The Heart of Representation: Trust Me

I have spent the bulk of my career in the representation business - first as a talent agent shaping the careers of actors and writers and later as an advertising agent advocating on behalf of ad agencies and Fortune 500 companies alike. After 40 years guiding and protecting the business interests of my clients, I have learned that above all else, what lies at the heart of successful representation is trust.

Sales people often reference trust as a commodity; something that can be gained in an introductory call, a meeting over coffee or a few written words like these that you’re reading. Sure, we may occasionally intuit something that gives us faith in another, but trust typically results only after proving oneself accountable in highly stressful, game-time situations.

So, how do I build trust?

Trust develops when you recommend your ingenue client turn down the lead in a major film because you know the associated 7-picture deal would lock her into lousy career choices for years to come. It’s generated when you encourage your game developer client not spend $5M on a TV ad buy because you know the audience won’t be receptive to the game’s release. Trust is confirmed when you advise your home buyer to walk away from a property in the first week of escrow because you know it needs more work than it’s worth.

Did those decisions compromise commissions? Without a doubt. Did each benefit the client in the long run? Most certainly.

Trust develops when you get to the open house early to ensure the front gate opens easily, to clean away cobwebs, to turn on lights and fluff pillows so the customer experience is perfect. It’s generated when you look at a listing beyond physical specs, recognizing that clients fall in love with the intangibles; a late-afternoon breeze that flutters curtains, the way light filters through the branches of a sycamore, a quiet nook that gives them the ability to imagine their family’s future. Trust is confirmed when your client realizes that you will always counsel for their best interests ahead of your own.

I LOVE to work with people who will demand that from their real estate advisor. Who will insist that each member of their team roll up their sleeves and conduct business as an accountable partner rather than simply a transaction coordinator.

Is that you? If so, let’s talk.

The Art of Representation

A native Angeleno, I grew up in a "show-biz family" and began my career as a third-generation theatrical agent impacting the careers of actors and writers including the likes of Crispin Glover, Paul Haggis, Ray Liotta and Demi Moore. After beginning a family, I traded Sunset Blvd for Madison Avenue and spent the next 20 years in advertising, creating and implementing marketing strategies that drove new business growth, resulting in the successful onboarding of clients such as Coca-Cola, Comcast, Electronic Arts, Nike, Pinkberry, Princess Cruises and the US Army among many others.

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