In the La Jolla, CA, real estate market, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone as prominent as Alex High. Through his work with renowned luxury real estate group High Realty Group, he leverages the power of marketing algorithms with print and networking exposure to get sellers a leg up on the competition. High is truly making waves in the La Jolla, real estate market and is a force to be reckoned with.
As part of a family team, High focuses on providing clients with advice, transparency, and, above all, personalized service. Home Business Magazine recently had the opportunity to catch up with High and get insight on his experience in the La Jolla market. The real estate mogul was happy to share his business journey and how the industry has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also shares helpful tips for other aspiring real estate agents in this pandemic era!
HBM: Tell us about your experience in the La Jolla real estate market. How did you get your start in real estate?
AH: “My father was a real estate developer who built large buildings and gated communities. My mother, Nellie High-Iredale, is an interior designer. I started in real estate when I was 21 and have been at it ever since. My interest in the business and developing High Realty Group (http://highrealtygroup.com) is leveraging technology to increase my clients’ return on real estate investments.”
HBM: What things have you discovered about the La Jolla real estate market that others would find surprising?
AH: “That is a great question! La Jolla is such a beautiful community, and most families have lived there for generations. As a realtor, it is hard to break in! But after analyzing the competition, I noticed the lagging use of technology in the field. The pandemic has further catalyzed the need for a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for clients’ homes. Many people are buying homes from San Francisco and Los Angeles without ever seeing them in person. I recently sold a home to an investor over FaceTime, and met for the first time in person after escrow. Many offers are going in without clients ever stepping foot in the property. It is a whole new world! Our group, High Realty Group, (http://highrealtygroup.com), has been very successful at adding value to our clients’ real estate portfolio through aggressive digital marketing techniques.”
HBM: The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted virtually every industry. How has your industry been affected?
AH: “The real estate business has changed immensely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most realtors are small business owners under their fiscal structure. Open houses are no longer available, and the requirement to show properties has changed vastly to protect the seller. We are considered essential workers in California and have changed our practices to fulfill our clients’ highest sanitation protocol.
The way we advertise and sell homes has completely changed and become digitized. This change left many realtors with whiplash. Along with a shift in consumer spending, demand, and supply, the industry changed from one day to another.
We have restructured our spending through this pandemic and reorganized tasks, allowing us to keep our regular staff and hire new employees. COVID-19 forced us to restructure our marketing strategy. It allowed us to hire new team members specializing in digital design. With people worldwide working from home, we have been able to recruit exceptional exceptional talent, adding another edge to our business. We are willing to invest in technology and look into our industry’s future.”
HBM: What tips do you have for other aspiring real estate agents in this pandemic era?
AH: “Learn everything you can about the market and bring value to the customer. The old ways of real estate are out! This is a massive opportunity for anyone wanting to break in. Now is your chance!”
HBM: How can a real estate agent use social media to boost their business?
AH: “There are two primary ways. One is positioning, and another is using algorithms to hyper-target customers.We have noticed that older models within the ad and keywords help push to a targeted customer. We also analyze spending per click-through rate and push based on the ad spent market rate. In essence, you need to learn as much as possible about how to leverage social media ads to generate the most significant exposure for your clients—and not just spend on a promotion basis. That is just a waste of money.”
HBM: I know your mom is a board member of the Fusenot Foundation. Can you tell us about the charity?
AH: “Yes, of course! Our efforts to positively impact our community extend into charity through the Fusenot Foundation (http://fusenotfoundation.org/). Our team member, Nellie High-Iredale, sits on the board of this fantastic charity. The ability to use a fund to distribute to charities helps us move quickly in times of crisis. The charity has been able to distribute over $10 million dollars in funding so far. This year, we were able to help fund Feeding San Diego, the Salk Institute, and the San Diego Zoo, among many others heavily affected by the pandemic. We have a deadline in October for any new charities. Please contact us through the link above if you have any charitable causes that would be interested.”
HBM: What is next on your bucket list?
AH: “Well, there are so many things! I used to model in New York City, and through this, I met so many incredible artists like Alan Faena. Alan is a developer in Miami, and his ability to create cultural centers through real estate development is something I would like to emulate. I believe he is a living work of art. In my future, I hope to keep helping my community and create venues that will inspire those around me as Alan does.”
You can follow Alejandro High and his company online at:
www.HighRealtyGroup.com
https://www.instagram.com/highrealtygroup/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/high-group-homes/
http://instagram.com/alejandrohigh/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandrohigh/
http://instagram.com/nellie.high/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelliehigh/
