wanted to see and she also sent me listings through her Listing-Book service. We saw house after house after house and made offer after offer after offer. I made offers above asking price, I made offers on homes that had 33 other offers, I made offers on homes that were deliberately under-priced to provoke bidding wars, I made offers on homes that were remodeled by investors, on homes that were over-priced, I made offers on homes that I had not even seen yet, I made back-up offers and 2nd back up offers, I made offers on townhomes and condos and on homes that were on the market 30 minutes, on homes on the market 6 months, on short sales and long sales, red sales and blue sales, standard sales and foreclosures and fixers, Lions and Tigers and Bears…Oh My! On one occasion I made an offer on a home in which I was asked to remove all contingencies in order for them to accept my offer. I began to get discouraged and wanted to give up. I had now seen 80 something homes. I was lucky to have an optimistic real estate agent. This is where I really started to appreciate all the hard work that Corrine put in. I didn’t know what to think about this crazy experience. Corrine told me to hang in there and she promised me that we would find a house. I remained positive. On the way back from seeing a home that I had e-mailed the night before we saw an open house around the corner…Should we stop? Should we stop? We almost didn’t stop. We made an offer on this very nice house but were told the next day that they’d accepted another buyer’s offer. So… we were back-up. The next day my phone rang…It was Mrs. Corrine Draper….I knew what she was going to tell me before she told me…we developed this unique type of relationship. They accepted your offer. I didn’t know what to think or how to feel. I was very excited to finally hear those words. Could it really be? Is my adventure coming to its end? The next part of the adventure was about to begin. Going through the escrow process for the first time was pretty stressful. At one point I really thought the whole thing was dead due to a large misunderstanding with my employment. I was on an emotional roller coaster. Now that I have officially closed escrow and am now a homeowner I see this as a great learning experience about real estate, about people and about life. PERSEVERANCE. Thank you Corrine. I am so unbelievably happy! Sincerely, Abner Sonnenburg
APPRECIATION LETTERS FROM CLIENTS
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Shelhee Gal-Kossover, Encino Mr. Hoffman, I recently closed the purchase of a residence located on 17837 Rhonda Street, Encino. There was a very short escrow period, but otherwise all the other implications and inspections applied. Shelhee Gal-Kossover represented both sides of the transaction. The transaction was closed when scheduled, without a hitch, primarily due to Shelhee’s competence and diligence. I was particularly impressed with her attention to detail, her availability and efficiency in handling matters as they came up, and more importantly, to her promptness in organizing an inspection and in providing names of people ( electrician, plumber and painter) to review the report and perform necessary services on time and as scheduled. ( I have employed these same people to work at another property. ) I was very pleased to have had the opportunity of working with Shelhee. I would be happy to recommend her services. You are fortunate to have her on your staff. Kindest Regards, Jay H. Grant
Jay Geisenheimer, Studio City To Whom It May Concern: I am the owner of the Lucky B Ranch, a 1/2 acre Equestrian Estate, in the Glendale Rancho that was recently SOLD thanks to Jay Geisenheimer. I have had my ranch on and off the market for the last 5 years. I had used 2 different Realtors and although they were nice, they were not able to get the job done. After a bit of research I realized the right person for the job was right under my nose. From the moment I talked with Jay I knew I had finally found the right Realtor for the job. Jay Immediately got the property and seemed to love my home as much as I did. I was not happy about having to, once again, have a sign in front of the ranch, open houses and people coming to look. However Jay made all these things fun and exciting events. At each open house her beautiful horse Casanova came, and also a country singer from Rodeo Realty. At the first open house Jay had over 100 people stop by. Her depth of promotion and audience is huge! She came in, took control, and, in the end...got the job done. Having Jay Geisenheimer sell your house is like having a relative or good friend taking care of you. Jay is tireless and stops at nothing to get the job done, and has a smile on her seller’s face during it all. I will never have any real estate transaction occur in my life without having Jay Geisenheimer represent me. Linda Bass
HOT PROPERTIES
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GOT A HOT PROPERTY with celebrity credentials? Contact Rodeo Realty’s publicist.
Joe Babajian was the listing agent for Sharon’s Stone Mediterranean Beverly Crest compound. Surrounded by walls and gated, the Mediterranean-style estate sits on 5 acres with pathways, bridges, waterfalls, fruit trees, a meditation garden, a swimming pool and a tennis court with viewing pavilion. The main house, built in 1991, includes a paneled library, a wet bar in the living room and a master suite with dual bathrooms, dual dressing rooms and a terrace. The guest house contains a media room, a gym and two bedrooms, for a total of seven bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms and four fireplaces. There is covered parking for about 14 cars. It sold at $6.575 million.
John Galich holds a stunning listing designed by one of Los Angeles’ most iconic and renowned architects. This home was built by the iconic one-time apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, who has designed more than 200 buildings throughout the country. His residential projects have become some of the most sought after homes in the country. Built in 1948, for composer Foster Carling, this home stands as one of John Lautners’ earliest and most significant works. Situated on a hillside above Mulholland, the property has views of downtown and across the city and valley. The property is listed for $2.995 million and is located at 7144 Hockey Trail. LA Times just selected this house as Home of the Week.
Josh Flagg was the listing agent for the property Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine purchased. The single-level ranch house, white with long black shutters and built in 1940, is set on a secluded 3.6 acres at the end of a long brick driveway in a gated community. The main home and guesthouse have a combined six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 6,539 square feet of living space. There is a swimming pool and a tennis court. The Maroon 5 frontman and coach on “The Voice” has bought one in the Beverly Crest area for $4.83 million.
Q3 TOP PRODUCERS
Top Agents for Q3 1. Ben Salem-Sherman Oaks 2. Derick Vallance- Sherman Oaks 3. Joe Babajian- Beverly Hills 4. Michael Barasch- Studio City 5. Desiree & Greg Zuckerman-Calabasas 6. Carol Wolfe- Encino 7. John Galich- Sunset 8. Cindee Zabner- Westlake Village 9. Sunny Yi- Northridge 10. Todd Bernstein- Woodland Hills
Top Team for Q3 1. Peter Maurice & Tregg Rustad- Beverly Hill 2. Ken Marker & Corey Brown - Sherman Oak 3. Marc Tahler & Ken Zietz - Woodland Hills 4. The Cohan Team- Calabasas
(Michelle & David Cohan,Laura Piller & Gina Salman)
5. Dan Drantch & Aaron Scott- Sherman Oaks
Top Agents YTD (Jan 1-11/30/12) 1. Carol Wolfe- Encino 2. Ben Salem-Sherman Oaks 3. Joe Babajian- Beverly Hills 4. Desiree & Gregg Zuckerman- Calabasas 5. David Friedman- Calabasas 6. Michael Barasch- Studio City 7. Ron Tanzman- Calabasas 8. Todd Bernstein- Woodland Hills 9. Derick Vallance- Sherman Oaks 10. Sunny Yi- Northridge
Top Teams YTD 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Peter Maurice & Tregg Rustad- Beverly Hills Ken Marker & Corey Brown - Sherman Oaks Marc Tahler & Ken Zietz - Woodland Hills Dan Drantch & Aaron Scott- Sherman Oaks The Cohan Team- Calabasas
(Michelle & David Cohan, Laura Piller & Gina Salman)
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ADVANCED TRAINING CLASSES
Skirball Cultural Center 2701 North Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, 90049 Haas Room, Conference Center Free Parking Monday 12/3 Monday 12/10
Teresa Todd- Creative ways to utilize Rodeo e-marketing to work your sphere of influence Jason Katzman- For sale by owner
Rodeo Realty’s Advanced Training classes are provided for our agents to help keep you informed and help grow your business. Hear are what some of the agents are saying about the classes:
I attended the International Marketing training class and was so glad I did. It opened my eyes to some avenues to attract international buyers, and also brought to my attention several Luxury Real Estate Conferences overseas that I am thinking of attending. Basically, it was only a couple of hours out of my day that no doubt WILL result in $$$! Glad I was able to attend and look forward to attending more in the future...to not take advantage of these sessions is truly a wasted opportunity! –Carmen Mormino, Westlake Village I attended several of the advanced classes at the Skirball Center and I found them to be of great value. The speakers are very knowledgeable in the areas they present. You either learn something new or you brush up on something you already knew, but forgot. You also get an opportunity to learn what other agents are doing “outside the box” to generate more business. I would highly recommend them to both new and experienced agents. -Liliana Alfonso, Studio City (For Wendy Furth)What a wonderful experience to learn from one of the best! It is evident why you are so successful, when listening to you discussing how to show a property- and then to actually have the experience of viewing a property and interacting with the seller...good stuff! I am so appreciative to have had the experience of the Sure Start training program and classes. I have had a smile on my face as I recall your comment about your ( z seater) “listing car! Many thanks, Robyn Lynch (For Paul Stafford) I want to let you know how much I enjoyed the Sure Start Program. I walked in the door feeling very welcomed and ended the week feeling knowledgeable and empowered. It just kept getting better! I learned so much from you about ethics and many matters in the dealing of real estate transactions. I’m very excited to put all of this knowledge to good use. Cheers, Robyn Lynch
AGENT STORY: EYDIE HERRERA
Congrats to Eydie Herrera Rodeo Realty is pleased to announce that Realtor, Eydie Herrera at the Calabasas office has been appointed by the Southland Regional Association of Realtors, Inc. as a Committee Member to the Governmental Affairs Committee. A Realtor since 1995, Eydie has experience in working with government officials both professionally and personally. She previously worked for the Navy’s Center for Asymmetric Warfare (CAW), and served as a liaison for the Center with high ranking military officials, local and congressional representatives. She also represented her community with a number of issues related to business growth and quality of life issues for residents. She tackled issues such as; cell tower placement, safety and security issues and was key to the development of policies that would protect the community when Walmart made a request to expand their liquor department. In her role serving on the Governmental Affairs Committee she will have input on legislative matters, environmental and community issues that are of concern to property owners and REALTORSŽ with primary emphasis on local issues; The committee is also responsible for developing and maintaining close relationships with legislators representing the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys through frequent meetings and correspondence. Eydie looks forward to expanding her ability to serve her community and can be reached at 818-486-6451 or re@remadeasy.com.
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BEVERLY HILLS H.O.M.E. PROJECT
H.O.M.E’s John Richette and Violet Schmid with Beverly Hills City Council Member Julian A. Gold, M.D.
Last year’s H.O.M.E. Committee serving dinner at PATH.
UPCOMING December Dates TBD*Happy Hats for Kids - Currently, coordinating with a Beverly Hills elementary school to work with students to create unique hat for a local hospital Oncology ward. *Toy Drive - Holiday project to collect new, unwrapped toys. *Musical Production- Sunrise Senior Living Center
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Wishing the Rodeo Realty family and friends a wonderful holiday season and New Year filled with health, happiness and prosperity.
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