Luxury Real Estate

By Janice Ridge

As a member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, you have the opportunity to be included in the referral opportunities that come through our network. We have seasoned staff working with our members to provide value through this unique network of the best of the best in luxury real estate. I also want to remind everyone in our community that we have excellent referral opportunities coming through daily from all over the world for you. In our membership we are happy to help with broker-to-broker, relocation and need-an-agent referrals. We only refer within our network to our members.

As those of you who work with referrals on a daily basis can attest, it is important to know who you can count on to handle the various types of requests that come into a referral department. In that regard, I am calling out to all Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate members to contact me if you are interested in either receiving or placing referrals. To speak more about our referral program and how you can gain value from your investment through LuxuryRealEstate.com, please either email me at JRidge at LuxuryRealEstate.com or call me directly at 206.838.7728 with questions or ideas!

My bio: Janice Ridge is our Director of Membership and Relocation. She is a licensed REALTOR® in California and Washington. She has previously served as a director of relocation in the San Francisco Bay Area for a major residential real-estate brokerage, as well as managed sales and leads for one of the largest online real-estate marketing solutions providers.


Editor’s Note:
Since Janice already introduced herself quite nicely, I will simply comment on her blog entry. Janice is certainly an expert on the subject of referrals and relocation, so I’m grateful to hear her views on this matter. Referrals are extremely useful tools to building your business in ways you might not be able to see on your own. In fact, I wrote an article touching on the subject of relocation and referrals in the winter 2008 issue of LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine.

By Allyson Metters

Like many of my friends, the most important thing in a home for me is the kitchen – not that I am a great cook, but there is something about that room that appeals to me. Every time I see a property listing, I always take a look through the photos for the kitchen shots.

According to an article entitled “What Luxury Looks Like in the New Kitchen and Bath” in Custom Builder magazine, multiplicity is a trend in luxury kitchens – multiple islands, sinks, appliances – even multiple kitchens.

The article also covers luxury trends for master baths – including showers equipped with steam, sound therapy, and aroma therapy.


Editor’s Note:
As she mentioned, Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Allyson makes an interesting point about amenities and what people are looking for in a luxury home. Keep an eye on changing tastes.

By Brian Langhorst

Every year more and more young athletes are getting very large signing bonuses and contracts right out of high school and college. These young men are usually looking at buying two things quickly: real estate and automobiles. Are you reaching out to these up-and-coming luxury buyers and sellers?

Most athletes move several times during their careers. I cannot help but think that the referral opportunities for qualified real-estate agents are rather large. These athletes/real-estate investors can provide you with a large pipeline of referrals and business as their peer and teammate network is large and always growing with trades and acquisitions.

As a network with representation in every major market, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate and LuxuryRealEstate.com can be an excellent resource for you to use for such clients.


Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. This is definitely a great market to go after, since professional athletes are certainly wealthy, affluent and looking for the finer things in life.

By Allyson Metters

As part of my position as the Relocation Manager here at LuxuryRealEstate.com, I manage the consumer inquiries that come into our office. Most buyers and sellers who contact us have found us through a Web search for luxury properties. Being the most-viewed luxury real estate website in the world gives us a key advantage online.

This week in particular I had a few calls from buyers and sellers who saw our ad in the May 2 issue of The Wall Street Journal. One call in particular led to a listing referral for eight homes in the Caribbean!


Editor’s Note:
As she mentioned, Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Our website is a great spot for people to search for luxury properties around the world. Check it out.

By Allyson Metters

Every morning I walk through the historic Pike Place Market on my way to the LuxuryRealEstate.com office. I get in really early in the morning, so most days it is just me passing by the produce vendors who are setting up for the busy day of shoppers and tourists.

Today was a bit different. As I turned the corner onto Pike Place, I noticed that the entire street was closed to traffic and there was security everywhere. I asked the produce vendors what was going on, and they told me that Aaron Eckart and Jennifer Aniston are in town to film a movie called Traveling.

As someone who lived in Los Angeles for awhile, and even worked for a time as a nanny to a family with very close connections to the industry (that could be a whole series of unrelated blog entries!), the actual sight of a film set is not incredibly fascinating to me, but I was excited to see that Seattle is going to be showcased.

Seattle is truly an amazing, beautiful city. In fact, according to “Talent Markets: the Importance of Location in the Competition for Human Capital,” a collaboration of the Human Capital Institute and Monster.com, Seattle was in the top 10 preferred U.S. metropolitan areas of job relocation. Judging by the number of transplants that we have in our office alone, the city’s appeal is quite evident.


Editor’s Note:
Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. By the way, you can find some more information on this new movie in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I hope that this movie turns out to be good! The right place for you to live is based upon many factors, and this list by the Human Capital Institute and Monster.com could be quite useful for many people as they seek a new home. Luxury Referral Services is another excellent resource for you to find a top broker in new areas.

By Allyson Metters

Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend. That means that some of us may lose an hour of sleep, and those of us who get to work early may actually see some daylight when returning home in the evening. While I am looking forward to more daytime after what has been a long winter in the Pacific Northwest, some of us will not be participating. For the United States and its territories, Daylight Saving Time is NOT observed in Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

Daylight Saving Time has been used in the United States and in many European countries since World War I. It was adopted in an effort to conserve fuel needed to produce electrical power. Observance of Daylight Saving Time elsewhere in the world varies with approximately 70 countries observing it in at least a portion of their borders. Japan, India and China are the only major industrialized nations that do not observe some form of Daylight Saving.

Going from 2007 forward, Daylight Saving Time in the United States begins at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. In most of the countries of Western Europe, including the countries that are members of the European Union, Daylight Saving Time begins at 1:00 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of March and ends at 1:00 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of October.

So, for those of us observing, remember to set your clocks ahead. And if you have any meetings scheduled, be sure to double check if that area is observing or not.


Editor’s Note:
Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. This is a very informative blog entry. Although the reasons behind the earlier start of Daylight Savings might be a bit technical, I’m just glad that we get to enjoy the sun longer in the afternoon thanks to this shift. Be sure to set your clocks ahead or you might just be surprised on Monday morning.

By Allyson Metters

I was recently speaking with my brother, who is in the market for a new home in Santa Cruz, CA. I immediately offered my services to help with the process, but, being the independent 28-year-old that he is, he told me that he’s got it all under control. As an artist/plumber who specializes in custom copper piping, he has created his own referral network that serves him well.

He learned from a master – our father. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he owned two successful foreign auto-repair businesses. He managed to create a network of individuals who would refer business to him. He became pretty well-known in the area as the man to see in Pittsburgh about your Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, etc. Not only did his network provide him with continued business, but it also gave him the resources he needed to keep that business going. Our family barbecues often included doctors, bankers, and real-estate agents that he had developed strong working relationships with.

At an early age, my siblings and I learned the importance of building those relationships – making those connections. Everyone in our business has some sort of network that they rely on. At this time of year, it is important for those in real estate to re-examine their networks, see what is working for them, identify what is not, and work on making some new connections that may take their business to a more profitable level. Never underestimate the value of a referral network – the return on this investment can be seen for many years in the future.

My dad is still a great example of this. He now has a new business completely unrelated to automobiles, and the same connections he has had for over 30 years are still referring people his way.


Editor’s Note:
Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. She helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Parents are wonderful. Their example can make lasting impressions on their children, for better or worse. In this case, it is definitely for the better. Having gained referral and networking skills from the best, Allyson is well-equipped to help you with your relocation needs. You can contact her at AMetters@luxuryrealestate.com. You can also come to the 6th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat in San Diego this April to build your own network of the best luxury brokers in the world.

By Allyson Metters

Meghan’s blog, “Who has time to Blog?” got me thinking about this subject.

A recent Los Angeles Times article claims “Realtor blogs help reel in clients, boost sales.” Like so many of you out there, my time is very limited, and if I need to make an important decision, I like to do some research first. It is not a productive use of my time to simply start making phone calls (and most of the time I have to research is during “off-hours” when no one would be available to take my call). I like to get all the information I can – and then decide. So, a website with great content is important to me, but a blog adds that extra bit of getting to know that individual or business.

Editor’s Note:
Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. As you can tell from her blog entry, she helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Indeed, a blog is much more than simply an information dispenser. It’s a way to share your personality with clients while also showcasing your expertise and opinions. It’s just an all-around good idea to blog.

By Allyson Metters

Relocation is something I know a bit about. I have spent more than 10 years working with transferees, their employers, and real-estate professionals. Like many in my profession, I have moved a bit myself – three times in my professional adult life. The first time with a 45-pound dog and about 60 pairs of shoes, the second time with a husband and two children under the age of 2 (I would not recommend this, although the empty boxes did make for hours of fun for them), and the final time with one more child and a house full of things, including those never-played-with toys that my two oldest could not bear to part with.

Each move I made was different, and each time presented different challenges for me and my family. I’ve discovered that the same is true for everyone. Each relocation is unique. Everyone has their own story and their own distinct needs. The retiring couple selling their family home in Pennsylvania and looking for a waterfront property in Costa Rica, the urban professional relocating to a new city and looking for a loft in a trendy area, the expat on an assignment in Tokyo – no two are alike.

That is what I love about the relocation profession – getting to know my clients and identifying their unique needs and finding the right professionals to assist them. There is no textbook scenario, no one-size-fits-all solution. When working with relocating clients, we, as the professionals, need to understand that we need to listen to each client, ask the right questions – and find what their unique needs are. After that, all we have to do is watch out for their 45-pound dog or 30-pound 2-year-old.


Editor’s Note:
Allyson Metters is the Relocation Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. As you can tell from her blog entry, she helps people who are moving to find a perfect broker to meet their needs in their new area. Allyson’s discussion of relocation reminds me of article on this topic in the Winter 2008 issue of LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine. The article is entitled “Smooth Moves: Relocation tips from industry pros.” Clever, huh?

By Kimberly Fulwyler

At the prospect of writing another blog entry, I was drawing a big blank. So I decided to search the Web for interesting real-estate trends. I then stumbled upon an article on RealEstateJournal.com entitled “I’ll Buy Your House If You Buy Mine.” I found this story both interesting and unsettling. This article was about the small, but burgeoning, trend of trading houses. Basically, there are Web sites where sellers go and look for suitable trades. For instance, if you’re in Arizona and you want to move to Florida, then you post your house in Arizona, and in your profile you mention that you’re willing to trade for a home in Florida.

This trend is rather disturbing to me for a myriad of reasons. First of all, where has the America’s optimism gone? I realize that the market is going through a rough patch, but a little bit of patience and hope goes a long way. Secondly, haven’t you ever heard of the phrase, “A man’s home is his castle”? A home is a deeply personalized thing, and to buy a house that isn’t what you really want will almost certainly be a mistake in the end. When the market does turn around, there will be quite a few people out there who will regret their choices. So until your house sells, keep thinking positive.


Editor’s Note:
Kimberly Fulwyler is an Account Manager with LuxuryRealEstate.com, so she provides customer service and marketing materials to a variety of LuxuryRealEstate.com members. When I was a child, my family was trying to move from Texas to Washington, and I remember asking my mother why we couldn’t just trade houses with the people who were selling us their home in Washington. My mother just smiled and said, “No one ever does that.” I guess that’s not always the case. Hopefully, people won’t be too desperate to find a home that they’ll be willing to take something that doesn’t meet their needs. This is a buyer’s market! You can always find a great broker in a new area through Luxury Referral Services. Contact Allyson Metters, the Relocation Manager with LuxuryRealEstate.com, for more information: ametters@luxuryrealestate.com.