Newton-born real estate powerhouse has tips on how to buy a home
Newton-native Josh Altman is the star of “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles’’ and the cofounder of The Altman Brothers real estate group.
Like any good Newton-native, Josh Altman won’t answer client phone calls when he is watching the New England Patriots.
But as seen on the show “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,’’ there is rarely another time when Altman, now a powerhouse real estate agent on the West Coast, won’t take a call.
Altman is the star of the show and the cofounder of The Altman Brothers real estate group with his brother Matt, where they focus on high-end properties, according to The Boston Globe.
And it has paid off – the brothers have sold more than $1.5 billion in real estate.
“We’re the kids from Boston who came out to LA,’’ Altman told the Globe. “We had nothing when we came out here. We built a real estate empire with help from nobody, and we did it ourselves.’’
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Neighborhoods where homes sellers get more money than they asked for:
Altman recently wrote a book called “It’s Your Move: My Million Dollar Method for Taking Risks with Confidence and Succeeding at Work and Life,’’ which gives some business advice while also going into his personal story.
In a Q&A with the Globe, Altman had some advices for sellers and buyers about the best way to negotiate and more. (For sellers: Don’t take low offers personally. For buyers: Don’t be afraid to offer low.)
You can read the whole Globe profile here.
The Globe shared some bonus questions, asked by reporter Shira Springer, in which Altman has more to say about the Boston market specifically:
What’s the toughest sale you’ve ever done and why?
“Every sale is tough. You got to make sure you don’t chase the market. In this market, because it’s hot, everybody wants probably more money than your house is worth. I think it’s so important to price it correctly because there’s a lack of good inventory. And if you do it right the first time, chances are you sell it for a good amount of money. If you start too high and then it sits and then it gets stale and then you do a price reduction and then another, it will come back to bite you.’’
What should sellers and buyers look for in a realtor?
“You got to meet with numerous agents in your area. Meet with three agents and then decide. Make sure you have an agent who’s an expert in that area [where you live or you’re interested in buying]…And the third thing is call Josh Altman and I’ll co-list.’’
Even in Boston?
“Yeah, I’ll help them market it globally.’’
So, you’ll co-list a condo in Cambridge?
“[Laughs] Well, it’s got to be a pretty significant property.’’
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