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Stephen Haw—A Real Estate Titan
A glance at Stephen Haw’s real estate team reveals a group of agents serving the range of clients who are buying and selling in Palos Verdes and the Beach Cities today. “They speak Chinese, speak Korean and speak Japanese, as well as English,” says Stephen Haw of his team, which even includes a green home specialist.
“I assembled this team almost 10 years ago to service different client segments—and people seem to really like the concept.”
It was Stephen Haw who saw the promise of Palos Verdes when he shifted his business there in 1986, after starting out in Torrance real estate in the early 1980s. He took note of the price differential between properties in the two communities and made the change. “I felt that if I was spending the time at work,” he says with a chuckle, “I might as well do it in Palos Verdes.”
Today, the bulk of his firm’s business remains in Palos Verdes, and about a third is in the Beach Cities and Torrance. Kidding aside, Stephen Haw says:
“Whether it is a small townhouse or a multi-million mansion, I treat each sale with the same care and attention. There is nothing too small or too big for me to handle.”
Stephen Haw’s foray into real estate followed a master’s degree in marketing from Oregon State University, and it proved a great career choice right off the bat. “I was really fortunate,” says Stephen Haw.
“I did well in my first year, my second year and third year.” Success begets success, he muses. “Even during downtimes in the real estate cycle, I was always doing really well.”
Credit Stephen Haw’s mix of hard-nose tenaciousness contrasted with a pleasingly low-key demeanor for helping keep business steady. Conscientiousness, particularly when it comes to privacy, is another: “I respect my clients’ privacy, and always keep their personal matters confidential,” he states.
Especially advantageous to Stephen Haw’s business is that during the last 20 years, many Taiwanese and Chinese nationals have been selling and buying real estate in Palos Verdes. For Stephen Haw, who’s fluent in Chinese and Taiwanese dialects, this means he can service these markets with ease.
This, along with a team that can reach into diverse communities, plus the firm’s well-versed practice of marketing their listings overseas, adds up to a distinct advantage for both buyer and listing clients. “I can give the seller a lot of exposure,” he explains. In addition to the tried-and-true strategies, such as print ads and online marketing, Stephen Haw’s firm sets up secure Chinese websites to market properties.
Assembling a global team to optimize real estate opportunities in his home turf is just another way to service clients for Stephen Haw, whose fondness for his craft runs deep. “It’s the only business I’ve ever been in,” he explains. “Once I got involved, 30-some years ago, I never left. I really love it.” For him, the reward of real estate is in making good things happen for his clients.
“You can see the clients’ enjoyment when they’re moving into their new house,” says Stephen Haw. The commission is an afterthought, he points out, and a natural output of providing great service. It’s a nugget of real estate wisdom he regularly shares with his team: “If you take care of your clients, the money will come. You don’t have to worry about that part. Don’t think about the money—think about the service.”
FOUNDER
The Stephen Haw Group
AWARD-WINNING
Stephen Haw received the Triple Platinum Medal from Keller Williams in 2017 and Quadruple Platinum Medal in 2018.
LONGEVITY
He has been in real estate for over 30 years, and has bought or sold over $1 billion of real estate on behalf of his clients.
CERTIFIED LUXE
Haw is a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and its Million Dollar Guild.
The Stephen Haw Group
Stephenhaw.com
310.503.9886
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY BY EMILY THE STEPHEN HAW GROUP.
