Meet Brett Hazard- the innovate real estate agent changing the landscape of luxury listings

Brett Hazard is a realtor and developer based in Los Angeles. He has 14 years of experience in multifamily sales, property management, and residential real estate and has done over $100 million in individual sales. In 2020, he was named LA Magazine’s “Real Estate All Star”.

  1. Hi Brett! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us today.

Of course! Thanks for having me.

  1. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get started in real estate? 

I think I was 16 when I was approached one day while working out at the local boxing gym by a Forbes Ranked Realtor, Ralph Suarez. He asked if I would be interested in making $100 for 4 hours of my time, opening the door for one of his open houses. I accepted without hesitation.

I quickly realized that there was an opportunity to work more frequently with Ralph, so I somehow altered my school schedule to end at 11 am everyday. I would then drive directly from school to Suarez, so I could help out wherever necessary. At the time, Suarez had bank foreclosure contracts with 100 listings at any given time, so there was always something needed. With limited experience, I tried to create my value memorizing everything from listing specifics to sales to comparable listings. I wanted to make sure that if Ralph asked a question, I would have the answer.

His guidance helped me uncover a passion for real estate I didn’t know I had.

  1. When did you know you found the right idea and how did you capitalize on it?

This is a great story. It took me some time to know that real estate was where I was supposed to be. Having recently graduating high school, trying to find my way in life – I enrolled in community college and moved out of my parents’ house, which was very expensive for me at the time. Luckily for me, I was somehow able to convince a property owner that I could successfully manage their 20 Unit apartment building if they agreed to give me a discount on rent.

I leveraged my minimal real estate experience to coordinate repair vendors & rent out their vacancies for a premium when they became available. It didn’t take much time for me to excel as a property manager and for that reason, they paid me an additional fee to manage the 20-unit apartment building they owned next door. This helped supplement my income while I was figuring out my Real Estate “Field Management Position”, but the pay still wasn’t great. After a month, I realized I needed another job to maintain my lifestyle, so I got a part-time night job working valet for the Lowes Hollywood Hotel.

During one of my shifts parking cars, I got a call from the listing broker of a house that I submitted an offer on for my clients that their offer was accepted on a $2,800,000 house no less. I knew in that moment that I was wasting my time parking cars, left in the middle of my shift, and never looked back.

  1. What would you say are the biggest challenges when starting a business as an entrepreneur?

The hardest part is getting started. This may sound arrogant, but I am now in a place where my business continues to grow a lot of because I am in the right place at the right time. I am out grinding for myself and often times, I find real estate transactions fall on to my lap because of who I talk to and what I talk to them about.

Just asking someone what they are working on and having genuine interest has led me to grow my business on a road I never would have thought to pave if I were to draw a map.

  1. What are you currently working on?

I’m extremely excited to announce the launch of our Lake Hollywood Estates listing on Canyon Lake Drive. It was an incredible experience helping my clients design this from the beginning. We took an original 1970s home in an iconic neighborhood and transformed it into a masterpiece. A nearly 5,000 square foot home perched above street level, it not only is a head turner, but it is the closest listed home to the Hollywood Sign. With unobstructed views of the Hollywood Sign & views of Lake Hollywood ~ it is a well thought out floor plan with 10 foot high ceilings, smart home capabilities, and designer touches throughout. The house is in a great location for someone who works in entertainment or it could be a perfect opportunity for a social influencer who is starting a Collab House, looking to turn their home into a revenue source. Needless to say, I am excited to finally market a beautifully finished home!

  1. What are your plans for the future? 

I am now working on growing Hazard | Matthews Group. We believe we have the potential, the relationships, and the work ethic to be a household name in the industry.

  1. Brett, thank you so much for joining us for this brief interview. Where can readers keep up with you online?

Thank you for having me! Readers can learn more about me and Hazard Matthews Group, by following my personal Instagram or checking out our website.

 

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