RODEO REALTY JOURNAL
local expertise, global presence. NOVEMBER 2012
November 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. 2013 Market Forecast Seminar 9-20. Office Event Photos 21. Agent Story: Matthew Greenberg 22. Beverly Hills H.O.M.E Project 23. Holiday Party Announcement 24. NEW Rodeo Website to Launch 25. Luxury Real Estate Conference Recap 26. Agent Quotes
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RODEO REALTY
Welcomes You
Beverly Hills Sherman Oaks Kyle Kendrew Ludmila Rosenbaum Elizabeth Lyle Madeleine Schulsinger Lauren Lind Julie Candice Monty Abramov Ronald Greenwood Ana Greenwood Renata Ciuzauskaite-Markley
Brentwood Studio City Jan Spak Karen Sanchez Susan Strutz Maria Provenzano-Garcia Adi Yaacov Jennifer Monroe Jordan Johnson Calabasas Encino Randi Feilich Pia Botz Niki Le
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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Rodeo Realty Proudly supports the Los Angeles Jewish Home
CENTENNIAL WALK OF AGES XIII
5K WALK • RUN Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 Join the Rodeo team for the 13th Annual Jewish Home Walk of Ages 7:00 AM - 10:30AM For information to register and/or donate visit: TEAM RODEO
www.walkofages.kintera.org
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APPRECIATION LETTERS FROM CLIENTS Brian Bord, Encino Mr. Hoffman, I am writing to you to inform you of the outstanding service my fiancée and I received from our realtor Brian Bord. I had recently sold my two bedroom condominium that I lived in for nine years to obtain a larger home for my fiancée, myself and her two children. My fiancée and I spent two months looking at different properties with another agent only to have our offers turned down on the properties that we liked. We were at a point of complete frustration and I had made the decision to try another realtor.
I decided to give Brian a call since he was the realtor who found that two bedroom condominium I had bought nine years ago. After initially talking with him, I knew that with his knowledge and experience we would have the best chance of finding our new home. Within a period of two weeks of working with Brian, we had found a home that we fell in love with and our offer was accepted two days after its submission. From the time we made an offer on our new home to the time we closed escrow, Brian was in constant contact with us providing us with the necessary information needed to close the deal and answer any questions that we had. I firmly believe that his expertise, professionalism and diligence in working with the seller’s realtor was the reason our offer was accepted and it came at a time when the housing market was not favorable to a buyer due to the low inventory of homes available. Our experience in the beginning of our search for a new home was nerve wracking and stressful but our experience working with Brian was much more relaxed and pleasant because of his knowledge and experience and I would not hesitate to recommend him to others or use him again should I need to buy or sell a home in the future. In my opinion he fully lives up to his motto “I’m not number one, my clients are” and my fiancé and I sure felt that way with him. My fiancée and I thank you for your time and hope we have conveyed to you what an outstanding realtor you have working for you at Rodeo Realty. Sincerely, Vilma Melgar and Aaron Becker
Jay Geisenheimer, Studio City Who do you go to when you want to buy a horse property in the Burbank Rancho area? We found Jay! For the past several years, we had been thinking about purchasing a horse property with a good barn so our beloved Palomino can eat his hay in peace. This was a daunting task because the house has to make both the human and horse happy. We wanted to find an agent who is familiar with the neighborhood and understands the special needs and requirements of an equestrian property. The last agent we talked to never bothered to call us back when we requested an agent who specializes in horse properties in the area. Completely frustrated, my husband said, “ We need an agent who knows horses!”
Two days later, Jay rode by me on her gorgeous Morgan, and we started talking. When she told me that she was an agent, I was quite relieved that we finally found someone who could help us. Being an equestrian herself and living in the Burbank Rancho for more than 15 years, Jay’s knowledge about the neighborhood was incredible and valuable; it made the entire process much less stressful. With Jay being our agent, we made an offer on a charming yellow house for our horse in less than one month after we began the search in the Burbank Rancho with Jay.
APPRECIATION LETTERS FROM CLIENTS
Shelhee Gal-Kossover, Encino Mr. Hoffman, I am a real estate investor and a real estate appraiser. Lately, I have been in the business of flipping homes. I buy short pay sales, REO sales or any sales that are below market value for purposes of remodeling the home in hopes of turning a profit. My business partner and I were referred to Shelhee Gal-Kossover of Rodeo Realty. We were told that Shelhee is a sharp, intuitive and a shrewd negotiator. We were also told that she is very knowledgeable with the Short Pay and REO sale process and has considerable experience in the market. I have been doing business with Shelhee for over one year now and have been very satisfied with her knowledge, abilities and professionalism. She has proved to be a very valuable part of our team with alerting us to numerous new and fresh opportunities that fit our business formula. She has always gone out of her way to be responsive to our needs, and very helpful and decisive during our times of uncertainty. The never ending grueling process of dealing with banks on the REO properties and the all to well known unscrupulous and evasive listing agents on the Short Pay sales has proved to be no match for Shelhee’s tenacity and persistence. The last property that we acquired, Shelhee was a wonderful selling agent. She was extremely efficient with organizing all of the necessary documentation, on the ball and helpful with reminders of important contingency dates and very accommodating with meeting our inspectors. During the remodeling process, Shelhee was motivated and generous with her time as it related to remodeling designs and concept decisions and very decisive with her knowledge on what the typical buyer’s needs and desires are for homes in our market area. After the property was remodeled, Shelhee was an excellent listing agent for us. She was very efficient with appropriate advertising, holding open houses and follow through with all perspective buyers. Again, Shelhee proved her worth with her knowledge, experience and efficiency when the property sold and staying on top of all the critical dates and documentation in a very organized and professional manner. Shelhee has also shown tremendous enthusiasm and willingness to lean and research other market areas at our request outside of her typical market area. Again, Shelhee’s ability and efficiency in dealing with the day to day headaches and obstacles associated with the Short Pay and REO markets and sniffing out good deals made her an easy choice to represent us. In conclusion, Shelhee Gal-Kossover has always given us the feeling that we are her number one priority and it has been a real pleasure doing business with her and I would recommend her services to anyone wanting to buy or sell residential real estate. Ken Kirshner
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HOT PROPERTIES
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GOT A HOT PROPERTY with celebrity credentials? Contact Rodeo Realty’s publicist.
Greg Moesser is representing the famed Haventon Apartments. The historic West Hollywood apartment building located at the corner of Norton Avenue & Havenhurst Drive has been fully renovated to its former glory and is now accepting new tenants for the first time in over decade. Rental rates range from $3500 to $4500 for 2 BR residences and $5500 to $8000 for 3 BR residences. Now known as The Haventon Apartments, this “Pre-War” classic building includes six, 2BR & 3BR luxury apartment residences. Located in the historic area around Fountain Avenue, Harper Avenue and Havenhurst Drive, which is famous for its high concentration of landmark 1920s & 1930s apartment buildings as well as high profile celebrity residents. Famous Havenhurst Drive residents have included Kate Perry, Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Cole Porter and Katherine Hepburn, just to name a few. John Galich of Sunset 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.
Derick Vallance recently closed 1150 Tower Road in Beverly Hills for $12.35 million. The home was owned by Michael Arman Hammer, the grandson of Arman Hammer-the man who ran Occidental Petroleum, founded the Westwood Museum, and guest-starred on “The Cosby Show” and created the household brand, Arm & Hammer.
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 1-10/31/12)
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. Derick Vallance- Sherman Oaks 8. Ron Tanzman- Calabasas 9. Sunny Yi- Northridge 10. John Galich- Sunset
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 11/12 Monday 11/26 Monday 12/3 Monday 12/10
Syd-Listing Presentation Syd- Evaluating the value of commercial property. Calculating CAP rates, GRM, cash on cash returns, types of commercial leases. * Bring a calculator 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
2013 MARKET FORECAST EVENT
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Rodeo Realty Presents
The 2013 California Market Forecast with
Leslie Appleton-Young C.A.R.’s Chief Economist Thursday, December 6, 2012 11:00am - 12:30pm AMC Cinema Century City Westfield Mall Leslie Appleton-Young is Vice President and Chief Economist for the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.), a statewide trade organization with almost 175,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. Mrs. Appleton-Young directs the activities of the Association’s Member Information Group. She oversees the analysis of housing market and brokerage industry trends, member communications, and membership development activities. She is also closely involved in the Association’s strategic planning efforts and is a well-known speaker in California’s real estate community. Before joining C.A.R. in 1984, Leslie Appleton-Young was a consultant with Telesis Inc. in Rhode Island. She also spent several years working as a research associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and as an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Appleton-Young earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Masters from the University of Pennsylvania.
Coffee and Muffins will be served
from 9:30 - 10:30 Event Starts at 11:00 AM.
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OFFICE EVENTS
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OFFICE EVENTS
BEVERLY HILLS
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OFFICE EVENTS
WOODLAND HILLS
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OFFICE EVENTS
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BEVERLY HILLS COSTUME PARTY
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DAY AT THE RACES
PUMPKIN GIVEAWAY
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MATTHEW GREENBERG: GOOD DEED & DISCOVERY
Matthew Greenberg, Beverly Hills
Greenberg’s Discovery at his Mt. Washington Listing Rodeo Realty’s Matt Greenberg at the Beverly Hills office discovers extensive map collection and donated all of them to L.A. Central Public Library. When Matt Greenberg entered Walter Keller’s home in Mount Washington as a favor to a friend, he did not expect to find a map collection so large that it would put the Los Angeles Central Public Library in the top five map archives in the country. When Keller passed away 25 years ago, he left his estate to John Feathers who passed away in February of this year. Greenberg had gone to the house to empty its contents and found that Feathers had been a hoarder. Among his possessions were 106 years of National Geographic, several thousand record albums, and thousands of maps. Though none of the possessions had monetary value, Greenberg called Glen Creason, Los Angeles Public Central Library map librarian, to look at the maps after reading an L.A. Times article on Creason.“I had an upbringing that when we traveled as a kid, we always met the main librarian. It was in the back of my head,” Greenberg said. Greenberg said that Creason had been unimpressed upon entering the first room, but after entering the den, he said the collection was larger than the entire Los Angeles Public Library collection.“Wait, Glen, we haven’t gone down stairs yet,” Greenberg recalled saying to Creason. In estimating the number of maps, Creason told Los Angeles Times reporter Bob Pool that the collection would take up about 600 shelf feet as a speculative number. Since, they have found the collection is more than double that number, said Greenberg. Creason and a number of volunteers filled up a truck and ran out of boxes on Thurs, Oct. 18. On Sunday Oct. 21, they took another two carloads. A house slated for demolition in MountWashington,Galif., has yielded a priceless collection of tens of thousandsof maps. Real estate agent Matthew Greenbergdiscoveredt he cartographicaltreasureu pon the death of the house’so ccupant,J ohn FeathersN. eighborsh ad no inkling of Feathers’sc ollection,w hich includes a 1592 map of Europe and a rare “paved road” map of the U.S. from 1918. The maps willtum the LosAngeles Central Library into one of the largest map archives in the U.S. “This dwarfsour collections,” aid librarian Glen Greason, “and we’ve been collecting for 100 years.”
“What a wonderful gesture on the part of the Realtor! He loves our city and preserving its history. Nice find for the library. Great to know there’s a realtor out there who thought twice before dumping the collection. Kudos.”
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 H.O.M.E. EVENT: ( November 19th) H.O.M.E will prepare and serve dinner to residents of PATH’s (People Assisting the Homeless) transitional homeless facility in West LA.
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
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RODEO REALTY UPCOMING EVENTS
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH COMING SOON
www.
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RODEORE
.com
We are excited to announce the launch of our new website in the upcoming weeks. This fully updated website will
be fully optimized and will also feature our agents more prominently than before. Rodeo’s Web and Technical team will be coming to each office to train everyone on the exciting new features and tools available on this new site.
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LUXURY REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE RECAP
From the left: Tom Otero (Studio City office), Allyson Carter (Sherman Oaks office), John Brian Losh (Chairman of LRE), and Helen Pavlova (Woodland Hills office) attended the Luxury Real Estate Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona Oct 1-4. The event was three days of workshops, presentations, networking, architectural tours and awards dinner.
Upcoming Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate events : Valenica, Spain January 29-31, 2013 Carmel, California April 22-24, 2013
For more information on attending these events, please contact Matt Dulas @ mdulas@LuxuryRealEstate.com or 206-695-4846.
WHY RODEO?
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HERE IS FROM OUR AGENTS
I am so happy with my move to Rodeo. I saved over $6,000 for promotion of my listings in the newspaper from the previous year. The in-house graphic design and print shop has saved me several thousands of dollars for my flyers and postcards. Pretty amazing! -Amy Klein The company provides agents with the tools and support they need to help them grow and be more successful while not charging any fees for the services they provide. In the end, agents are more successful and make more money. -Todd Cloutier I came to Rodeo Realty because of the unparalleled support from Syd, the managers and all administrative staff. They make you feel that they are a part of YOUR business and want YOU to succeed in the upmost respect and fashion. I’m very pleased with my move to Rodeo. -Matthew Paul Rodeo does not nickel and dime you to death like most offices do to their agents. I like that Rodeo cares about their agents, bottom line and make every effort to help their agents succeed and gives you incentives when you do! -Violet Schmid The marketing here is second to none. No brokerage in today’s market can offer agents what Rodeo does. Syd and his amazing in-house staff are always accessible instantaneously. -Elyse Arbour I joined Rodeo Realty in 2008 and it was a great decision. The marketing and advertising departments are terrific as are the management and support staff. Having worked at other companies over my long real estate career I can honestly say Rodeo is a wonderful company to be associated with. -Carol Wolfe As an agent for over 25 years, I had never “farmed an area” because it was too labor intensive and meant dealing with different companies to print, design and mail. Syd introduced me to his “one-stop shop” where he employed an in-house team that designed, printed, farmed and mailed for you. -Tom Otero Rodeo Realty provides agents with superior advertising and marketing tools to conduct their business. The owner of the company is hands-on and available to the agent at all times. -Judy Cycon I came to Rodeo after several meetings with Syd. He made many promises and provided a close look at how he runs the company and supports his agents. I have to say that he has exceeded my expectations….from the in-house design and print departments to the office managers. The company is run incredibly well. It’s great to be back with a locally owned and successful agency. -John Galich