READ THIS INTERVIEW OR LISTEN TO THE PODCAST CLICK HERE
Hey! A real estate agent’s welcome to making the smarter agent. Your program to find out all tips and trends as told by the great ones in real estate. What’s a great one. Someone that’s able to make money and still keep their head on straight. Let’s face it this is a tough business.
We interview tough people who seem to make it look easy.
Well hello and welcome to making a smarter agent. This is a place where agents come to learn from other top producers. I’m really happy to have on the phone with me today Andrea Lucas. Andrea how are you.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: I’m great. How are you?
Fantastic. Fantastic. Thank you for being here. It’s great. Top producer in New York City we’re going to talk about that. We’re going to talk about your career in this business. Celebrities and all that but why don’t you give us an overview of who you are and how you got started this crazy business our ours.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: I was at school for education. I majored in education. And when I got out of school I went to school in Boston I moved right into Manhattan and I taught for a few years. But I mean I love the kids but I didn’t think teaching was for me I really wanted to be in the business world. I want to be out with people. And so I made the switch. I always loved architecture and I always loved real estate and the rest is history.
Talk to me a little bit about one of the things that I always ask my guests this is how they really get to make the phone ring. In your case it’s a little bit different because you’re working with so many celebrity clients. Can you walk us through just a couple of them you might be working with now?
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Well you have worked and they haven’t started. I’m trying to tell you how it started when I first was in the business I was brand new in the business and I was working at a small firm and I was working in the basement. You know I was like new kid on the block and they said someone somebody tried to lift lift his locks. It was a storefront operation on up on Madison Avenue about 18th Street. It was all set and I came up stairs to meet these guy that went to listed loft lift his war up and Tribeca and I’m taking his name.
He said My name is Martin Scorsese I’m spelling it out. Oh oh oh you’re telling him I mean realizing who it was. This was like about twenty six years ago and sure enough it was Martin Scorsese me and I lifted his three lives and tried back and nobody even knew where Tribeca was in those days Tribeca wasn’t you know hot the way it is now. And I wound up killing one of his loss to my hairdresser and when I sold the loft he then asked me to find him a townhouse and I told him the town has uptown and.
We’ll put on just for a second. Martin Scorsese twenty six years ago was really Martin Scorsese.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Yeah yeah yeah. The Godfather he had made all. You know I was kind of naive in those days. I mean I think when I forget what movie he had the color of money he was working on when I first started with him. Well a lot of times.
Yeah. And he didn’t have a go too because it made the agent sell listening to this now are probably saying wait a minute. This was like a cold call to get this Italian. It was really Martin. Billy Martin Scorsese. And you. And he gave you the business like that. I mean it’s so I mean I wouldn’t that if all my life you got to be receptive.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Yeah. I mean he came in and he was in his lock and I wound up selling one you know. And when I sold it then he used me to find him a townhouse. And after that I worked with. Then he got separated from his wife. I work with his ex-wife who produced all its films BARBARA DE Baena. I worked with his ex girlfriend his right hand guy. And then from him his attorney and Lenny Kravitz his attorney were in the same firm and then I got Lenny and I got lot money right. Yeah. And I’ve been Lenny spoke about 25 years.
OK. So we’ve got the discourse raising family we’ve got you got into it through an attorney was the instructions initially through Martin Scorsese or through his attorney that got you Lenny Kravitz
Andrea Wohl Lucas: his attorney there was attorney.
That’s great. So again if you were to advise someone I mean you’ve never set out to be a celebrity real now. If it happened it was never a goal.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: You were lucky. I was lucky. But you know I worked hard and I did a good job and I used me you know after I saw just walk to find something to buy and and then you referred me to all his immediate people in his immediate circle there.
Sure. And that’s natural. Yeah. So the lesson here I think is that the power of one. I mean this one client really celebrity or not it’s really taking you pretty far.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Yeah yeah yeah. And then what people who are you working with a celebrity then you get to know all of their. They’re money managers you know their financial advisors their managers their attorneys. And one recommends the next. And that’s how I. It all snowballed.
And you know there’s something inside me and I’m not. These are my words not yours. So I get the bragging rights but kind of like there’s a little cachet to having this as a client. I mean I’m certainly impressed. Does that help you when. When it comes to getting you know the average Joe the financial advice that might have a million a half to our budget for a first small apartment or are you beyond that at this point.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: What I mean. Yeah I mean I sell everything I sell million I have and I sell 20 million and 30 million and you know I work with people from you know just not people in the entertainment business I work with people and financing and everything and all real estate all kinds of businesses so so terrific.
So celebrity or not. What do you consider your number one source for business today. You know we obviously are fast forwarding through a long career or you know just simply to and say the just the beginning of the career. But you’ve been in the business for a while what what what’s really making the phone ring for you doesn’t mean that referrals.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: I do send out I send out newsletters. I mean today it’s a different market today. I think this year has been one of the toughest markets in New York at least that I’ve seen and I was in the business when the market crashed in and I mean I did very well after that. This year was a very tough year I’m sure. I think you really have to market yourself too
And would you consider yourself primarily a listing agent to selling agent or how did the breakdown you like approximate percentage points.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: No I I do about 50/50 I would say.
I work with buyers when I work with sellers Yeah but today obviously the broker is listen to this and they’re saying boy you know I really wish I had some buyers out there. If it’s becoming that buyer’s market is there anything that you’re doing to try to facilitate more leads from the buyer market or do you just stay the course and the market turned down.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: I wonder is planning on doing a lot. Well I’m always calling old buyers and catching up with them and you know people hear your name and you know they don’t forget about you and they say oh hey I have a friend that’s looking on my brother might be looking or you know reach out to all buyers. I do a lot of these letters they send out postcards. I mean I think should be you know being out there and meeting people wherever you go. You never know. I mean everybody likes to talk about real estate.
So loves are you doing anything digitally. That’s all the rage now is doing email blasts and you know I’m not I can’t get an answer
Andrea Wohl Lucas: yes that’s what I mean when I say I do a newsletter that’s all digital
Oh yeah yeah I got it d d you have additional snail mail as well you do you spend any money on on letters and brochures advertising and
Andrea Wohl Lucas: post card you building bikes sold in talking about the market talking about if I sold something new I listed something new or that type of stuff.
Walk me through. Do you have an assistant or are you working with a team at all. Tell us about that.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: I had a team last year and two with two girls. But again I was lucky for them they both got married and therefore I have one baby so I’m just on my own right now. I have an assistant but I’m just downtown.
Is that something you’re looking to change or change up for 2020.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: No I’m thinking about maybe doing the team for next year. I’m not sure but I think that if I went to the team it’s got to be someone on my level somebody that on this you know that has a lot of business to and maybe we could put two of us together you know.
OK. So you’re bringing it to to a full circle here to a very good point.I’ve oftentimes wondered if I’m going to be on a team or create a team from everyone’s standpoint one plus one needs to equal three. In other words you need to either be making more or having more time. Why would someone at I could see you have a younger person who doesn’t have the same level or you’re getting some less active lead that you might want to give. Why would a senior person join a team whether it’s Andrea Lucas or Edmond bogan or anyone. What’s their motivation for joining you
Andrea Wohl Lucas: double your business maybe just take two you know two hands are better than one sometimes and I guess you have all the business
it’s it’s it’s a very very good point you do any outbound networking do you go to events is there any holiday party stuff. Oh yeah. What’s going on this holiday season.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Well there’s a lot of parties all over. And I’ve been doing that. Usually I travel a lot. I didn’t travel much. I would have been DNA Basel although there’s a million brokers down there.
Oh you’d be surprised if a lot of people who have been down from from other offices because they’ve gotten business from Agent Stand Your deep. Do you get a good referral market from within the real estate industry. In other words as an agent from California especially since you’ve done Martin Scorsese Ian and Lenny Kravitz have any agents out of state referred to you saying wait a minute I got you know not somebody coming in town.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: No not recently I think I have to go out to L.A. and meet some directors. I know some I know a lot of Miami brokers is there and I’m like these are and entertainment.
Tell us about that. For those that don’t understand what the dog
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Solomon and sports and entertainment situation is just what you need determines the vision of brokers that have also worked with a lot of celebrities for sports people. I mean for instance right now I have David Cohn apartment he was a pretty famous pitcher from the Yankees I have you know I mean I’m put in Greenwich Village for sale right now.
But you know so we’re all supposedly networking and do things together. Sure about that network. And how did you come upon David Cohen What was the what was the introduction to that person.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Oh I know he’s his wife.
Yes. OK. Now this is just a simple thing right. It doesn’t say Oh yeah. It doesn’t take that that much. And and that’s that’s terrific stuff especially if you could spin it into more opportunity. What advice would you give somebody that’s getting into the business and they’re like wow you know Andrea has done so much she’s connected with so many people you know is very like a daily ritual that you go through or anything. And the answer could be no.
But I’m just curious as
Andrea Wohl Lucas: think you go out and find what makes you win you can be very social and try to meet as many people as you can. That’s when I first started in the business and I was in the business for a month and I felt three apartments and it’s because I called everyone I know and I told them I’m in real estate now. And it’s really just go out there and meet people talk to people
yeah I mean it’s a whole bunch of the first month the first month you were in business you sold three apartments.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Well I thought three apartments
Wow that’s amazing.
Were you Rookie of the year that year was that. Well you get some. Did you get a prize a gold watch or something. You know something wrong that.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: So my dad you know. No I didn’t. Well I think I I think I have a good eye for people like that they it work with fire. You know I haven’t but I feel like people like that’s what you want.
Do you believe that today’s buyer is looking for some type of specialty knowledge. Like for example you know I’m hearing people marketing themselves in Brooklyn or if you’re Baum and you’re just lower Manhattan or just the Upper West Side. Do you have a territory that’s your primary stomping grounds or.
Now talk to me about.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: I know I thought all over Manhattan. I mean I more I saw a lot downtown and a lot every site but I called Upper West Side. I sold Chelsea iPhones. I mean all of the trifecta. So I even closed Hala and I really don’t know Harlem Well I’ve sold even in financial district 1 apartments because that’s but I think today you have to be all over. And I also I was on my own in traders building. You know I had Christie Street which is the Lower East Side and I was saying how am I ever going to sell these.
Out there was really expensive. I mean the least expensive apartment was 8 million man. But it was a great product and it’s a great area. And I sold them very quickly. I was I was lucky what you’re with and I was I worked very hard.I mean you have to work very hard.
what year what what year was was that sale the trigger.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Two years ago two years ago two years ago I would say that’s the Elliman that eBay hired me to go in that building because. Because how ladder mine had a lot of celebrity clients and that’s kind of a celebrity product that’s amazing.
That’s that’s great. What do you think. I mean you’re talking about how difficult the market is now in New York. Do you. Nobody has a crystal ball and I’m just curious to see if you if you could identify or if you have an opinion as to how long this slowdown is going to be if we’re heading for a recession what’s your thoughts on this.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Well what they say. I mean it’s all about supply and demand and you know I listen very carefully. We have our quarterly sales meetings with Jonathan Miller who’s a you know gets all the comps and you know he’s an appraiser. He’s like very tech is a big appraiser in Manhattan and it’s it’s about when all of the supply get sold you know what gets absorbed because there’s a lot of new buildings in New York and all they say about maybe it’s going to take at least three years three to four years for all of these apartments to be sold.
But what do you think it’s really different. I mean everyone’s talking about taxes everyone’s talking about how.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Yes I met another factory that the market is tough here now because of the taxes and now the mansion taxes they’ve raised those when you’re buying an apartment you know over like a million and then it goes up 3 million 8 million whatever so all of that has hurt and the uncertainty in the country right now with what’s going on. It’s also an election year coming into an election year and so all of that hurt the real estate market and the supply and demand being priced so high. And it’s the sellers getting used to this new market and buyers saying you know well the prices you know they could get everything for sale so they’re bidding very low and you know the sellers are starting to come around and a little bit about Oh yeah well look at all of the above.
It’s not just there it’s Connecticut it’s long island it’s all I mean I speak on a fairly regular basis with with all the. So don’t take it too personally. OK now well listen we’re obviously in Florida. You know what’s interesting down here the biggest challenge is trying to get what you can’t sell something in New York or someone can’t sell something on Long Island that person can’t buy it in another market that is there’s a whole new set of opportunities now for renters or for people that have rental properties because I mean now for people that can’t can’t can’t do that.
So. OK. Well look we’ve got just a few minutes left here I know the time always moves on this for Andrea. Just tell me a little bit about the properties that you’ve got listed right now. Any any anything that you want to highlight to the listeners.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Yes I have three apartments at 135. WEST 50 Street which is between 6 and 7 which the location is a little challenging because it’s more of a business location however very near Central Park. And it’s a great floor for foreigners and people you know it’s a great character location. It’s a beautiful new building. Finnish finishes magnificent. They’re really beautiful very high end finishes. I have a duplex penthouse and they’re asking 12 million five. We just we give it that 43 73 square feet with double height feeling very dramatic.
Great apartment. And I have a four bedroom there which is about thirty seven hundred square feet asking eight million and then we have a three bedroom and they’re asking for point six and they’re all combined through units. So it’s what’s great. There’s no board approval. You know you can move in immediately and the fourth rule the 1 for 8 8 million is fully furnished. So I mean you don’t have wearing anything get your clothes. I mean it was staged beautifully.
I mean even dishes and linens and so that I mean those are great apartments and then I do have David Cohen’s apartment downtown which is of course a four bedroom Yes yeah no 8 6
I will put your your I will put your contact info into the show notes so people can see just how to reach you and obviously see all that great great stuff. Just one two a couple of things regarding working with celebrities there any difference between them and the rest of the world as far as their expectation of service or how do you treat a Martin.
Tell me
Andrea Wohl Lucas: They’re all regular people just like us for regular people. I mean I’ve worked with some share too Kelsey Grammer to Wyclef John to Hank Azaria. I could go on and on and on time P. did tons and they’re all just like regular people what’s good about them. They don’t have a lot of time and they usually know what they want. They zero in on what they want. So I mean that’s what it’s good and they make a lot of money. Some of the journey is almost like funny money.
And so when they weren’t it wasn’t like the Hollywood story they saw his he said or treat you terribly I mean we don’t work with.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Now everyone I work with is so nice and myself with them. They’re just regular people. I mean we go for lunch after you know it’s I mean sure I’ll make you look people just like that.
What it what it paid it was P. Diddy a buyer or seller.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: He was actually I was working with his girlfriend at the time Kim Porter. I don’t know if you know she is she’s the mother of three kids and then she just passed away which is very sad. I heard she died. Yeah yeah. But then he came around with her. He wasn’t really like my you know. Oh he would come around with that. But she was the client Yeah.
And and Hank Azaria I think real nice.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Yeah. Yeah yeah. I sold him a lot. And so now he’s a really nice guy. And Kelsey I worked with for many years. Kelsey Grammer.
Well this is fascinating. I think it’s an amazing career that you you have and it’s certainly amazing hearing and certainly great getting to know you get to be friendly though you know at different events and I certainly hope to see you at other ones. And thank you. Thank you for. Thank you for being on making a smarter agent.
Andrea Wohl Lucas: Oh my pleasure thanks for having me. It was fun.
Thank you. We’re listening to making a smarter agent.
Do me a favor if you like making a smarter agent please go to Apple podcast or any of the podcast services you might be listening through and give me five stars. I look forward to seeing you next time. And remember connect with REIGNation on Facebook. It’s part. Think tank part group therapy for realtors all coaching and it’s affordable.
Please tune in again next week to listen to another exciting episode of making a smarter agent.