We've already pointed out the "so many brokers, so few listings" dilemma, but now it's time to delve deep into the psyche of the strange animal known as the real estate agent. If the gig is so tough, what is the motivation to enter such a cutthroat field? What, exactly, is the dream that all of these poor souls are chasing?
Simple. For the answer, we turn to a USA Today article on the ritzy, cash-only world of trophy homes, and to our new crush, San Francisco super agent Olivia Hsu Decker. The subject of many an entertaining Google search return, Decker?of her own Decker Bullock agency?feels the reason she works so well with rich clients is because she is living a life of luxury herself, 'natch. Here's a glimpse into her world:
Decker says clients include actress Sharon Stone, tennis ace Andre Agassi and venture-capital kingpin Tom Perkins. "Everybody wants me," she says. She rewards favored clients with weekends at Chateau de Villette, her 17th-century palace outside Paris that figures in the best-selling whodunit, The Da Vinci Code. (She spent the summer conferring with Ron Howard, who is directing the book's film adaptation starring Tom Hanks.)
And while we all can't own estates that figure prominently into the plotlines of best-selling blockbusters, that doesn't mean we can't get a little taste. A weeklong "Da Vinci Code" tour, including a stay at Decker's 240-acre pied-á-terre, costs $55,000, breakfast included. Our question, though, is if she's making all that scratch, what's up with the low-budget website? We'll be sure to get an answer on that date she doesn't know she has with us yet.
· High-end real estate market still sizzling [USA Today]
· Even Paris can't resist 'The Da Vinci Code' [NYT via danbrown.com]