When I was a newbie, my listing presentations were legendary. Some would say I’m the Don Draper of listing presentations, though others might say I’m the Peggy Olson. You get my drift, I was, and always have been, a rock star at grabbing those hard-to-nab listings. Now that I’m a veteran, well-known, well-groomed famous agent about town, I don’t have to spend as much time on my presentations. People just hear my name, and I win. Must be tough if you’re an agent trying to go against me, but keep your head up. You’ll get them next time, kiddies.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, I’d like to give a warm welcome to the brand-new CA editor John D. Thomas. Not only does he come with a nifty middle initial, but he’s got a fancy title: Editor in Chief/VP of Content Strategy. Congrats to Mr. Thomas! Looking forward to buying you a large glass of expensive scotch, or whatever else it will take to make sure my column is secure. I must be heard!
Now, on to the rest of the gossip. Rebecca Jensen was named the new CEO of MRED, and word is she actually cares and wants to hear what agents have to say about improving MRED. You go girl! I don’t care if people don’t say that phrase anymore, I’m bringing it back. Just like I’m bringing sexy back. Speaking of which, Deena Zimmerman jumped from Jameson Commercial over to Sperry Van Ness.
Millie Rosenbloom hosted a swanky, gold-encrusted party for a $6.4 million unit at the Four Seasons Residences. Inside, there were painted cherubs on the ceilings and a marble tub in the master bath. In attendance was Barbara Matthopoulos (by now you’d think I could spell her name without looking it up, but alas…). Babs was either on the clock or searching for a little getaway crash pad in Chicago to purchase after she flees for the beaches of Florida.
I also noticed that on April 30 Millie chose to post her 2010 Who’s Who CA cover in honor of #throwbackthursday. The picture is super-fabulous-gorgeous, which is expected when it comes to Madame Rosenbloom.
That same morning of Millie’s Four Season’s party, HBAGC hosted a developer’s panel. The panel included Alan Lev, Randy Fifield, Joel Carlins, and Dan McCaffery, who I have decided may be the long lost brother of Fran McCaffery. If you’re not from Iowa, this comparison is probably lost on you.
In a classic case of the south side vs the north side, the Southside Builders Association hosted their own event on the same day. Good thing they didn’t have to worry about VIPs sipping on any spirits at the fancy Four Season’s party, especially with cherubs on the wall. See what I did there, Mr. Thomas? This magazine would fail without my puns and witty observations. The people would revolt.
Also on May 6, Related Realty hosted a va-va-voom event at Japonais by Morimoto to celebrate the grand opening of Strata, a luxury condo project in River North. The room was jam-packed, probably because the drinks were flowing like the good old days before there was a fall in the housing market. Greener pastures ahead mean stronger drinks at parties.
On May 12, CA hosted a party at the GE monogram design center in the Merch Mart in honor of the annual Luxury issue. HomeBridge Mortgage and Coldwell Banker sponsored the event. The place was just hopping with luxury agents, though I noticed a few folks snuck in who may not have fit the bill. You know who you are, but it’s not my style to name names. Well, in this particular scenario that is. Usually it’s my job to name names.
CA just finished filming a series of interviews with the region’s top luxury agents. I was told not to let too much slip about the project, so you’ll have to trust me when I say you’re going to want to see what they had to say. Agent X may or may not make an appearance in the series. And that’s ALL I can say. I signed a contract.
Happy birthday to these folks! Joe Caltabiano celebrated his big day on May 12, followed by Doug Horwich’s birthday celebration on May 13. Carrie McCormick, Tannis Demers and Shelly Frody all ate some cake on May 14. Greg Allen Eldridge didn’t have to share his birthday with anyone on May 16. On May 19, Shelly Cellak will be drinking some birthday wine. Glen Tomlinson and Jim Chittaro can both talk about a joint birthday party on May 20, and Jamie Franz will cheers to another year on May 21. Don’t forget to wish a happy birthday to Amir Syed on May 22, Juany Monroy on May 23 and John Ristau on May 24. And happy Mom’s Day to all the real estate moms out there! Hope you enjoyed a bubble bath and a kid-free day in honor of the holiday.