The industry-leading Haute Residence live webinars series welcomed Douglas Elliman Florida Brokerage CEO Jay Parker for an exclusive interview today. (See a full list of upcoming webinars and sign up to watch HERE).
In his role since 2013, Parker has grown Douglas Elliman's presence in markets from Miami to Jupiter, to Palm Beach and St. Petersburg. They have a total of 21 offices and more than 1,100 agents. Under Parker's leadership, Douglas Elliman Florida had a record year in 2018 with $4.7 billion in total sales volume, which was up 30% over the prior year. Parker has been a key figure in the growth of the brand, which is now represented in luxury real estate markets in 60 countries and six continents through its partnership with London-based Knight-Frank Residential.
Watch the full video below
The interview was hosted by Haute Living's Seth Semilof. Parker began his remarks by giving praises to the medical community and first responders that have been hard at work.
On the interaction with banks, while those are working on the Small Business Administration rollouts, he said "I've spoken with a number of banks. Lenders have reached out to me. The rates being as low as they are, I feel confident we will see a strong financial market. Unlike the last recession, lenders are much more cautious about lending. The banks are in the business of providing financing, and they will get back to that."
"Think of this like any slow period," he said about advice he and his leadership team give to their agents. "In our business, it's not uncommon for an agent to have no business. It's important we focus on goals. Make a plan for when this passes. Work on your database. Distinguish new and old clients. Request reviews from clients. Make five calls, send five emails, five thank-you notes, five text messages every day. Communicate with your clients. See how they and their families are feeling. If possible, spend time with your family. Take an online course you did not have time to before. And connect with agents in other markets."
"This is going to be a time that presents a lot of pent-up demand," he said about the post-quarantine market. "We launched a project in West Palm Beach last month. Things are going to be delayed, but we are working on pre-development."
He also answered questions submitted by viewers during the live broadcast. On a question about relocations to South Florida from other major markets, submitted by One Thousand Museum developer Louis Birdman, Parker said, "We saw a surge of interest in rentals at the beginning (of quarantine times). Now, those people that were borderline retirement are saying, 'Let's do it now'. We will see more people moving from California and New York moving here full-time. I think that New York, one of the strongest and most important cities in the world, will bounce back out of this pandemic." Parker took the opportunity to congratulate Birdman on the recent purchase of a One Thousand Museum penthouse by David Beckham.
Jay Parker, CEO of Douglas Elliman Florida Brokerage
