Table of Contents
- South Bay Digs: How did you get into real estate?
- SBD: How long have you lived in Manhattan Beach?
- SBD: Speaking of college, how does your degree in psychology enhance your work in real estate?
- SBD: I understand you’re also into research and statistics.
- SBD: What made you decide to obtain an International Property Specialization, and do you get to use those skills very often?
- SBD: What was one of the more challenging moments in your career?
A bike ride on The Strand was all the motivation Kristen Novoa needed to move from the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay.
South Bay Digs: How did you get into real estate?
Kristen Novoa: I was working about 60- to 80-hour weeks in the legal industry and traveling a lot for work. I wanted more time and more flexibility. I was really interested in my own real estate, so I looked into the field and found that my legal and psychological background would be a good fit.
I still work 60- to 80-hour weeks, so that hasn’t changed, but I can work things around my schedule easier. With these great iPhones and gadgets that we have, it’s incredible the amount of work we’re capable of.
SBD: How long have you lived in Manhattan Beach?
Kristen Novoa: My husband and I moved to the South Bay in 1996. We’re from the Central Coast originally, and we were living and going to school in Northridge. We came here one Sunday for a bike ride on the Strand and fell in love with the community.
We felt it was more like our home in Santa Maria, which is kind of a coastal community; it’s a similar climate. College in the Valley was miserable with the heat, and the 5 freeway is awful!
SBD: Speaking of college, how does your degree in psychology enhance your work in real estate?
Kristen Novoa: The psychological aspect is key for listening skills, but probably mostly it’s helped with counseling people through the home buying and selling process. For most people, it’s filled with anxiety. They need reassurance and someone who can communicate effectively. My legal background helps a lot with strategy because there’s a lot involved in the process of real estate.
I treat it like it’s my own transaction because I want my clients to know that I sincerely care for them, and that I’m there to be their chief strategist and trusted advisor through the entire process. I’m also a certified negotiations expert. I’ve had formal training in how to negotiate, and there are not a lot of people who have that. It’s probably the most critical aspect of being a Realtor.
SBD: I understand you’re also into research and statistics.
Kristen Novoa: During my years in the legal field, I did a lot of statistical analyses and a lot of research. I love knowing my current personal statistics. Compared with other agents, I’ve netted 3 percent more on average for my sellers.
SBD: What made you decide to obtain an International Property Specialization, and do you get to use those skills very often?
Kristen Novoa: I was doing so many transactions for people coming here from other countries, but also people moving overseas. I wanted to learn more about other cultures and better understand their ways of doing business. You need to know how to communicate with people in a way that doesn’t offend them.
For example, if you receive a business card from someone from Japan, you can’t just put it in your pocket. You have to read it carefully in front of them, then look at them and thank them. I’ve helped clients from China, Sweden, Ireland Japan, Holland, the UK—all over the place! I’ve always listed my properties in multiple currencies because you never know when someone from overseas is looking.
SBD: What was one of the more challenging moments in your career?
Kristen Novoa: Probably the most challenging decision I’ve ever had to make in my career just happened. Back in March, I decided to leave Shorewood Realtors, where I’d been for 14 years. The decision was five years in the making; I’d been talking to Sotheby’s, a brand I’ve always admired and respected in real estate.
The South Bay’s property values have put us on the map, and I felt like we needed a broader level of exposure on the worldwide luxury market. If you really research that—which I did—it was critical to have Sotheby’s here in Manhattan Beach. To leave Shorewood and spearhead bringing Sotheby’s here was a big decision.
We have 680 offices in 49 countries. I just sold a home for clients who are moving to France, so I can pick up the phone and say, ‘I have an agent for you in Toulouse.’ The Sotheby’s network is fantastic. It’s truly worldwide, and it’s so much fun.
Photography by Kieron McKay