Category: Syd Leibovitch

The numbers are in, and Rodeo Realty was voted the “Best Real Estate Company” by readers of the Los Angeles Daily News! Here’s a snapshot of the the award we received at our corporate headquarters in Beverly Hills.

The latest edition (July 18-31, 2011) of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal http://www.sfvbj.com/ includes a special report on residential real estate and a ranking of the top residential real estate firms in the greater San Fernando Valley area.

Titled “Reviving the Housing Market,” the report includes stories about the mortgage industry, agents sounding off about the region’s housing market, real estate schools, the moving industry, and the importance of price point in selling homes.

As for the list of top firms, Rodeo Realty ranked #1 in the greater San Fernando Valley area based on sales volume in the region from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The business journal also included some great quotes from company owner Syd Leibovitch and Rodeo Realty agent Carol Wolfe.

Here is the list of top firms.

As real estate agents or folks buying and selling homes in the greater Los Angeles area, what are you doing for the so-called “Carmageddon” this weekend?

The apocalyptic term refers to a 10-mile section of the 405 freeway, one of the busiest stretches of pavement connecting the Westside of Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley and beyond, being closed for construction.

Sepulveda Blvd. parallels a section of the 405 freeway slated for closure this weekend. Here’s a little sample of afternoon northbound traffic on Sepulveda when the 405 freeway is open!

Will L.A. experience gridlock on a level never seen before? Or will the weekend just be a small bump in the road?

Syd Leibovitch, Rodeo Realty’s founder and owner, was quoted in a USA Today story about the closure. See the original story here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-12-traffic-LA-405-closing_n.htm?csp=hf

Here’s what Leibovitch had to say.

Neighborhoods affected include super-expensive homes north of Sunset Boulevard, where prices can run $25 million to $50 million, says Syd Leibovitch, owner of Rodeo (pronounced Row-DAY-oh) Realty.

With so much money on the line, he and his agents aren’t heeding the warnings.

“We’re going to leave our offices open that weekend, and we’re just going to hope for the best,” he says. “It’s going to be a nightmare for them, but they’re still going to show (homes).”

So there you have it. For many real estate agents, life goes on as normal. And you never know, some of that diverted traffic may just end up driving by your open house.

For those of you who don’t already know, 2011 is Rodeo Realty’s 25th Anniversary! Here’s a snapshot of how the company began and where it’s at today.

Syd Leibovitch, founder and president of Rodeo Realty, studied economics and banking in college. He got into the real estate business at the age of 23 when he and a former college roommate were looking to make a little extra money during the summer.

It’s ironic, because there are real estate professionals out there who are camera shy.

They are marketing geniuses who can sell a client’s home for a profit in the worst of times, and help clients buy homes for a steal in the best of times. Yet they post sub-par images of themselves on professional social networking sites and marketing material.

So just for fun, and using myself as an example, I want to talk about the difference between amateur and professional personal photos. 


Professional photo

  



Amateur photo

  

The photo on the left was taken by a friend on a decent quality digital camera. Cost: Free. Many professionals, even high-level executives in real estate and other businesses, only have this type of image on file.

The one on the right is a professional shot. About a year ago, I spent a couple hours with a fashion photographer. I wanted images that were different from those taken by portrait studios, and ones that could be used for professional and social networking purposes.

Cost: $200 for five different shots in different locations. This is just one.

Now if you were looking to sell your multi-million dollar home, which photo is a better piece of marketing material for the agent? (Just to be clear, I am not a real estate agent. I am just using my photos as examples.)

Personally, I think the professional shot is better. It shows the agent invested in quality versus settling for convenience.

You might be one of those people who relies on “friend shots,” and ticked off at this subject right about now. But the point is not to knock your value as a real estate agent. You might just be camera shy and have overlooked upgrading your personal photos.

Ironically, I’m a publicist who did the same thing for a long time. One day a friend recommended paying for a formal photo shoot. I agreed and was blown away by the results. The photographer brought out multiple sides to my look, personality and professionalism that I never expected.

Those photos have more than paid for themselves.

Investing in quality photos is a way to put your best foot forward in everything from marketing a home to marketing yourself. And one of these days you might be interviewed by a local newspaper about the real estate industry. Wouldn’t it be nice to send the reporter a photo that shines?

By Eric Billingsley

Rodeo Realty’s 2010 holiday party took place on Saturday, December 18th at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City. What a blast! More than 700 agents, brokers, employees and guests attended decked out in their finest holiday attire.

The five hour event included an open bar, dinner, a few words from Rodeo’s founder and president Syd Leibovitch, and lots of dancing. It was a great way to wind down 2010 and start looking forward to great things in 2011!

Here are some photos from the party. Wish I could have included ones of everybody, but this will at least give you a taste of the festivities and hopefully a few chuckles.

The company recently leased an approximately 9,000 square foot office space at 9200 W. Sunset Blvd., Suite 200.

Fred Henry, who joined Rodeo Realty to manage the new branch, said the Sunset location is in close proximity to the Beverly Hills office. It’s a fabulous building with great exposure and amenities. The location also gives agents easy access to Westside communities and clients in the entertainment industry.

If you haven’t seen it already, the National Association of Realtors has issued a Call for Action to protect the mortgage interest deduction. 

The California Association of Realtors web site says the President’s Deficit Reduction Commission has released preliminary recommendations to change how the country spends money and collects taxes. One of its provisions calls for dramatically limiting the mortgage interest deduction.

NAR has issued a Call-for-Action and is asking all REALTORS® to call their members of Congress and urge him or her to preserve the MID. As the housing market continues to recover from the worst financial crisis in recent history, any change that reduces the ability of the market to heal is misguided and must be rejected.

Please contact your member of Congress today. When you connect to NAR’s Action Center, enter your name, e-mail address, and your phone number. NAR’s phone system will immediately contact that phone number. You will hear some brief talking points and then be connected to your representative’s office. It’s a quick and easy call. Please make it today.

More info: http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/realtor-party/click-to-call-mid.html

Here’s a link to CAR’s web site: http://www.car.org/newsstand/news/midaction/