Neuman & Neuman

Whether they are showing a $100,000 condo or a multi-million dollar estate, Gregg Neuman and his partner, Debbie Neuman, always take a client-centered approach toward the real estate business--an "it's our pleasure" attitude.

They attribute this winning attitude to the sixteen years in San Diego that Gregg worked as a bartender and eight years Debbie worked as a waitress. “People in the bar business make excellent sales people because they interact with so many types of people," explains Gregg. "I always greeted guests and introduced them to each other."

The Neumans give their real estate clients special attention. Listings are typically accompanied by “features” supplements, which point out the amenities and benefits of each property. And to help ensure that clients are comfortable working with a team member other than one of the Neumans, the clients are sent update letters describing what the assigned member does, which translates to better service for the client.

In real estate since 1981, Gregg and Debbie both have developed strong skills, which complement each other. While Debbie oversees the office staff, listings, and advertising, Gregg handles the finances and sets goals. "Gregg is the driving force of the business. I'm more the detail-oriented person. I back up what he espouses. He's a lot more aggressive, what you would perceive a salesman to be. We both sell, but my selling style is more passive," said Debbie.

Now Prudential California Realty, Gregg and Debbie are 20-time Pinnacle Award winners, two for each year they have been with the company. The award is given to Prudential's top ten agents in the United States, based on the number of units sold and commission dollars earned. In 2002, the Neumans sold 317 properties, totaling $144 million. In 2003 they closed 323 transactions, totaling $152 million. In fact, the Neumans have been #1 in the USA 4 out of the last 5 years, and #1 in San Diego County 5 out of the last 6 years.

One of the ways the Neumans have stayed innovative in the business was the creation of their "Fine Homes Division" in 1996. Discovering quickly that contacts and credibility were crucial factors for success, they hired Paul Roberts, a retired businessman, as their marketing director. "That was probably the smartest thing we did in creating the division. He happened to be a brand new agent who had connections in the high end of the market. And having sold over 1700 homes gave us the credibility to impact that end of the market," Gregg said.

After only a year in operation, the new division completed the sale of the $14.5 million Encelia estate in La Jolla, the highest priced home ever to be sold in San Diego at that time. To get the listing, which they anticipated could take about two years to sell, the Neumans presented a proposal to the sellers that included a $75,000 marketing budget. They were scheduled to advertise in upscale magazines such as Robb Report and designed a portfolio that included aerial photographs of the five-acre property.

Confidence and thorough market analysis led to rapid results. After being listed only for three weeks, the property sold for the full price, and closed in three days."In this end of the market," Gregg explains, "the showings are completely different because homes are not available to show by lockboxes. The clients have expectations they demand you meet. You have to assure them that your capabilities are unmatched in the business."

Recently, the Neumans demonstrated how agents can have enormous impact

on the community. Originally commissioned to evict the Bowman brothers from their rental home, Gregg and Debbie were inspired to turn the brothers' situation around. Steve, a quadriplegic, and David, a severe burn victim, had moved into the house to help out the owner, who was a friend experiencing financial problems. A portion of the rent money they paid was supposed to go toward the purchase of the home. But the owner kept the money, leading to the foreclosure of the home by a Utah bank.

Instead of evicting the Bowmans, the Neumans convinced the bank to twice delay the eviction process. Then they launched a media campaign, contacting local television stations and newspapers. Many people in San Diego rallied behind the Bowmans, sending donations totaling $40,000. The Neumans created a trust fund with the donations to pay for the down payment and closing costs.

"They own the home now. In addition to the donations, we had offers of hospital beds and equipment, wheelchairs, and stoves to replace the camp stove they were using. We had about a hundred cards and letters just from people who came to our office with their donations. It was a real team effort," said Debbie.

Since networking with agents affiliated with Howard Brinton, a seminar speaker, the Neumans have seen tremendous improvements in their business. "At the Howard Brinton University, we learned three important things. First is how to become more systematic in the business. Second is the importance of training our buyer specialist agents. The third is that when you're at the top of your system, there are always others doing better than you. Once you are aware of that, you strive for constant improvement," explains Gregg.
"We share information willingly--give each other advice, forms, details. You can modify someone's system to make it work for you," added Gregg.

In addition to being a quick learner, Gregg also relishes the opportunity to be a teacher, holding classes on listing presentations and on how to take a business to the next level. As a result, the Neumans find that they have a reputation of being approachable in the community and that their peers respond to them favorably.

"We don't want other agents to be afraid of coming to us. We want agents to be eager to show our listings, to send us referrals. We want them to ask us questions," said Gregg.

Outside the office, Debbie pursues two passions: country and western dancing and Jazzercise. "They are very physical activities, and I enjoy them fully. They totally get me away from the business, but when I'm back in the office I'm more here. And I'm in very physical good shape, much better than I've ever been."

Gregg finds that it is his nature to try to be the best in everything he does, even when he is gardening. "I have a big vegetable garden, probably as big as our offices. I grow far more vegetables than I can ever eat. I end up giving vegetables to my neighbors and to the team members." And when he is not cultivating plants, Gregg reads and goes to plays at the San Diego Old Globe

Among the charitable organizations Gregg and Debbie support is a soccer team, to which they provide funds for uniforms and equipment. Also, have donate a percentage of every closing to Sunshine Kids, which helps terminally ill children.

As their business has grown, Gregg and Debbie continue to explore other areas, which include developing a new seniors division, developing their 8-member “Buyer Specialist division”, and designing a web page for the internet, which includes virtual tours of many of their listings. Success for the Neumans means always responding to changes in the market, shareing their expertise with peers, and setting themselves apart with their specialized client service.

Contact Gregg or Debbie at (800) 221-2210 or email: neuman@sellsandiego.com.





	Copyright® 2006 An independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affilitates, Inc. is a service mark of The Prudential Insurance Company of America.