Read our exclusive interview with leading Los Angeles real estate agent Josh Altman, who appeared on the fourth season of Bravo’s hit reality series ‘Million Dollar Listing’ during the winter of 2011. Altman has made a name for himself in Hollywood, and is one of the leading agents in the business, as a result of drawing in celebrities and high net worth cliente from around the world. He currently works at the highly regarded, luxury real estate firm Hilton & Hyland Real Estate. Altman discusses with us, among other things, why he decided to appear on the show, and what he enjoys the most about the real estate business.
ShockYa (SY): You appeared on the Bravo reality series ‘Million Dollar Listing’ during the show’s fourth season. What was your motivation in appearing on the show?
Josh Altman (JA): Bravo had approached me, due mostly to my celebrity cliente, and my success in the real estate business at such a young age. When they approached me, originally I wasn’t sure if I was going to do the show, because it was a reality show,and typically, reality shows make people look silly. (laughs)
But after doing a lot of research, and watching the old shows, I felt I could bring something to the show that no one’s brought yet. I felt as a real estate agent, marketing yourself and advertising yourself is the most important thing. I thought the advertising and the marketing that I would get out of a national TV show is priceless, compared to what I’d be able to pay for in magazines, or any of the regular things that relators do. So that’s why I decided to do it. I was pretty happy with the results.
SY: So appearing on the show has helped your business?
JA: Yes, it has helped my business, but I think my hard work is the reason it has succeeded. Not so much from the TV show. The TV show’s fun, and it gets my name out there. But at the end of the day, it’s all about making sales and performing at my job. That’s the reason why my business has been successful.
We just closed the largest condo sale in Santa Monica, for $10.5 million, last week, and that was an amazing sale that we’re very excited about. This year, to date, we’ve already sold $20 million in product. Last year, we sold over $60 million in inventory. We’re pretty happy with the results, but that’s not by any means from the show. That happens to be from our work, and working 24/7.
SY: Besides the Santa Monica sale, you also recently sold the sixth largest sale in LA County, for $16.5 million on a listing at Beverly Park. So do you feel that your own success has spoken for itself?
JA: Yes, I feel my own success has spoken for itself. I think that’s the reason why ‘Million Dollar Listing’ wanted to follow me around. It’s because of the success I got the show, it’s not that I got success after appearing on the show. So there’s a big difference. Everyone asks, are you doing that well because of the show? The truth of the matter is, I was doing that well before. But now, everyone just sees what I’m doing.
SY: You originally entered the real estate business by flipping homes with your brother and partner, Matt, in 2002, which led you to own and run your own mortgage company. You eventually became a top earning real estate agent with the highly regarded, luxury real estate firm Hilton & Hyland Real Estate. Why do you enjoy the real estate business so much, and is there a particular area that you enjoy over the other?
JA: Well, I always say, people ask me what my job is, and I say, I don’t have a job, because I love what I do. I love everything about real estate. My favorite thing to do, actually, is flipping homes. I love doing that, and that’s something I do on the side as a hobby. There’s something about buying a run-down house, and making it beautiful, I have fun doing that whole process. Then, of course, at the end of the day, you make money on it, and that’s nice.
I also love being an agent. I get to help people fulfill their dreams of owning a home, which is an American dream. So I get to see people at pretty much the happiest points of their lives, when I hand the key over to them. So that’s extremely fulfilling for me. That’s pretty much my favorite part about it.
SY: Do you mainly focus on working in L.A., or would you like to expand nationally, now that you have the recognition from the show?
JA: Yeah, I’m definitely interested in (working) nationally. My company’s affiliated with Christie’s Great Estate. When I market a house, I market it all across the country and across the globe, instead of just locally. I have listings in Aspen, Colorado, New York City, Connecticut, Texas. I just listed and sold one of the largest Ranches in San Antonio, for $17 million, which pretty much has its own zip code. (laughs)
So I market and list major properties globally. It doesn’t have to be locally, but it has to be a pretty significant property.
SY: How much involvement do you have with these houses across the country? Do you have as much involvement with them as the ones in L.A.?
JA: I’m extremely involved day-to-day. Obviously, I’m not a local guy doing the showing, because I attract the local experts. But you’re basically getting more bang for your buck, because you’re getting the local expert, and then you’re getting the global expert. With both of us, you’re able to cover more than you’d ever be able to. By being involved, I’m always available. I’m involved in the day-to-day stuff, but the only thing I’m not able to personally do is the showings.
SY: You also take part in speaking engagements on such topics as finance and mortgaging. Why did you decide to take on these engagements?
JA: Speaking engagements are always something that I wanted to personally do, to teach younger people and those new to the business how to succeed. Not only in the real estate everyday business, but in any business, as an entrepreneur. I was taught, and had good mentors, and I feel that’s so important.
It’s my way of giving back, and helping people who have all these questions about the business who don’t have a mentor. So I try to make myself as available as possible for people who are in the business, and for people starting in any business. I’ve always loved public speaking. Now I travel around the country, and lecture and give seminars on business and succeeding in real estate.
When people are interested, they can call up my office and book me. I speak to offices and in conferences. I just love doing that, and giving back, and telling people my story. I hope I can help them be more successful.
SY: Do you use the speaking engagements for your own networking?
JA: You know what, I don’t. I could, but the speaking engagements are more of something I like to do to help people. The majority of the time, it’s going to be the other real estate professionals that are agents themselves, so I’m not going to take up their business, but just help them pick up business.
I love doing it anyway, because I love meeting people, and I get to meet people all over the country. Plus, if there’s some place that I don’t actually have a specific go-to agent in that part of the country, you never know. I might meet my next go-to guy in Alabama, so that’s why I love doing it.
SY: You also learned interior design from your mother, who was a celebrated interior designer in her prime. What is it about interior design that you enjoy so much, and does your knowledge of it help when you’re trying to sell houses?
JA: Yeah, absolutely. Interior design is a great part of the business, and I think it’s something important that a lot of agents who don’t have the experience don’t realize that it can be working against them. A lot of times, we’re going to be selling empty houses, so we’ll have to stage the homes with staging companies. I think it’s important for an agent to be completely involved in that aspect, to make sure the home looks the best way it can, in order to attract as much attention as possible, in order to sell it.
With houses and interior design and furniture, that type of stuff I would be doing anyway. I used to go around and see homes on my free time before I was an agent, because I was in love with real estate. I love walking into an amazing furniture store or a Home Depot. I’m very hands on, if it’s something that I can do myself. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed on my free time.
SY: You’re also known for participating in charities, including dog and art foundations. Are there any charities you’re working with now?
JA: Yes, Habitat for Humanity is a charity I like to work with, obviously, because it has to do with helping people build homes. I’m actually doing a charity event this Saturday (January 28, 2012), in Pasadena, at one of the condo buildings that we represent to try to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. I’ve been tweeting it and Facebooking it. Hopefully we’ll be able to raise a lot of money and help build some houses.
Another charity I like to give to are The Amanda Foundation, which helps rescue dogs, because I have two dogs that I rescued. So that’s important to me.
Written by: Karen Benardello
