Brentwood Magazine Interview

Concierge boutique brokerage specializing in luxury properties  

BY NICOLE SELHORST

Leonard Rabinowitz. Known for an extensive and impressive real estate career at Hilton & Hyland, the Carole Little fashion co-founder, CL Cinema Line Films co-founder, and maker of a multi-acre site gift to a Los Angeles Charter School, brings passion to the table with his concierge real estate practice.

Concierge real estate offers personalized services backed by fundamental expertise in all aspects of home buying and selling. Hilton & Hyland is an independent concierge boutique brokerage specializing in luxury properties.

People looking for concierge service typically network through word of mouth and person to person referral. "That's the biggest piece of this business," Leonard says, with 10 years of serving clients in this manner as the cap on 30 years of real estate experience.

"My customer base is high-end residential for well known people. I'm in the fortunate position of being able to choose to work with nice people," he adds.

"Referrals come when people see that you are representing a titan in business or a celebrity. They assume that those people have business managers who do considerable vetting before hiring you. So once you've gone through that process you become the person to call."

The Beverly Hills office is Hilton & Hyland's sole office, and keeps them local, "with Brentwood as our sweet spot," says Leonard.

For international buyers looking in the area, Hilton & Hyland is a founding partner of Forbes Global Properties, an entity specializing in international real estate sales. "We have affiliates around the world," says Leonard.

"We're also a member of Luxury Portfolio International with 60,000 agents around the world."

His clients call him because they know his reputation. But what happens next is uniquely Leonard.

He helps them discern what is possible and then finds it for them. ^Ill am honest about budgets and possibilities.

With school age children we'll talk about the schools - local, charter, private and what their budget allows for. I'm not just trying to get someone into a house. Building relationships means honesty and I want to be honest with them." As the buyer's representative, often for those who don't live in the area, Leonard says, "they give me the touchpoints of what they want. I personally research and personally stay on top of the market.

"Every Tuesday we have what is called a 'Broker's Open'. As soon as I see something that seems like it's a good fit I'm on the phone with them.

"l was out in Malibu showing a house to a couple and they said, 'This is great! We've been looking for so long and the first thing you show us is it!' And I said, well, there were 40 that I looked at that I didn't show you."

This personal acumen is formed, in part, from Leonard's years of experience and involvement in real estate transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He holds a certification from The Wharton School in Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance and Best Practices for Directors, in addition to a Master's from the American College of Corporate Directors in Professional Director Certification. His keen judgment is also a part of his creative vision, a strong and principled business sense and a belief in developing personal relationships with his clients. "That's how it works," says Leonard. "That and knowing the local market like the back of my hand."

Leonard loves his work. The motivation to find just the right home for his clients comes from a deeply rooted understanding of the 'blink' moment - that moment where a lot of people make up their minds in about 30 seconds.

"This one had your name on it," he can say.

"If you know your client well enough - you sit with them, break bread with them, speak about anything, you begin to know them. And then when I walk into a home I know it's the right one for them.

"Know your client friend well enough that you now have that blink mentality and knowledge base."

Weekly Broker's Open House events and researching take time, but, as Leonard explains, "It's what I love to do, it's not 'work.' I get up early, I read three newspapers, to know what's going on. Then I look at any new houses that hit the market, and then I check to see if any of my clients are in the news, where they are or what they are doing. The more I know my clients as people the better I am able to service them."

Leonard's motto has been that the harder one works the luckier one gets. "And I believe that. You love what you do so you work hard and BOOM. Pay attention." Pay attention, he says, build relationships and love what you do. These are the hallmarks of his success.