Cotton Point Estates is one of the most prestigious private enclaves in San Clemente.
Debbie Lewandowski, manager of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Newport Beach, leads a team building its market share in the city’s Lido Isle and Balboa Island neighborhoods and surrounding communities.
Q: Why did you decide to join forces with Coldwell Banker in Newport Beach?
A: I have worked for Coldwell Banker for my entire career except for the past 13 years. It was a familiar move for me. And the timing was really great. A new president had just stepped in, Jamie Duran, and we hit it off. I was in full agreement with her vision and it made a great place for me to settle into for the next phase of my career. Jamie was looking for a leader to fulfill her luxury-brand vision so it worked out perfectly.
Q: What is the vision you are helping expand?
A: Our full-service environment is designed and dedicated to expanding Coldwell Banker’s luxury previews brand along the coast and in all of Southern California. We do this by attracting the best associates in the market and their clientele. Our leadership team is highly adaptive and responsive to the needs of both our clients and the associates we serve. And because of that we transition quickly to the dynamics of the market.
Q: What does it take for an office to be a leading expert in the luxury market?
A: A very large part of the equation rests in the skills of the agents. The luxury market presupposes a complicated set of skills. We have the right tools for our associates to deliver truly exceptional results. The office’s sales volume reached more than $155 million for the month of August, which is a record high.
Q: So you use more than online sources to find homes?
A: Today’s consumer doesn’t need a real estate broker to find a house. There are so many online sources, which provide that service. In fact, they can grab online what they are seeking faster than a real estate broker can deliver it. We offer marketing and negotiating strategies. Our agents have experience managing high-level negotiations that the luxury market demands. For many of our clients, we facilitate what is one of the most expensive transactions they have ever made. Our training and leadership guides them through the transactions with confidence.
Q: Why leadership?
A: In Newport Beach, though many of our clients are purchasing second and third homes, the majority bought are still primary residences. In the luxury market, as in all price points when buying a home, it often remains an emotional experience (for many reasons) for clients to walk through a real estate transaction. A great brokerage can lead the way for them through all the financial vehicles, contracts and problems that occur in an escrow. This service provides comfort and peace of mind for them.
Q: Are the buyers and sellers in Newport and surrounding areas overseas investors?
A: About 30% are foreign nationals. My experience with Newport Beach transactions is they are not rentals, but residences the owners truly live in and visit. Many of them have second and third homes in places such as Las Vegas, Aspen and Vail, and the California desert area that they split their time visiting and living.
Q: Did you see a real estate slowdown this summer?
A: Today I looked at Orange County’s data, which is not so hyper local yet still a small market. Right now, a home under $750,000 is on fire with just 50 days of inventory in the market. Homes between $1 million to $2 million are still pretty neutral, with an average market time of 150 days. But when you start to get into the high-end, starting above $2 million, the inventory is beginning to build, which means market time has started to increase.
Q: How about mortgage rates?
A: The projected rates to 2017 are expected to be under 4%. This is very good for the market, which has taken a long time to recover.
Q: Do you have any insightful tips for searching the luxury market?
A: Yes, align with an experienced, successful brokerage and an agent who listens to your end game, understands the idiosyncrasies of micro-markets and is a world-class marketer and negotiator. It will make all the difference in the world in your real estate experience.
Q: What do you attribute to your success?
It’s always attributed to great agents, strong leadership and a commitment to excellence.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Debbie Lewandowski
Coldwell Banker Previews International
840 Newport Center Drive, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-644-1600
www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/southern-california/
By Gina Dostler
