Two Real Estate Agents Take the Manhattan Market by Storm!
Real estate is an industry that has continued to grow and pique the interest of many over recent decades. Experts in this field have a unique take on homes as well as great advice for other types of entrepreneurs. Augusto Bittencourt and Jared Barnett are two best friends who teamed up to sell some of the most luxurious properties on the Manhattan market.
Augusto and Jared met in 2006 and instantly clicked! Neither of them were working in real estate at the time, so this is what brought them together. As time went on, they continued to perfect their trade and gain knowledge from one another.
Augusto Bittencourt
Augusto’s dream was not always to sell luxury properties. From a young age he lived for singing, dancing and performing. He established himself as an actor in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. A fluent speaker of Portuguese, Spanish and English, Augusto grew up in Rio de Janeiro, where he received a bachelor’s degree in journalism. When he realized he wanted a change, he moved to New York and fell into the real estate industry. His energetic personality and charm is what makes him stand out in a sea of serious agents looking to make their next sale. Augusto has quickly become a respected agent delivering in-depth market knowledge and top-notch, customer-centered service to every interaction.
Jared Barnett
Jared has been working in real estate for almost ten years and definitely knows his line of work. He believes in getting to know each client on a personal level, so he can fully understand their goals when it comes to helping them find their dream property. He has built his reputation in the industry based on honesty and integrity and works hard for his client’s needs as if they were his own. Whether he is working on a $500,000 studio or a $15 million penthouse, he provides a 100% full-service, above-and-beyond approach to every client. He resides in Greenwich Village where he owns a co-op in one of lower Fifth Avenue’s most prominent buildings, so has a special fondness for and knowledge of that market.
Together as a team they have sold over 100M in Manhattan properties and currently have 20M listed. But it wasn’t always this easy!
Jared states, “When we think back to when we started in real estate to where we are today, it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come. When we started in the business we did many rentals and the sales we were doing were less than $1,000,000. Today, we primarily focus on selling luxury properties and our listings range from $3,000,000 – $6,000,000 so our hard work has paid off. Selling NYC real estate requires dedication and there is a ton of competition so to be successful you have to give it your all and be patient. Nothing is handed to you or happens overnight!”
To be a Successful Real Estate Agent, You Must be an Entrepreneur
Working in real estate is similar to running a business, therefore you must have the mind of an entrepreneur to be effective and profitable. Yes, you can plod along and get just enough listings to keep you going and earn a decent salary, but in order to be the best, Augusto and Jared push themselves to their limits. The freedom that comes with real estate can be a positive or negative aspect, depending on your mentality. You must have a strong and motivated mindset in order to drive yourself to go out and grab any listings you set your mind to. Although you may get some oversight and direction, it is up to you to determine the most important day-to-day tasks to complete and perform efficiently. Becoming a real estate agent is a fantastic career choice for those who are willing to work hard and treat it as a business. Augusto notes, “Working in NYC real estate is such a complex career and there’s never a day that goes by where we aren’t learning something new. To stay ahead of the game, you have to evolve with the industry and stay current with new developments, technology and the various marketing outlets.”
A Day in the Life
A typical day for Augusto and Jared involves waking up before the sun! Jared states, “In a business where your cell phone rings every 5 minutes, the gym is a place we go to for an hour of solidarity and focus on our well-being. We tend to focus on cardio and weight training to stay in shape for the physical aspects of the job, boxing to release stress, and yoga to relax.” After the gym there’s no time wasted and it’s straight into apartment viewings with buyers. These can take up a bit of time and require prep beforehand. Augusto and Jared like to take their time when showing a buyer around a property. It is not like going to the store to buy some groceries – this could be their new potential home, so it should not be rushed! In between meetings with clients and viewings they usually either pop into a coffee shop or head to their home office for an hour to catch up on the never-ending paperwork that comes with this glamorous job!
Jared says, “While marketing techniques such as mailing postcards to buildings and social media ads do provide us valuable exposure, the most effective way we get a new lead is through referrals from our network. Once we were able to establish a strong core network, our business began to rapidly grow.”
Along with meetings and viewings, also comes bids and proposals. A new listing can be whipped up in the blink of an eye, so being on the ball and ahead of the game in this saturated industry is key. Augusto and Jared get a fair chance, just like the other 27,000 real estate agents working in Manhattan, so something in their pitch must make them stand out. Augusto states, “Since many sellers talk with more than one broker before selecting who they want to hire, it’s important that we show the prospective seller why we are the best choice to represent them. We have created a very strong pitch presentation, so we can show sellers the experience we have, the unique marketing tools we use and the amazing support they will benefit from being listed with Compass.”
The duo also attends relevant events in the evenings, sometimes after a 12-hour working day, as networking and socializing is also a key factor in real estate. Although their personalities are very different, when it comes to selling they have similar styles, which in turn has led to a lengthy client referral list and very happy customers. Augusto and Jared feel very fortunate to have found such a great friend-partner balance in one another and will only continue to grow and succeed in their line of work.
