real estate

May

2020

Society Real Estate + Development Partners with Side to Introduce Innovative Model for Celebrity and Luxury Real Estate

By Yahoo! Finance | Original article, Yahoo!

Celebrity Real Estate Broker Kofi Nartey Launches Society Real Estate + Development in Partnership with Side to Refine Luxury Real Estate Services

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Today, Kofi Nartey, the nation’s leading authority on celebrity and luxury real estate, has announced the official launch of Society Real Estate + Development, in partnership with Side. Backed by Side’s leading brokerage platform, Society is building the top private real estate firm in the market, focusing specifically on celebrity, athletes, and affluent clientele.

Led by Nartey, Society Real Estate + Development specializes in residential real estate, new development, commercial real estate, and investing, with a continued emphasis on the luxury market. The firm prides itself on its roster of agents from all paths of the industry who have over a century of combined experience in luxury, residential, new development and commercial real estate, as well as over $6B in transactional experience. They will offer clients comprehensive, senior level advisory services across their real estate portfolios.

Society has already been well-received in the market, securing investments from prominent figures in the sports and entertainment industries, such as Matt Kemp (Former LA Dodger), Mike Bryan (Professional Tennis Player), Tyga (Rapper/Hip Hop Artist) and Raphael Saadiq (Entrepreneur/Musician).

In his 18 years in luxury real estate, Nartey has managed transactions for an extensive list of celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and James Van Der Beek. A national Certified Luxury Home Marketing instructor with the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing (ILHM), Nartey is the only broker contracted with the NFL to consult players on real estate. Prior to launching Society Real Estate + Development, he founded and managed the national Sports & Entertainment Division under The Nartey Group for Compass.

Nartey has received several coveted distinctions including “Top Hollywood Agent” (The Hollywood Reporter); “Showbiz Real Estate Elite” (Variety Magazine); “Beverly Hills Icon” (Modern Luxury Magazine); and “Los Angeles Power Player” (Angeleno Magazine).

“Our partnership with Side is key in unlocking Society’s full potential, giving our agents the time and tools to afford our clients the exceptional care they deserve. We’re thrilled to bring unparalleled value and results to our exclusive celebrity and affluent clientele, who remain the crux of our business,” said Kofi Nartey.

Nartey sees this launch and partnership as an opportunity to meet the broader real estate needs of his clientele and capture the full value of his brand while utilizing Side’s state-of-the-art platform to power operations. This partnership will ensure Society Real Estate + Development remains at the forefront of the luxury market, while allowing its team of high-performing agents and advisors to provide transaction management, property marketing, lead generation, business growth opportunities, vendor management, and infrastructure solutions.

Commenting on the partnership, Guy Gal, Side CEO and Co-founder said, “Kofi has built an incredible team of top level agents taking an innovative and selective approach to luxury real estate for athletes and entertainers. Side is thrilled to be partnering with Kofi and his team, and we’re excited to help them continue to grow.”

Side is led by experienced industry professionals and world-class engineers who develop technology designed to improve agent productivity and enhance the client experience. Launched in 2017, Side now powers over 700 real estate agents from the top 2% of the industry’s top producing teams.

About Society Real Estate + Development
Society Real Estate + Development is a private real estate firm for agents who think bigger, for agents who want more out of this industry and want to offer their clients more. We pulled from the best boutique brokerages, large brokerage technology, private client practices, family offices, and specialty law firms to create a model for our partners and associates. Our competencies include residential real estate, new development, commercial real estate and investing (primarily multi-family), and services for the unique needs of sports and entertainment clientele. Our agents have worked with the world’s most discerning clients, brands and luxury developments.

About Side
Side transforms high-performing agents, teams, and independent brokerages into successful businesses and boutique brands that are 100% agent-owned. Based on its belief that homeownership is a fundamental human right, Side is on a mission to provide top-performing agents with the best real estate service, experience, and results. Side exclusively partners with the best agents, empowering them with proprietary technology and a premier support team so they can be more productive, grow their business, and focus on serving their clients. Side is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit https://www.sideinc.com.

Nov

2019

10 Best Practices When Working With Celebrity Clients

By Kofi Nartey | Original Article, Zillow.com

Here are 10 quick “best practices” to consider when working with celebrity real estate clients.

As the director of the Sports & Entertainment Division at The Agency, I have the pleasure of working with celebrities from the world of TV, film, music and professional sports. It’s an extremely rewarding yet challenging niche, as celebrities have very unique real estate needs and concerns when it comes to such things as privacy, location and amenities. While there are numerous things to know about working with the A-list set — indeed it’s an ongoing learning process that’s impossible to master overnight — here are 10 quick “best practices” to consider when working with celebrity real estate clients.

Be an expert

This is No.1 on the list for a reason. Celebrities want to know they are working with an expert. You should know your market and your industry but also know about regulations that may be relevant to the celebrity’s lifestyle. How high can the privacy walls or hedges be? Can they put a gate around the property? Are there building restrictions for the area? Also, be sure to understand contracts and negotiations.

Be discreet

Keep your client’s name and personal information confidential. You will have access to a part of your client’s personal business, and people will even ask you what it’s like to work with them. Keep it to yourself. Don’t brag or boast about who you are working with.

Be professional

Be on time. Be responsive. Be proactive. The bottom line: Be a professional, not a fan. I have been invited to numerous concerts, games and events of my celebrity clients, but only because I’ve never asked.

Be flexible

Celebrities’ schedules change faster than the weather. Be ready for last-minute showings, cancellations, rescheduling and explaining to other agents why your client is running “a few minutes behind.” Being flexible will make it a more enjoyable experience for you and your client.

Identify all of the decision makers

Whether it’s a business manager, agent, friend or relative, find out who will be influencing the celebrity’s decision to buy or sell. It might even be a pet. (Candy Spelling had her dog Madison help her pick her real estate agent.) Work closely and professionally with these key contacts. Treat them like the celebrity.

Have a reliable network of vendor referrals

You may be called on to refer anything from an interior designer to a company that installs tennis courts. Have trusted, professional vendors with a track record of working with high-profile clientele in your rolodex (by rolodex, I mean iPhone).

Be mindful of their time

Celebrities are busy people and don’t have time to waste. Preview properties whenever possible. Don’t waste time on properties that don’t fit their criteria. Again, be on time. They can be late, but you can’t.

When selling a celebrity home

There are numerous things to consider, but here are a few key points. Decide up front whether or not to disclose the celebrity status of the property. If it is inevitable that the owner’s identity will come out, it can be better to embrace it. Also, keep lookie-loos out of the property. Celebrity homes can attract unwanted prospects who just want a peek into the celebrity’s life. Screen all prospects (even those with agents). Unfortunately, we cannot always rely on the other agents to verify that their client is qualified and serious.

When working with a celebrity buyer

Respect their budget. Listen to what they want to spend and stay within that range. Also, keep their identity private until it is necessary to disclose it. This may help during negotiations. Finally, try to include all decision makers at the showings when possible. Be prepared to show properties to an assistant, agent or business manager who has been instructed on what to look for. They have trusted this person to preview the homes and should trust the feedback they provide.

Have fun!

Working with celebrity buyers and sellers can produce the same stressful moments as a regular transaction, so enjoy the parts you can. If you are like me, you enjoy your job. When you truly enjoy your job, your clients pick up on that, and it can be a more enjoyable experience for them, too. Celebrities can be demanding, but they can also be a lot of fun.

As always, FOCUS & FINISH!

Kofi Natei Nartey is a real estate broker with The Agency, a full-service, luxury real estate brokerage based in Beverly Hills.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.