Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Dac Carver of Beacham & Company, Realtors

More than 200 guests turned out for the Spring launch party of The Beacham Series magazine at the Buckhead cover home, 3418 Pinestream Road, also known as "The Pink Castle." In this video, guests talk about the historic Neel Reid designed estate and what makes The Beacham Series so special.

Courtesy of Kenn Hall of Fannie Hillman + Associates

WINTER PARK, FL---Fifty one years ago a bright-eyed 18-year-old freshman at the University of Georgia was ready to begin preparing for a career in business when she says she was told there was “no place in the business world for a woman.”

Nancy Shea Bagby wasn’t discouraged. Although her career aspirations didn’t go south, she did. She transferred to the University of Florida, earned a bachelor’s degree in education, taught at elementary schools in Miami and Atlanta, was an assistant photo editor with LIFE magazine in New York, served as a flight attendant with Delta Airlines, and raised two daughters along the way.

And she was just getting started.

A Winter Park-Maitland resident since 1972, Bagby “waited until her children were out of school” and decided to go back to school and earn her master’s degree in business and finance at Rollins College. Although she never completed her degree, she did wind up mastering a career in another field---real estate.

Mastered might be an understatement. Since joining Winter Park’s Fannie Hillman + Associates in 1985, she has sold and closed over $480 million in residential real estate which pencils out to around $19 million a year. Last year, in a challenging economy, she led all company sales agents with sales of $16.6 million, and this year posted a 25-year career-best first quarter of over $9.2 million.

Not bad for someone who decided nearly 26 years ago to start a career in real estate “almost as a lark” and has been Fannie Hillman’s top producer for the past two and a half decades.

“Nancy is a very special person with a very special talent who knows the Winter Park/Maitland area as well, if not better, than anybody else in this business,” says Scott Hillman, president of the

successful, 30-year-old independent firm. “In fact, Nancy has handled more lakefront transactions than any other agent in the Winter Park/Maitland area since 1985.”

And she shows no signs of slowing down either. Now a grandmother with a daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren in Seattle, WA, and another married daughter with two children in nearby Maitland, Bagby thoroughly enjoys what she’s doing.

“I love the business I’m in and the people I work with,” explains Bagby, whose sister is a Realtor in Palm Coast, Florida, and two brothers who are developers in Jacksonville, Florida. “I wouldn’t

think of doing anything else or being anywhere else. We have a very close knit office where people work in tremendous harmony. We all take a great deal of pride in what everyone else in the office is doing.”

A team player first, Bagby, works “primarily by referral” and attributes much of her success to “a wonderful repeat business” and her team of Sue Ann Rand and daughter Julie Bagby Williams. Sue Ann, a licensed Realtor and broker “has been an invaluable assistant for the past 17 years and an incredibly gifted person,” said Bagby, while daughter Julie, who holds an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, “is my people person with a sparkling personality that has served our team well for the past four years.”

Ask those who know and work with Bagby and they’ll tell you she’s also “a people person” with a “down-to-earth, magnetic personality.” Active in the community and a member of numerous civic organizations, Bagby says she’s “extremely interested in helping people” and admits spending a great deal of time consulting with clients and non-clients alike on real estate matters.

“Selling homes is a tremendously emotional business that requires knowing and understanding the individual and his or her needs so that they develop a trust and confidence in you,” Bagby emphasizes. “Right now, I do as much counseling and advising as I do selling.”

And therein lies the key to Bagby’s ability to cultivate a sizeable list of referrals and repeat business.

“I’ve had the good fortune to have had such wonderful clients over the years and am very grateful for their tremendous support,” says Bagby. “They are as much a part of my success as the people I work with.”

Even though Bagby long ago proved there is a place in the business world for a woman, she hasn’t lost her sense of perspective and allowed success to obscure her priorities.

“I have a wonderfully enjoyable and successful career, but in the overall scheme of things my family is number one in my life,” she says.

Real estate certainly has been anything but a disappointing second.

About Fannie Hillman + Associates
A member of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, Fannie Hillman is listed in Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, and maintains a global presence through affiliations with London-based Mayfair International, Luxury Portfolio, and Chicago-based RELOHomeSearch, a website run by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, the world’s largest network of premier independent residential real estate firms representing 600 companies with 5,000 offices and 150,000 sales associates in more than 30 countries. Fannie Hillman also has exclusive rights for Residence International in the Central Florida area. Fannie Hillman is located at 205 W. Fairbanks Avenue. For more information call (407) 644-1234 or visit the company’s web site at fanniehillman.com.

Courtesy of Haley Dalton of Harry Norman, REALTORS^®

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - Harry Norman, REALTORS^® released the Spring issue of Harry Norman HOME Magazine on April 27^th, 2011. Harry Norman HOME is the company’s signature magazine published twice a year and distributed to a targeted mailing list of 25,000 home and business owners throughout metro Atlanta, as well as the most reputable luxury real estate brokerage firms across the United States.

Gorgeous professional photography, elegant, sophisticated design and informative narrative accompany each property featured in HOME. This issue features over 100 exceptional luxury homes with a median sales price of more than $2 million throughout Atlanta’s most affluent residential areas, along Georgia’s most beautiful lakes and into the mountains of North Carolina.

Harry Norman HOME Magazine is produced both in the traditional magazine format and in an online format. The online version of the publication, not only provides a more eco-friendly way of viewing many of Harry Norman, REALTORS^® distinctive homes for sale, but also allows consumers nationwide to view this showcase of homes from their own computer. The digizine concept is unique in the sense that the viewer can “virtually” turn the pages of the magazine, flip to any page instantly, and access agents website or property details page with clickable links. Click here to view the online version of Harry Norman HOME.

Since 1930, Harry Norman, REALTORS^® has built its reputation for excellence by providing the best in residential real estate products and services. As Atlanta’s oldest and largest independent real estate firm, Harry Norman, Realtors^® knows real estate and Atlanta.

To receive a complimentary copy of the Spring 2011 Harry Norman HOME Magazine or to view the online version, please visit http://www.harrynorman.com/Home.

About Harry Norman, REALTORS®

Founded in 1930, Harry Norman, REALTORS^® is Atlanta’s oldest and largest residential real estate firm with 23 sales offices, various franchise and satellite offices, and more than 1,000 real estate professionals. Harry Norman, REALTORS^® is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. HomeServices is the second-largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm in the U.S. with 17,000 sales associates spanning 20 states. Harry Norman, REALTORS^® is the exclusive Atlanta affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates and achieves additional international exposure through membership in exclusive real estate networks. More information is available at www.harrynorman.com.

Courtesy of Atlanta Business Chronicle

The highest priced house in metro Atlanta has sold.

Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty sold Dean Gardens, which was offered at $13.9 million.

Listing agent Suzanne Close and co-listing agent Jason Dean, of the firm’s North Atlanta office, negotiated the transaction.

For full article click here: Highest priced Atlanta estate sold - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Beacham and three other Buckhead business leaders were asked how Buckhead has held up during the downturn compared with other metro Atlanta submarkets. Beacham said Buckhead’s rebound has far outpaced the rest of metro Atlanta, which is up just 6 percent.

 

Sam Massell, president of the Buckhead Coalition, was also quoted in the article in which business leaders discussed the state of Buckhead. Massell said Buckhead “was the last to be  ffected (by the downturn), but, as expected, is also the first to start to rebound.”

Courtesy of: Dac Carver of Beacham & Company

ATLANTA --- While the rest of the world celebrates Mother’s Day on May 6, every day feels like Mother’s Day at Beacham & Company, REALTORS because more than one quarter of the company’s 46 agents are mother and daughter teams.

While it is not unusual to find mothers and daughters working together in real estate, it is unusual to find so many working together in one office, said Dac Carver, Vice President and Managing Broker for Beacham & Company.

“We haven’t sought out mother-daughter teams, it’s just happened that way,” Carver said. “We are a family-owned, family-run company, and I think the mothers and daughters who work here appreciate the supportive environment we offer.”

When asked what makes for a good mother-daughter real estate team, many of the mother-daughter agents at Beacham & Company say communication is so much easier because of the mother-daughter relationship.

Ruth Skogstad, who has worked with her daughter, Kristen Sodemann, for more than 15 years, says she often calls Kristen when she has something on her mind only to find Kristen has been thinking about the same thing.

“We both think alike,” Ruth said. “It makes things so much easier when you work with someone who thinks like you do. You can bounce ideas off each other and you don’t have to worry about where the other person is coming from. We both have the same value system.”

Janey Lowe, whose daughter, Elise Baumann has worked with Janey for nearly two years, agrees that the ease of communication with her daughter makes them a great team.

“She understands me,” Lowe said. “There is a trust factor. We both have a vested interest in each other’s success. Also, she has grown up with real estate her entire life so she knows the demands of the job.”

Sometimes mother and daughter teams work well because, like most teams, each member has different strengths that compliment the other. Glennis Beacham, founder of Beacham & Company, began working with her daughter Blayne several years ago. Glennis is a full-time agent while Blayne is in charge of Beacham & Company’s marketing department.

“I have a little of my mom’s salesmanship in me, but marketing and photography are really my strengths,” Blayne said. “My mom knows great marketing when she sees it but she would never have the patience to sit down at a computer for hours at a time working on a marketing project. I’ve grown up watching her work so I know what she expects of me.”

Jan Hart has worked with her daughter, Georgia Rae Hart, a recent college graduate, for two years. Jan credits Georgia’s computer savviness with helping Jan relate to younger clients who are interested in technology. Jan also says the age difference with her daughter has helped to expand her customer base.

Susan Traynor recently began working with her daughter, Kelly Moulton, who has an extensive corporate background in the financial brokerage industry.

“Kelly is an accomplished businesswoman,” Traynor said. “She is very precise and focused, so she has helped me make my office time more productive. On the other hand, I have been in real estate for 15 years so I can share my experience and knowledge with her. Everything is instinctive to me. More than anything else though, we laugh a lot together.”

As much as complimenting skills sets makes them great teams, their similarities are what keep these mother-daughter teams working together. Alice McDonough and Wight Mixon have sold real estate together for 10 years and are both very active with the Atlanta Board of Realtors where Alice is a past president of the board of directors and Wight is the president elect. Both women simply love the real estate business and feel fortunate that real estate affords them the opportunity to work together.

“We have fun together and love the challenges that this business brings,” Mixon said. “We both embrace new technology and educational opportunities. We ‘pinch hit’ for one another whenever necessary, share stories of our good times and not so good, and love having the opportunity to be together doing something we love so much.”

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Beacham & Company, Realtors® is a residential real estate company that specializes in Atlanta's most affluent neighborhoods. The company was founded in 2006 by Glennis Beacham, one of Atlanta's most celebrated real estate agents over the last 20 years. The firm has Atlanta's highest average sales price and the top selling office by closed dollar volume of homes sold. For more information about Beacham & Company, go to www.beacham.com or call 404.261.6300.

Courtesy of: Dac Carver of Beacham & Company

ATLANTA - In the first quarter of 2010, Beacham & Company, REALTORS® was once again the top selling office in Buckhead and “In-town Atlanta” based on dollar volume of residential real estate sold.

The results for the first quarter come on the heels of Beacham & Company finishing 2009 as the top selling office in the three MLS areas (21, 23 and 132) that make up Buckhead and In-town Atlanta. 

In addition to being the top selling Buckhead real estate firm for the last 15 months, Beacham & Company is also the fastest growing among firms with at least $60 million in sales for the 12-month period ending March 31. Beacham & Company grew its market share by 43 percent from April 2009 to March 2010. The next closest competitor grew by just 13.7 percent.

According to Dac Carver, managing broker of Beacham & Company, the firm’s sales have been driven by a significant increase in the number of buyers who are working with Beacham & Company.

“Since the first of the year, we have seen a huge jump in the number of buyers entering the real estate market,” Carver said. “After many buyers postponed home purchases in 2009, the improving economy and attractive home prices have combined to entice buyers back into the market and send sales in Buckhead up 46 percent in the first quarter.”

Beacham & Company has benefited more than any other company from the increase in buyer activity, as the company’s share of transactions in which the firm represented a buyer increased 92 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Carver said many of the firm’s buyers have a relocation package or are foreign buyers who do business in Atlanta and have been lured by great real estate deals.

“Many large corporations told us in 2009 that they were postponing moves until 2010,” Carver said. “2010 is here and those companies are following through with their plans. We are fortunate to be working with many of them.”

Beacham & Company, Realtors® is a full service residential real estate firm located in Buckhead that specializes in the most affluent areas of Atlanta real estate. For more information about Beacham & Company, go to www.beacham.com or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/Beacham-Company-REALTORSR/56262810063.

Courtesy of duPont REGISTRY and duPont REGISTRY Homes Blog's Reynolds Fuller

Thoughts of fairy tales and happily ever after, spring to mind upon arriving at the luxurious Crantzdorf Castle in the land of East Tennessee. Reminiscent of a medieval castle and modeled after the “Palacio dela Magdalena” in Spain, this enchanting estate is unrivaled in its craftsmanship and originality. “It’s really a unique home, and there’s a lot of detail in the house,” says Winston Johnson, broker and owner of LUX Mountain Realty, LLC. “It’s an exceptional house.”

The 20,000-square-foot home boasts nine bedrooms, ten-full bathrooms, three-half baths, private maid’s quarters including a kitchen, four-car garage, indoor basketball court, and luxurious home theater. Theo Kalomirakis, who is referred to as the “Father of Home Theater” and the “Home Theater King,” designed this state-of-the-art theater. Also located within the 13 acres of gated property on Boone Lake are a boathouse, gazebo, large pool, and sixteenth scale racetrack of Bristol Motor Speedway including night racing with Italian racecars.

“There is no other home like this home,” says Steve Grindstaff, owner of Crantzdorf Castle. “It all has great features.” European craftsmen and architects spent more than ten years creating this captivating castle with its soaring ceilings, stained glass, Italian marble floors, and luxury hand-cast moldings. “The ceilings were all hand carved by two craftsmen from Greece,” Grindstaff says. “They worked on them only for three-and-a-half years.”

From the Italian foundation to the original Napoleon bed, the luxury house is rich in antiques from top to bottom. "We searched Red Baron's in Atlanta and private auctions to choose every piece of artwork, furniture, and upholstery to fit the theme of every room,” says Ashley Grindstaff, wife and homeowner. “Our castle is different from other cold and dull castles. Our castle is a warm and inviting home. Decorating is my passion. I enjoyed the hunt to find the right pieces to make our castle colorful. When you walk through our 22-foot tall front doors, from the Music Conservatory in Paris, France, you know you have walked into a home built and decorated with love.”

Although the luxury property has more than enough amenities to keep anyone enthralled, if venturing beyond the property is on the agenda, the estate is within minutes of shopping, entertainment, arts and crafts, excellent healthcare, outdoor activities, and the airport. “You’re within 45 minutes of the ski slopes,” Grindstaff says. “You’re on a lake. You’re secluded but still in the mix.”

Having entertained more than 700 guests at one time, this luxury home is perfect as a corporate property as well as a single-family residence Johnson says. “It’s just a one-of-a-kind, beautiful property with a great view and location.” Offered at $19,500,000. View the luxury listing here.

View this home on the cover of the duPont REGISTRY virtual magazine here.

By Robert Lockard

As a follow-up to my last blog entry, I’d like to report on the interview LuxuryRealEstate.com Publisher/CEO John Brian Losh enjoyed on Lakefront Radio on Friday, June 20, 2008. It went very well, and I have to give a lot of credit to hosts Mary Thompson, Chuck Thompson and Lee Kantor for asking great questions and being a lot of fun on air. They sound like they really enjoy their work.

You can listen to the full 38-minute radio show online.

Mr. Losh discussed the recent sale of Donald Trump’s $100 million estate and some other great news items. He also went into great detail about LuxuryRealEstate.com, the most-viewed luxury real estate website in the world, and several aspects of the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network, including membership requirements. He specifically focused on Atlanta, naming Harry Norman, Realtors, the Board of Regents member in Atlanta, and Jenny Pruitt & Associates, REALTORS® as two prominent members in the area.

As I mentioned earlier, I was really impressed by Lakefront Radio hosts Mary, Chuck and Lee. They were all so easygoing and patient in their approach at the microphone, something I found very refreshing in talk radio. Some shows sound like the speakers are constantly interrupting each other, but these hosts found a great balance in their style. Great job!

Mr. Losh said that some of the finest luxury locations in the world are in South America and East Europe. He also mentioned that his favorite city in the world is Venice, Italy because it’s so quiet, with no cars or motorbikes to disrupt the peace. His favorite city in the United States (besides his hometown of Seattle, of course) is Carmel, Calif., near Pebble Beach, because it’s “popular, but not too popular” and very relaxing.

All in all, it was a great radio show. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to it if you have the time. Be sure to check it out every Friday because the hosts are dedicated to talking about positive real-estate news that can sometimes fall by the way when large media outlets focus so much on negative news. Truly an admirable endeavor!


Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. Be sure to visit the Lakefront Radio website to hear the whole program. It was very nice.

By Robert Lockard

I have some fun news to share about John Brian Losh, Publisher/CEO of LuxuryRealEstate.com and Broker/CEO of Ewing & Clark, Inc., Seattle's oldest real-estate brokerage.

Mr. Losh will appear on Lakefront Radio, an Atlanta radio show on Friday, June 20, 2008. He will discuss the luxury real estate market and high-tech trends with hosts Mary Thompson, Chuck Thompson and Lee Kantor.

The radio show is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. You can listen to the show live by visiting the Lakefront Radio website. That will be great. I’m sure Mr. Losh will have some great insights to share.

In addition to this radio show, Mr. Losh also appeared in the April/May issue of Unique Homes magazine. He was the focus of Ken Weingartner’s “Unique Personalities” section. Nick Antonicello, Director of Sales at Unique Homes, gave Mr. Losh a copy of that magazine issue at the 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat this past April.


Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. This is very exciting stuff. I can’t wait to listen to this radio show tomorrow.