Table of Contents
- When and why did you decide to pursue real estate professionally, both separately and as a team with Sandro?
- What was the impetus for joining forces as a mother/son duo?
- What aspect of being realtors do you most enjoy?
- As the top-ranked producing agents in Coldwell Banker’s Malibu Colony Office for the last 14 years, what is your formula for success?
- Tell us about your clientele.
- What sets apart your real estate firm from others?
- What are the latest trends you see in the Westside market?
- How has the market here changed since you first started in this business?
- Where do you see the Westside market headed in 2015?
- How do you spend your free time?
When and why did you decide to pursue real estate professionally, both separately and as a team with Sandro?
I began real estate in the early 1980s when I started selling cosmetics while at UCSB and became the top salesperson for a department store in Santa Barbara. I knew I loved people and sales. We started as a team after Sandro sold a $7.5 million beach house to one of his best friends when he was 22 years old!
What was the impetus for joining forces as a mother/son duo?
I never thought in a million years that Sandro would become my partner in real estate. He was an economics major at UCLA and thought he would go into finance. But our personalities work well together because we are both very different. We have a family-run business, but very sophisticated.
We make a great team because he deals with the newer generation — the new hip millionaires and billionaires — and I have the older generation. But funny enough, many of my old-time clients switch to Sandro, and I love this! We bring male and female into the office, and the family thing, plus two generations, so it makes for a very successful environment.
What aspect of being realtors do you most enjoy?
We meet the most fascinating people from all walks of life and are able to help sell them their dream homes in one of the most beautiful places in the world — Malibu. Our social life is so rich from all of the wonderful people we meet through our real estate business that we will never give this career up.
As the top-ranked producing agents in Coldwell Banker’s Malibu Colony Office for the last 14 years, what is your formula for success?
A passion for Malibu and the lifestyle it offers, and giving our clients the top service that they deserve.
Tell us about your clientele.
They come from all different walks of life, from celebrities, athletes and musicians to bankers, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs — everyone wants to live in Malibu!
What sets apart your real estate firm from others?
We work for the largest real estate firm in the world with global exposure that no one can top.
What are the latest trends you see in the Westside market?
New contemporary construction and unobstructed views.
How has the market here changed since you first started in this business?
Malibu used to be a sleepy little beach community until the billionaires moved here… and new high-end shops and restaurants, like Nobu, are here now. It has become the destination for the rich and famous. The highest sales over 10 million last year in the USA were reported in these top five areas: Manhattan, New York, Miami Beach, Florida, Honolulu Hawaii, Aspen, Colorado and Malibu, California.
Where do you see the Westside market headed in 2015?
A continuation of price increases with limited inventory and increasing demands.
How do you spend your free time?
Travel to our second favorite places in the world (Malibu being the number one): Aspen, St Barths, Capri, and Positano, Italy, when we can geta way.
Photography by Simon Berlyn