Best Practices: Riding the Zephyr to Success

By R.Brian Matza, ABR, CRB, CRS, e-PRO, Real Estate Business Magazine, June/July 2006

One of San Francisco's most respected brokerages bases its practices on the CRB model.

The landscape of San Francisco is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world. People visit the City by the Bay from all over the globe to experience incredible vistas on a clear day or the intrigue of fog shrouded streets at night. The spectacular natural beauty of this area of tight infill (San Francisco is only seven by seven miles, 49 square miles total) has resulted in one of the world's most expensive real estate markets. For REALTORS®, this means working in one of America's most intensely competitive and complicated arenas.

To remain competitive, an owner must stay on top of his or her game at all times. Not only must the owner keep an edge over real estate colleagues, he or she must also know what is happening at the board of supervisor meetings as they relate to the local industry. This requires regular vigilance of legislation that controls development and rent control laws that can hamstring one's ability to do as they wish with their property. In this market, it's also important to know how to succeed with a very diverse population (Asians account for approximately 33%+ of the population; Hispanics 14%+; gays represent more than 25%.)*