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Sam Real

SAM REAL-TOP AGENT MAGAZINE


Sam Real never intended to be the topgrossing agent at Nest Seekers International
of Beverly Hills, in fact he never intended
to be a REALTOR
®
at all, but that’s exactly
what hap pened after a blessing disguised as
a layoff left him rethinking his career path.
Now, seven years later, he finds himself a
rocketing star in the L.A. real estate game. Ever gracious
about his success, however, Sam is reluctant to attribute it to
anything  more  than  common  sense:  strive  harder,  keep
learning, and, above all, listen with sincerity.
This sincerity distinguishes Sam. It’s in his voice when he
says he enjoys every aspect of his work and, most especially,
getting to know clients. “I love realty’s array of personalities,
learning to navigate so many different character types.” Sam
prides himself on his desire to honestly read people, to be the
sort of agent who goes with a given client’s personality flow.
“It’s not about me, but about each step of the process, when to
support or lead, to advise prudence or encourage leaps.”
In addition to the three elements of Sam’s common-sense recipe,
crea tivity also plays a major role. After all, it was creativity
that first drew Sam to California. Having graduated Arizona
State with degrees in Economics and Communications, Sam
moved back home to New Jersey with the dream of becoming
a talent agent. When a prime L.A. agency offered him a position,
he packed his bags and headed west. However, after a year of
quickly climbing the agency ranks, his bur geoning career
was shaken amongst the 2007 Writers Guild strikes.
Tapping his own creativity, Sam used this uncertain time to
rethink his goals. During his ASU days, he and a friend had
tried, as little more than an economics experiment, flipping
fore closures. Where these ventures had been a thrill, they’d
paid off too. As Sam puts it, “I’m one of the few people I
know who somehow made money in college!” Using this ex -perience and his trusty mantra—Knowledge is Power—Sam
dove into the intimidating L.A. real estate game. With no
formal  mentorship,  he  doggedly  hoofed  neighborhoods,
atten d ed every open house he could find, and unabashedly
picked the brains of each successful REALTOR
®
he met. “I
made  a  point  to  remember  property  and  neighborhood
details—stories, floor plans, eclectic former owners—‘Sure I
know  that  house!  With  the  mermaid  tiling  and  the  pet
potbelly pig!’” 
Knowledge is Power, fine. But Sam doesn’t blindly believe
this senti ment— he demonstrates it. “I can prove it to my
clients,” he says, “because I had to first prove it to myself.
Copyright Top Agent Magazine
And I still try to, every day.” Any strong agent, Sam asserts,
should always view him or herself as a REALTOR
®
and a
wealth  manager.  By  being  a  shrewd  analyst  of  local,
national, and international financial trends, Sam provides a
voice of expertise his clients can bank on in any market
climate. As he points out, for 90% percent of people a home
is the biggest investment they’ll ever make. “I want you to
get the best possible deal, to find your dream home, but also
make money in the process—it gives me a rush.”
Sam calls this rush “Hustling”—the classic sort, an athlete
hungry for a win. When he’s not out with his clients, he’s in
the  office  from  7  a.m.  to  9  p.m.  hustling  for  them.  For
example, try his new-client pitch: Sam says pick the most
obscure hours you can think to call him and see if he answers.
Then try the trick with five other agents. Does his tactic work?
“I’ve received more than a few three a.m. calls!” Sam laughs,
solemnly adding, “I answer immediately.”
Despite Sam’s fortitude, enterprise and gregariousness, most of
his achievement, he’s fast to point out, is a matter of dedicated
collaboration. With an L.A. team of seven devoted associates—
a team already posting $50 million in sales this year—and a
New York partner, broker Ryan Serhant, with his own team of
ten agents, Sam is part of a bi-coastal, real estate powerhouse.
But  despite  having  expanded  far  beyond  is  initial  career
goals—Sam’s  latest  passionate  venture  is  luxury  property
speculation and development—he certainly hasn’t forgotten his
humble beginnings. As just one way of engraining sincerity into
every aspect of his business, he requires his junior associates
attend local gallery and restaurant openings. “Get out there and
meet people,” Sam says. “It’s about listening, not about rubbing
shoulders. It’s about having genuine conversations with people
who also genuinely love the area.”

Runyon Canyon to be moved for Megamansion?


The Solar Drive pink elephant house, aka the Wedding Cake, aka the Runyon Canyon Clubhouse, has been nothing but trouble since it first came into the world in the mid-nineties, and now its new owners think there should be three more just like it on the edge of Runyon Canyon. The house's first owners divorced and left it abandoned and unfinished; later owners got caught up in all kinds of legal trouble and bankruptcy; eventually the house became "a drug den, a crime magnet, and a fire trap," as one neighbor put it. And meanwhile hikers have innocently traipsed past on what seems like a lovely Runyon Canyon trail, but is actually private property. The house sold in late 2011, apparently to an Aliso Viejo private equity firm called Fort Ashford Funds, for $500,000 (as part of a multi-property sale, according to Redfin), and now the new owners have gated that heavily-used trail and filed plans to prep the property for more megamansions.

Fort Ashford wants to subdivide the land--16.4 acres--into four parcels, with one for the existing house, one for a new single-family house, and two with "no current plans for construction," according to a land use permit application (pdf) filed with the city in early October. (Maybe they want to wait on those last ones until they actually manage to unload the pink elephant, which we're pretty sure has never been occupied--it's been listed since July, along with all this land, at $9.888 million.) They also want to build a 24-foot-wide private streetconnecting to Solar Drive and stretching beyond this property to the 3.8-acre promontory that they also appear to own.

Fort Ashford also says they want to "dedicate a public easement to allow a reroute of a hiking trail," but the application say that easement would be on the east side of Parcel B, which is on the northeast of the property, and on "a small portion" of Parcel C, which is on the southwest of the property by Astral Drive. Their preliminary map (pdf) doesn't clear up at all just how that might work.

-Curbed LA 

Megan Ellison sells Bird Streets Compound


Megan Ellison, film producer and the daughter of Oracle chief Larry Ellison, has sold 3 homes that she made into a compound in the Bird Streets. She sold one house (9280 Nightingale Dr.) to Gateway cofounder Ted Waitt for $20.5 million, and last month she sold the remaining two house (9262 & 9258 Nightingale Dr.) to Ashley Tabor, son of British bookmaker Michael Tabor, for $26.25 million. That's a total of $46.75 million, basically just for the land as both are set to be torn down, much of which is too steep to actually build on. There are rumors Megan Ellison is supposedly looking for a new house "in the $20 million range".


Elon Musk Buys Mansion Next Door


Elon Musk, founder and owner of Tesla and SpaceX seems to have a thing for old fashioned twentieth century architecture in Bel Air. He previously bought his first estate on Chalon road last year for $17 million. Now, Elon Musk has purchased the house next door, formerly owned by Gene Wilder. The three-bedroom sits right above the Bel Air Country Club's thirteenth green and fourteenth fairway, and comes with a pool and guesthouse. The house was listed for $7,995,000 but must paid $6,750,000 for it.

This area of Bel Air, also considered Billionaires Row has seem an enormous amount of action lately. Michael Strahan just sold his house down the road Billionaire and Real Estate developer Bruce Makowsky for $11,000,000. Makowsky tore it down. 


Great View from the Hollywood Hills



Bel Air


Founded in 1923 by the American Oil multi-millionaire and real estate developer, Alphonzo E. Bell Sr, Bel Air is known to be one of the most affluent communities in Los Angeles. Bel Air, together with Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, forms the Platinum Triangle. 

Residences vary from modest ranch style house, to large mansions. The higher up the hill, the smaller lots and houses. Multi family housing is not permitted and ordinances regarding architectural styles and lot sizes help to preserve the area.

David Geffen, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Adam Sandler, Renee Zellweger and Meg Ryan are just some of the famous residents that reside in Bel Air

 In June of 2011, Candy Spelling sold her famed Spelling Manor for 75 million to Formula 1 aire Petra Ecclestone. It was the biggest sale in the country that year. 


Hollywood Hills Homes For Sale


As one of the most prestigious locations in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Hills boasts some of the most unique and beautiful homes in the world. The allure is complimented by it's privacy, sprawling views, and central location to the rest of the city. Homes prices are very attractive in allowing a very diverse community. Celeberties, CEO's, Doctors and Teachers all call this neighborhood home.

Finding the right Hollywood Hills real estate agent can be the difference in achieving a clients satisfaction. In 3 years Sam Real has been involved in over $200 million dollars in transactions. His ability to negotiate prices and analyze property is know my clients and colleagues alike. 

To find out more about the latest market trends, sold properties, new listings or about the Hollywood Hills real estate market make sure to visit Sam Real's website


Theres something about the bird streets


The Bird Streets first became a famed location when the Beatles George Harrison wrote "Blue Jay Way". Of late, this small premiere location tucked in the Hollywood Hills just north of the Sunset Strip has become known for it's celebrity residents and sprawling Los Angeles views. Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeve And Jennifer Aniston are just some of the celebrities that call the Bird streets home. 

The  close proximity to Beverly Hills as well as it's short distance to Hollywood makes Blue Jay Way, Oriole Dr., Flicker Place, Thrasher Ave and Skylark Lane some of the most highly desired streets in Los Angeles. 

The home prices in the Bird streets are some of the highest that can be found anywhere in the LA area, including Beverly Hills and Bel Air. Home sales on average sell in the area of $1,500 to $2,000 a square foot, even if the home is a complete renovation project. Prices range between $1,500,000 and $20,000,000 and increasing every day. 


North Beverly Park: The Most Elite Community In The US


Behind the gates of North Beverly Park lies 52 of the largest, most expensive mansions not only in Los Angeles but in the entire United States. Established in 1990 the sprawling 250 acres was first planned to be a golf course named after Dean Martin. Developers Elliot Gottfurcht and Brian Adler later decided the beautiful landscape would be better used as one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the world.

Eddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone, Denzel Washington, Barry Bonds, Mark Wahlberg and Rod Stewart are just some of the well established names that call North Beverly Park home. 

How much would it cost you to become a resident at this community? Prices currently range between $20,000,000 and $100,000,000.