Naomi Klein on Luxury Real Estate Success & Social Media Strategy

Naomi L Klein (00:00)
I think right now for buyers, if any property has been on the market for more than 30 days, I mean,

it’s overpriced. If you’re under the 3 million mark, but if there’s any properties that are out there under 3 million that have been on the market for 30 days or longer, have your agent write an offer,

Start the negotiations.

That’s an incredible opportunity right now. And I believe interest rates are gonna drop a little bit. So now is a perfect window to get in.

Erika (02:04)
Hey everyone, welcome to the Real Estate Pro Show. I’m your host, Erika and today I’m thrilled to be joined by Naomi Klein. She’s been crushing it in the residential real estate space with close to half a billion dollar in closed sales and 21 years of experience. Naomi has made waves from Santa Monica to Hollywood and even in New York. Naomi, it is so awesome to have you on the show today.

Naomi L Klein (02:17)
it.

Thank you so much for having me, Erika. I am beyond excited to be here.

Erika (02:35)
We are excited too. So Naomi, let’s dive in for our listeners who don’t know your story. Walk us through how you got started. What sparked that journey?

Naomi L Klein (02:47)
Well, my family owns real estate and I was just starting to look at real estate myself, going into open houses, going into caravans. I negotiated my first real estate deal myself and thought, you know what? I can make a career out of this. I’m already going to the open houses and caravans. And so I took my real estate license, passed the first time, and 6,000 years later, here we are.

Erika (03:18)
Awesome. And I know that you have your new brokerage brand, branded estates, which is so exciting. What’s your focus with that and how are you setting yourself apart?

Naomi L Klein (03:30)
So I’ve come from different brokerages, from smaller brokerages, larger brokerages, new brokerages that have really disrupted the market. And through that, I’ve kind of am taking all of that and making branded estates really about your home, you as the client, ⁓ and really elevating that experience. So we’re very number-centric.

We are very experienced and we believe every home has a story and we want to tell that story and we want to sell the properties as quickly as we can for the highest amount. ⁓ And we really have some proprietary information at Branded Estates where we can do that. So that’s kind of on the business side and then on the fun side.

Branded Estates ⁓ and my Instagram handle, Sundays in the City. I’m kind of going to be Carrie Bradshaw for LA Real Estate. So it’s gonna be really fun. We’re launching in about a month and I’m really excited to show what we’ve been doing behind the scenes.

Erika (05:33)
I love that and the markets that you are working in, they’re very competitive. How do you stay ahead of the curve with all that competition?

Naomi L Klein (05:45)
That’s a great question. I always say real estate is the most competitive sport there is. ⁓ I mean, it really is. And you need to have a good relationship with agents, both in Los Angeles and across the country, because sometimes agents are the best source for your clients. And they’re referring to you people. They already know you. They know you’re going to fit with the clients. ⁓

So it’s really just about ⁓ getting to know your value and being able to express that to the market. Instagram, social media, it’s such a love-hate relationship that I have with it, but you can really reach so many people. They can get to know you.

so that when they call you or text you or DM you or wanna meet up, they already have a little bit of an understanding of who you are and they relate to you. And that has been a great resource for us. And then we just have some proprietary information, both for buyers and sellers and strategies on how to carry through and really know how to get involved with your real estate investment, whether you’re a first time home buyer, experienced investor.

And we cover a lot of ground. And we’re also, ⁓ New York as well, as you mentioned. that’s, you just, showing up, showing up consistently, answering phone calls. I mean, you would be surprised, with how many real estate agents just don’t answer their phones. Or don’t do an open house. Or don’t show up at their own showings and just have a showing agent show. So really giving that attention to detail, I think that’s what people want right now. And, ⁓

and that’s what we offer.

Erika (07:37)
Yeah, I love that. With the market that you’re in, do you see any unique opportunities?

Naomi L Klein (07:45)
Yes,

I think right now for buyers, if any property has been on the market for more than 30 days, I mean, if it’s on the market for more than 21 days without being pending an escrow, it’s overpriced. If you’re under the 3 million mark, but if there’s any properties that are out there under 3 million that have been on the market for 30 days or longer, have your agent write an offer, have your agent

connect with the seller’s agent, broker the deal, and write offers. You would be surprised at how many buyers just feel they don’t want to offend, they don’t know what number to write, and if something has been on the market for 30 days that seller wants to sell, they might not be ready to hear your number, but submit it. I mean, it floors me how many people don’t submit because they think the price is too high. Start the negotiations.

So I think that’s for the buy side. That’s an incredible opportunity right now. And I believe interest rates are gonna drop a little bit. So now is a perfect window to get in.

Cause when the rates drop, the price is gonna go up and they can always refi, right? Especially within the first year. It’s mainly all interest anyways. You’re not really, you don’t really have any setbacks. For sellers, pricing, whether it’s a good market, bad market or in different market.

Pricing is essential. you know, if you want to price it high because you want people to negotiate, personally, I would just advise against that. You want a number that’s just under market and you will see your real estate, you know, you will see it fly off the market, most likely in multiple offers, and you will be in escrow within 14 to 21 days.

Erika (10:09)
I want to talk a little bit about Sundays in the city. You know, you have a lot of success already before even launching this new brand. For you, how do you find that balance of being true to yourself and still maintaining that level of professionalness and success?

Naomi L Klein (10:31)
With social media? Yes. So, you know, again, social media is such a love hate. I’ve actually taken about two and a half years off social media and they’ve been my best years in real estate. So it makes me question, is it social media or is it, is the social media for others or is the social media for us? And to your point with the balance,

Erika (10:33)
Yeah.

Naomi L Klein (10:58)
I wanted to be present in my little one’s life. I wanted to go on vacation and take a picture for our family, not just for the Gram. And I’ve really tossed and turned with this. what I have come up with is social media, Instagram, YouTube, whatever platform you use is essential in business because you can reach so many people. And you have to really find your voice.

in it. ⁓ And you really need to be very intentional with postings so that you’re able to keep that work-life balance. And you come up with your most, you know, your most fun character that you see yourself as, not someone else, but someone that you can emulate. And that’s what makes it fun. you know, being off for two and a half years and then doing

some work for the last six months to get it ready to post onto social. ⁓ I’m really excited where it’s gonna go because we are gonna take a Carrie Bradshaw approach as if it’s Carrie Bradshaw in LA luxury real estate. And I think it’s gonna be great. There’s gonna be some poignant pieces to it. There’s gonna be some educational pieces. There’s gonna be some fun pieces. And I think the audience and

who’s out there, I think they’re looking for that. I think there’s a lot of polarizing thoughts out there right now and I think we need to dial it back a little bit and bring it more to fun, businessy, and then you can have a personal page for your really personal items that you wanna post, but just keep it light, fun, and you never know who’s gonna find you.

Erika (12:48)
Yeah, absolutely. Social media is such an amazing tool. And I’m sure you know this as well, but networking can be an amazing tool as well. For you, Naomi, what has made the biggest difference when it comes to networking? Was there a group that you joined, a mastermind, anything like that? ⁓

Naomi L Klein (13:08)
It was social media.

you know, I’ve closed, I think, around 21, 22 million dollars with social media. And it’s just for your clients and your friends and for, you know, agents that are across the country, because those are big referral sources for you. ⁓ They get to see you and you’re fresh in their minds and they reach out to you and you get to nurture those relationships. ⁓ social media, always being somewhere in

If you can be a speaker somewhere, that’s fantastic. If you can do podcasts, that’s great. Just always keeping your content fresh is what ⁓ has served me well.

Erika (13:50)
Yeah, yeah, I love that. And when it comes to the social media, do you have any tips on strategy for people?

Naomi L Klein (13:57)
Yes, so first of all, it’s expensive and it’s time consuming because we’re not only real estate agents, but we have now become content creators. And so that we can focus on our business, I highly recommend hiring someone at whatever price point that works for someone. If they’re really good with posting and are consistent, great, continue to do that.

I would just, I’m numbers girl, so I would quantify how much time that’s taking and if you could be perhaps doing outreach for a property and getting a little better return on investment so that you outsource. But I would just say go to those open houses. If you don’t like being on camera, you can always just video open houses and do a voiceover through that. You could do trends that are coming up.

real estate, both interior homes, exterior, making it really fun. ⁓ But I would outsource as much as you could while very much participating and having a voice, but just finding those creatives to help you with it. ⁓ Yeah, that would be social media and just going to events and meeting people. ⁓

those two would be the best advice that I could give. People need to see you.

Erika (16:07)
Yeah, absolutely. And I love your tips about, you know, talking about different trends in the market. Speaking of which, have you seen any shifts with buyers or investor preferences in the market over the past year?

Naomi L Klein (16:20)
Absolutely hands down investors and buyers they want a property that is done if there is a wall that needs to be painted Sellers, please paint the wall hall because it’s just a psychological tweak that is so important to get a buyer you want a buyer to have no thoughts when going into this house other than we love the house

We can move in tomorrow. There’s nothing we need to do. ⁓ So I would just say hands down, do the landscaping and it could be minimal, but clean it up. Do the painting for interior or exterior. Clean off the kitchen cabinet, countertops. Make the beds. Go and get a white comforter. This is just neutral, basic stuff that could mean the difference of $10,000, $5,000.

$50,000. It’s quite significant what a white comforter can bring and four nice new pillows.

Erika (17:26)
Wow, yeah, yeah, it makes a lot of sense. And with all your seasoned experiences, I’m sure you have a story, maybe a moment where a deal went sideways or you had to pivot for a client. Do you have one of those moments and what’d you learn from it?

Naomi L Klein (17:47)
question myself as to why I’m still in this field, but you know, that’s part of the fun. I wanted to be a lawyer and I wanted to be a therapist, so real estate is perfect. I get the contractual piece, I get the negotiation piece, I get the hand-holding piece, and then when my clients are done with the deal, they’re cured, unlike therapy, where it takes a lot more than 45 or 60 days. But I would say one…

This is just a minimal one, but with FHA lending, you have to be very specific. You can’t have paint chips. You can’t have anything. And so the house was beautiful and there were just a few paint chips in the front of the house on rocks. It was beautiful and we had to get those individual paint chips off. So I had a team of 20 people and we were literally vacuuming and pulling out every piece of paint chips.

That’s kind of on the smaller end. On the larger end, we had people that really, really, really wanted to buy a house. But when we found out that the roof completely needed to be replaced and the ceiling, the stained glass windows were actually melting off the ceiling, we had to pivot and my clients needed to get a new roof. And then we were able to sell it for $50,000 over list.

So we’re always being very creative and very present in the deals.

Erika (19:19)
Yeah, yeah, that’s really something with like the overlisting. Was there another aspect of it that turned that hard time into a success?

Naomi L Klein (19:29)
Yes, that was clients, buyers just want done properties. They are getting in with every dollar they possibly can for the down payment. They figured out what the property tax is, and monthly mortgage is gonna be. They don’t have another $5,000 to paint a room. They don’t have $25,000 for a kitchen. They don’t have, you know, in this case, $35,000 for a roof.

And lenders aren’t going to lend on these homes. So you just open up the buyer pool when these things are done. It’s all a numbers game. I love numbers. Know your numbers. That’s my motto.

Erika (20:05)
Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, yeah, you know that that is a good thing for people who are new in real estate to grasp what what other advice would you give to someone who’s just starting off in real estate?

Naomi L Klein (20:24)
So you just really need you can’t be attached to the outcome if you if you get the listing great if you get them as a buyer Fantastic, but understand Continue to always go after clients when I was first starting in this business I was so focused on if I had a seller I would be closing with that seller if I had a buyer I would be closing with that buyer While we have a very good success rate. You always need to have multiple people in the pike

so that if one, after six months and you’ve shown them 25 or 45 properties, this may be a personal story, and then they drop you in a one-sentence email that says, I don’t think we’re on the same page, you can take a day to process that, and then you’re off to the races with your other agents. Or you’ve been showing them and they decide to rent, and that’s…

Fantastic. So you just need to have a lot of people in the pipeline so that you can keep moving through it and you don’t get stuck. That would be the best advice I would have. And also listening to your clients, whether it’s a buyer or seller, you might have all of the numbers in front of you and seeing statistically what works and even in practice what works.

But if that buyer and seller just aren’t on that, in that mindset, you’re not gonna win that argument. So work with them, be okay doing the way that they want to do things for a little while and just giving them grace and yourself grace to, you know, maybe after two or three weeks and they get to know you better, they know you’re working hard with them, they might trust you a little bit more and then they might be ready to listen to you.

So don’t jump ship at the beginning because someone isn’t in alignment with what you see. This is a heartfelt purchase, whether selling or buying. And so you just want to really nurture and be there for them.

Erika (22:32)
Yeah, yeah. And you know, that’s such a great service, you know, to be there for them and listen like that. Well, Naomi, you’re at an exciting point with branded escape, branded estates. What’s next on the horizon? And you know, what what is your vision coming up?

Naomi L Klein (22:51)
Vision coming up is to be one of the top teams. I’ve ⁓ already hit my milestone of being one of the top one and a half agents via Wall Street Journal. I’ve already hit that milestone, and I’d like now our team to be top 10, top 20 small to medium sized teams in the nation.

Erika (23:16)
is so awesome and with you and all you’ve done in real estate, you’ve already got a great foundation. But for you, what does that plan look like? What’s your strategy?

Naomi L Klein (23:29)
Strategy, I think, you know, when I first started 21 years ago, it was about, you know, everyone was a solo agent, especially in LA. Solo agent, we don’t have new development deals like they do in New York, in Miami, ⁓ where you can get on a team, you’re in with developers, you’re meeting all of these, you know, buyers that eventually are gonna become sellers. We didn’t have that, we still don’t really have that for new dev.

⁓ so it was very much solo team and where it’s been going for the last five years is developing teams. And you have to be very specific with who you’re bringing onto your team, very intentional. and you need to be okay letting them go. And when, when the time has ended, ⁓ so it’s really just building a strong team where everyone is a values, same values, same

same energy, because it really, you are your brand, right? That’s why we’re branded Estates and we just really want to stand out to our clients that we hear them, we see them, and we’re telling the story of their home. Every home has a story and we’re here to help tell that and bring it to the next buyer or for a buyer to start their

real estate portfolio, whether it’s first time homebuyer or experienced investor. yeah, ⁓ all of my, I wish that I personally had purchased every property that my clients passed on for the last 21 years, ⁓ because I probably would be in a much different space right now.

Erika (25:18)
Naomi, I love your fresh and vibrant and authentic approach to things. It’s been awesome having you on today. before we let you go, if someone wants to connect with you, learn more about branded estates, what’s the best way for them to reach you?

Naomi L Klein (25:23)
Well, thank you, Erika.

The Instagram is the best way at Sundays in the city underscore ⁓ and also Naomi at the branded estates for email. Those would be great and my contact information is on all those sites.

Erika (25:52)
Great. Well, was awesome having you on the show. just, again, I love your infectious energy and I know you’re making a real impact. It’s awesome to see.

Naomi L Klein (26:02)
Thank you, Erika. I’m glad you’re promoting agents and real estate on this platform as well. It’s needed, you know, it’s a tough business. It’s a very tough business. just having ⁓ resources like you’re providing are huge and needed. So thank you.

Erika (26:22)
Yeah, we’re happy to do it. And for our listeners, if you love this episode with Naomi, make sure that you’re subscribed to the Real Estate Pro Show. We’ve got more conversations coming up with powerhouses like her who are shaping the real estate world. We’ll see you on the next episode. Bye.