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Broker Spotlight: Aaron Kirman, AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate
Name: Aaron Kirman
Title: CEO and founder, AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate
Experience: 26 years
Location: Beverly Hills, California
Brokerage name: AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate
Brokerage size: 2 offices, total of 167 agents
Sales volume: $2,023,689,546; 614 units (2022)
Awards:
- Agent of Change, Los Angeles Business Journal
- Hollywood’s Top 30 Real Estate Agents 2022, The Hollywood Reporter
- LA’s top-ranked residential teams list, The Real Deal
Tell us about a high point in your brokerage career
I would say our biggest achievement was when we first announced our partnership with Christie’s International Real Estate and opened our new brokerage. Despite the fact that all 168 agents were transferring to a brand-new company without knowing all the details, our retention rate was a remarkable 98.5 percent.
This was a major milestone for us, and we’re proud to say that we didn’t lose any clients during the transition. In fact, we experienced exponential growth in our first month, which is quite rare in our industry.
Name 3 people you admire
There are three people whom I truly admire. The first is Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His book has inspired us to become more productive, and we strive to follow his teachings.
The second is Steve Jobs, who revolutionized the world of technology and changed the way we work. His innovation and vision have had a profound impact on the world.
Finally, I greatly admire Richard Branson for his authenticity and genuine nature. He has always stayed true to himself and his passions, and this has helped him build an amazing empire despite the ups and downs along the way. I believe his authenticity has contributed to his brand and ultimately to his success.
How did you get your start in real estate?
I got my start in real estate when I was 18 while attending USC as a way to put myself through college. When other kids were in school and partying, I was working and obsessed with real estate and doing deals. I fell into a cool niche selling architectural homes by R.M. Schindler and John Lautner, and people started to recognize my name.
What’s your top prediction for 2023?
As we head into springtime, I believe housing prices are going to stabilize. Although there is market instability due to rising interest rates, I predict that the prices will stay relatively steady because of the shortage of available properties.
What’s one thing you wish every agent knew?
In this business, if you want to be successful, you must spend all your time on it, particularly for new agents. As a new agent, your entire day should be spent on prospecting, which means finding new clients.
When I was new, that’s all I did, every day. You have to get clients to make sales, and everyone has a different way of prospecting, such as cold calling, door knocking or taking clients to lunch or dinner. You need to identify the method that makes you most comfortable in getting new clients, and you should actively pursue it. Eventually, as you become more successful, clients will start coming to you.
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Christy Murdock is a freelance writer, coach and consultant and the owner of Writing Real Estate. Connect with Writing Real Estate on Instagram and subscribe to the weekly roundup, The Ketchup.