The Stamie & Tracy Show by Stamie Karakasidis, Tracy Ryerson

May 16, 2024 #28 Adam Rosenfeld-Million Dollar Real Estate Agent to Reality Star: Insights from Netflix's "Buying Beverly Hills" S2

So happy to welcome my friend Adam Rosenfeld to the show. You will love him as much as I do! Smart, kind, sharp, insighful and oh so many things....

Adam Rosenfeld is a prominent real estate agent based in Beverly Hills, known for his expertise in the luxury property market. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the local real estate landscape, Adam has built a reputation for delivering exceptional service to his high-profile clientele. As a featured agent on Netflix's "Buying Beverly Hills," he showcases his ability to navigate complex transactions and secure multi-million dollar deals. Adam's dedication to his clients and his passion for real estate have solidified his position as a top agent in one of the most competitive markets in the world.

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Sound Bites:

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Back Surgery Recovery 02:09 Joining the Agency and Building Relationships 05:16 The Responsibility and Professionalism of Real Estate Agents 08:30 The Agency Culture and Collaboration 13:14 Joining 'Buying Beverly Hills' and Finding Love 16:12 Being on 'Selling Sunset' and Agency Culture 20:17 Mauricio Umansky and the Agency's Success 22:44 The Stoic Approach and Modeling Success 25:47 The Pitfalls of Overpricing 28:30 Memorable Deals and Eccentric Encounters 33:47 The Unique Real Estate Landscape of Los Angeles 44:16 Celebrity Encounters and Genuine Connections 46:18 The Friendship Between Adam and John 48:51 The Love for Pets and Unconditional Love 53:02 Engaging with the Audience on Social Media 01:00:10 Gratitude and Well Wishes

Time Stamp:

stamie karakasidis (00:01.006) Hey everybody, welcome back to the Stamy and Sometimes Tracy Show. Today I have a really special guest, motivated me to get my butt back in the podcast chair. And today I have my very good friend, Adam Rosenfeld here. You may know him from buying Beverly Hills season one and two, mostly season two. And I would say he definitely popped off the screen this season and I'm very lucky to have him here. Hello, Adam.

Adam (00:29.363) What up, Stamey, how you doing? I'm doing great, thank you very much. Feeling good, I'm sitting at home right now, still in the recovery process, but I'm feeling way better and it's exciting to kind of get back to life.

stamie karakasidis (00:30.734) I'm good, how you doing?

stamie karakasidis (00:41.774) Yeah, so you just had your back surgery, so you were out for a few weeks. And you're feeling good, you're not in pain anymore, right?

Adam (00:45.779) Yeah.

Adam (00:51.539) No, I'm sore, but in comparison to what I used to feel, this is a very welcome change of pace. And fortunately, unfortunately, this is my third surgery, but after 20 years of chronic pain, it's pretty exciting to not feel those things and to think about all the things I'm going to be able to do again that I haven't been able to do for a really long period of time. Like the little things you take for granted, like just going for a walk and being able to do that without having to sit down every five to 10 minutes.

stamie karakasidis (01:19.63) I guess you never really think about that. Yeah, I mean, you played golf, so did you just play through your pain?

Adam (01:26.835) Yeah, I would. I guess when you're fanatical about anything you find a way, but if I wasn't like riding in a cart, there's no way. Like I couldn't walk a golf course. Not possible. So when I play, I'll like lay down in between holes and have someone else drive the cart and just kind of cruise.

stamie karakasidis (01:34.542) got it.

stamie karakasidis (01:41.582) That's amazing. And now you're back in the saddle. I'm with the agency now. I switched over to the company. I joined the GRG group. It's been great. I've been here since January. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. I really enjoy working with you. You're really awesome. It's cool to know of agents and then to meet. I met you and John and you guys have been really great. And the two of you together, you definitely have the synergy that is...

Adam (01:50.131) Best thing that ever happened to me.

stamie karakasidis (02:09.806) really awesome to see and it's rare and you're really cool guys. So like you're like full throttle, like every day you're doing your thing, you have appointments, you're like, I mean, I call the both of you rainmakers because like it just happens for you. I would say what is the longest time, you know, you've been an agent for how long now?

Adam (02:12.595) Mm -hmm.

Adam (02:31.827) So let's see, it's 2024. I moved to LA in 2012, which was, I guess, 12 years ago. It'll be my 12 -year anniversary here in June 1st, so coming up. And I got licensed pretty quickly, so I guess I'm also going on 12 years in this business.

stamie karakasidis (02:37.486) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (02:41.358) wow.

stamie karakasidis (02:46.414) Wow, and you also went to law school?

Adam (02:49.651) I did. Ironically, the only reason I think I am in real estate and practicing is because I have that degree, which seemingly has no connection. But at the time in 2012, when I decided to get licensed, I really did it not thinking it was going to be a career or profession. I did it because I was in transition in life and my brother was just starting to kind of cut his teeth as a builder. And he took on his first project and basically said to me, if you get licensed, you can sell it.

And I think it was meant to be like a million and a half dollar resale, which was like $30 ,000 in commission at the time. And that was more money than I had ever seen in my entire life. So I had a, it was a great motivator. And the reason I mentioned law school is at the time, because I had that degree, the way, you know, the rules were written is with that degree, you didn't have to go through any of the coursework. I could just sit and take the exam. Had I had to sit through those courses, I don't think I would have done it. So.

stamie karakasidis (03:22.99) Wow.

stamie karakasidis (03:29.774) And that was a great motivator, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (03:42.862) Right. Right.

Adam (03:48.147) The one good thing the law degree did for me was bring me to my career and 12 years later here I am.

stamie karakasidis (03:52.942) There's a silver lining to everything. See, if you go to law school, you can get your real estate license really easy, you guys. So yeah, I find it, what I find fascinating about like a lot of realtors is like, you don't necessarily, I mean, maybe not with the reality shows, but before, like you don't like plan to be a real estate agent. And then someone says something to you and the light bulb goes off into your, you know, in your head. Like that's how I started. I was doing standup and I was like.

Adam (03:57.267) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (04:17.262) what else can I do? And then I was at a bar one night and my friend's like, get your license, you can be an agent with me. And then I went home and signed up that night. And then it happened pretty quickly, yeah.

Adam (04:24.403) Yeah.

I still struggle with the idea that this is my life and this is what I do as a profession. And I think ultimately the stigma that comes with this field is a real one and it's tangible. And unfortunately, I felt it too. You know, it's not an industry or career that I had a lot of respect for coming into it. And it wasn't until I really got into it and then started to dive in and really understand the great challenges that come with doing this on a day to day and being productive with it and actually treating it like a profession and a career.

stamie karakasidis (04:37.006) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (04:40.942) Yeah.

Adam (04:56.531) and really learning the responsibility that comes with it. You know, you're ultimately handling the largest investment slash transaction that your clients are ever going to have in their entire lives. And to think that the barrier to entry into this profession is so low, still astounds me because, you know, everybody knows somebody or a handful of people that are licensed.

stamie karakasidis (05:03.566) Right. Yeah.

Adam (05:16.947) And just because you sit and take a test doesn't necessarily mean you're qualified to handle these types of transactions slash investment scenarios. And there's a real, you know, kind of fine -tooth nuance that goes into understanding how to do this job and do it well and do it effectively. And, you know, ultimately not fall into the trap of being a part of the stigma, you know, and being, you know, one of the few who actually goes about their business in a professional way and really gives the business the proper, true good reputation that it really, truly does deserve.

stamie karakasidis (05:36.654) Right.

stamie karakasidis (05:46.798) Yeah, you gotta be able to finesse a deal and then it does get such a bad rap real estate. And I know there's like a handful of agents and then like, like I posted a video and then someone was like, you're the most despicable career under like the oil salesman. And I'm like, what do you, like, how do we even make someone buy a house? You can't make someone buy a $2 million house or whatever. If anything.

Adam (06:06.835) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (06:14.926) we can motivate you to buy a property because it's like your future depends on it. And there are some shady characters, but you gotta do your due diligence when you hire an agent. You gotta look at what they've sold. Do they own a property? Have they ever owned a property? And I think a lot of people walk into it without asking questions. Then they get stuck with an agent and then they can't be like, this isn't working out. I'm gonna get another agent. They just do the transaction and then they hate everything after the transaction. But yeah.

Adam (06:42.643) Yeah, I guess I look at it differently. I don't think of it as sales. You know, I know there's obviously this, this label that comes with being in the brokerage business. They call you a salesperson. I'm not selling anything other than I guess myself and the services I provide. you know, it's different. The business is different now. It used to be that agents were the gatekeepers of all these properties before we had things like Zillow and Redfin.

stamie karakasidis (06:51.726) It's not. Yep. Right.

stamie karakasidis (07:07.79) Mm -hmm.

Adam (07:08.979) So everything was really just on the MLS that agents had access to and I think a lot of the the consumers or clients thought well, you know finding deal is half the battle finding the deal is half the battle and it's not the case anymore because every consumer goes online and looks at these websites religiously It's not hard to find a property that you know checks a lot of boxes today it's the agents job to really steward the process and truly be an advisor and acts of fiduciary and

You know, simple analogy for this, you know, me just playing golf is I think of myself as the Kukati. You know, the client is ultimately the one swinging the club and making the decisions. It's really on me to know the course, obviously understand the fundamentals and then provide advice and whether or not the client chooses to use that advice is totally up to them. I'm really just kind of a safety net in the stopgap. And I take that responsibility really seriously. And ultimately I think it leads to, you know, better, better understanding of.

people in this business and just the long -term perspective of you know, no one deal is gonna make or break somebody's career and it becomes really easy to Look at a deal and count the commission before the deal closes and in doing so you're inherently doing a disservice to the client So I try to stay very outcome independent on every deal that I do I do the deal to the best of my ability and Whether it closes or not ultimately sometimes it's outside of my control and I know it sounds crazy, but I don't care

stamie karakasidis (08:28.494) Yep.

Adam (08:30.291) You know, I care on behalf of the client and what their objective is, but for me, it doesn't matter. You know, I'm looking at a long -term time horizon and I know if I do a good job by the client, I'm going to have that business for the next 20 years of my career, as opposed to just doing one transaction, everything burning to the ground. And yeah, maybe I made some money, but that client will never talk to me again. So.

stamie karakasidis (08:31.726) Yep.

stamie karakasidis (08:42.286) Right.

stamie karakasidis (08:48.494) No, I think like any career, if you focus on the money, you're dead in the water. I mean, and if you think about your commission, you're jinxing, like I don't even count my commission till, you cannot even look at the number when people are like, what's your commission? I'm like, I don't know. And I'm not counting until almost the end of my deal, cause it always jinx it. And yeah, you have a duty to the person you're working with. You're building a relationship and it is a relationship, but you also have to have like a...

Adam (08:53.331) Totally.

Adam (08:58.227) Happens every time, right?

Adam (09:11.571) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (09:15.79) in my opinion, a cool personality because you're also working with another agent. So you got to manage the other agent, get along with the other agent and give advice on that. I mean, it's so layered and I think it's all going to come to the surface now with the new commission structure, you know, that we're going to have to discuss like what we do as a buyer's agent. But it is a great profession and you and John have created like a really cool team, you know, because you guys still have fun. And how do you handle the volume? Like,

Adam (09:31.603) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (09:45.806) because you guys pretty run around all the time. How do you decompress when you get home?

Adam (09:50.707) It's hard. Every day is different.

So, you know, obviously being busy is a blessing and we are very fortunate in that we have a very productive business. It wasn't always like that for either of us. You know, we both started essentially at the bottom, just like anyone does when they get into a new industry. And I think for me, it was increasingly difficult because this is not my home market. I wasn't born and raised here. So I didn't have those friendships and family relationships. And you have to figure out a way to really create a niche and understand that there's working hard and working smart.

And, you know, I think the best kind of have a tendency to do both. And once you figure out, you know, where your lane is, then you ultimately start building some momentum. And when John and I linked together, it was a long process. You know, we really poked a lot of holes in it. Ultimately, I'll speak for myself. One of the best decisions I ever made in my entire life and not just in my career, but genuinely in my life, because a partnership is very much like a marriage and you see how quickly marriages fail.

stamie karakasidis (10:25.07) Mm -hmm.

Adam (10:49.939) I think John and I both have a very similar ethos and mindset in terms of the way we go about doing what we do, slightly different skill sets, but we compliment each other really well. And the biggest blessing in it is that, you know, he's become arguably one of my best friends in the whole world. We've never had an argument, let alone a fight, and there's so much mutual reverence and respect. No, it's definitely not the case. I think it's just the fact that we have so much mutual respect for each other that...

stamie karakasidis (11:03.438) Of course, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (11:07.662) Is it because you can beat him up if you guys got in a fight? Is that why?

Adam (11:17.523) If somebody feels so strongly about one thing versus the other, we are very quick to just say, no problem. We'll do it your way. I think it's been very second nature for both of us to kind of check ego out the door. And we know that when we're dealing with one another, and to your point, agents on the other side of the transaction, it's all meant to be respect. I think one of the biggest misnomers of the business is the fact that I think the TV shows are potentially the biggest issue when it comes to this stuff, ironically.

You know, you see two agents on a screen basically yelling at each other, you know, screaming at each other, making it an adversary type of situation. And then they pick up the phone and they're negotiating and hashing it out. And ultimately they close the deal and they make $700 ,000 and like case closed and they move on to the next one. And that's not the way the business is conducted. I think the best agents not only have great relationships within the community, but also amongst their peers. Half of what we do is kind of being a private investigator.

stamie karakasidis (11:50.83) Mm -hmm.

Adam (12:14.643) and a sleuth and having to figure things out and find properties and problem solve and put out fires. And the only real effective way to do that is if you have somebody on the other side of the transaction that you have a great relationship with because ultimately you have the same objective, which is getting the deal close. You know, obviously want to advocate on behalf of your client and they own theirs, but the best deals are the deals where both parties feel like they want and it works out in everyone's best interests.

stamie karakasidis (12:37.486) Right? Yep. And then you could sleep at night too. I mean, you can go home and feel like good about yourself. Like you did your job. Yeah.

Adam (12:45.221) And I sleep like a baby. I'd say there's no better sleeping pill than peace of mind. And when you do your job right and effectively, and you know that to whatever degree, obviously we're not surgeons or rocket scientists, but you're doing something additive to provide value to somebody else. And that's always a good feeling, regardless of what your field is.

stamie karakasidis (13:05.358) And when you, how did the show come about? Cause I know you weren't really on the first season and then you teamed up with John and then how did that?

Adam (13:14.963) Yeah, kind of sort of. I wanted no part of the first season, if I'm being honest with you. So when I came to the agency, I was at a crossroads in my career where I was at. And I knew that I was going to kind of transition out of my old brokerage and go find a new home. And that's when the conversations with John kind of started. So ultimately, I think I would have ended up at the agency anyways. But partnering with John made that transition really easy. And I think about three or four months after I got there, around 2021,

stamie karakasidis (13:18.638) Okay.

stamie karakasidis (13:38.798) Mm -hmm.

Adam (13:44.179) we were notified that, you know, the agency was going to be filming a reality show based around Mauricio and his family and the brokerage itself. And this was like right at the height of selling sunset. And I've known Jason for a long time and he's actually a good buddy. But when it comes to that show, you know, obviously it's highly dramatized and there's a lot of conflict and just, you know, as a professional and the way I saw myself, that really wasn't something I wanted to be a part of. And without understanding.

stamie karakasidis (13:57.582) Ha ha.

stamie karakasidis (14:03.63) Yeah.

Adam (14:13.619) what the context of buying Beverly Hills was going to be, I very politely declined. John was cast and, you know, I kind of showed face in a couple of scenes just, you know, for some support and to be a bit of a background character. But after seeing that season and, you know, what it actually was, which was much more real estate forward, I felt a lot better about it the second time around when they came calling again, asking if I was interested and had that conversation with John and thought about it for a couple of days and ultimately decided to do it.

stamie karakasidis (14:16.046) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (14:24.846) Right, got it, got it, yeah.

Adam (14:42.579) and had a blast with it. It was so much fun to do.

stamie karakasidis (14:44.558) Yeah, it definitely showed on screen that you guys had a lot of fun with the guys and I love the whole of the daughters. Obviously, you are ready, you're in a wonderful relationship. So them trying to hook you up with Mauricio's daughter. I mean, that's one question everyone's like, is Adam single? And you know, I mean, you can answer that question.

Adam (15:07.443) Well, at the time of filming I was, but that was over a year ago. And obviously things change in life and I've been very fortunate to find an amazing partner in person who I've started sharing my life with. She's fantastic and I've known her for 18 years, you know? So like there's a real comfort there and all I can really say about it is love is dope.

stamie karakasidis (15:14.158) Right.

stamie karakasidis (15:21.902) Cheers. Yep.

Adam (15:28.979) You know, it's not as dope. It's been cool. I've been obviously in lots of relationships in my life and have a lot of great ex -partners and just beautiful people that I've been able to interact with and relationships that are still meaningful to me. I've been fortunate enough to maintain and cement friendships even from people in my past. But sometimes you just find someone and like, you know, it feels right. And you just kind of know that you're on the right path. And I feel like that's where I'm at now. Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (15:29.102) Love is dope.

stamie karakasidis (15:51.406) Right. That's amazing. Well, you guys are both awesome. Shout out to Nikki. What's up, Nikki? Yes. Selling Sunset. I mean, everyone would come up to me and parties like you're in real estate. Do you watch Selling Sunset? I'm like, no, I can't even like I can't put up with that fake drama. It's very like dramatized and not realistic and a lot of.

Adam (15:58.931) Thank you.

Ahem.

Adam (16:12.211) You might not know this. I was on an episode of Selling Sunset in season one. I was. I was. It was the very last episode of season one. And this was completely organic. I had no idea what I was walking into. No, I got a call from Jason or a text. I can't remember at the time. And he's like, hey, man, I'm having a pool party at my house in Rising Glen. I'd love for you to come and hang. And I was like, all right, cool. It was summertime. He had a nice pool there. So I drive up and there's this huge production going on.

stamie karakasidis (16:15.694) No, I did not know that. Which episode is that, Adam?

stamie karakasidis (16:24.557) A showing?

Adam (16:40.499) There's all this. And he started explaining to me, he's like, we're actually doing this TV show. And they mic'd me up and I was kind of terrified because I didn't know what was happening around me. And I was just kind of in the background when they were doing one of these scenes at the pool. So it was funny to go back and watch.

stamie karakasidis (16:50.414) Right.

stamie karakasidis (16:54.894) And then what, did you have a favorite scene in the season or?

Adam (17:00.499) I don't know if there was one scene, but definitely Miami for me was the pinnacle. And that was a little personal just because that's my hometown. So it was an opportunity to go back with the cast and my coworkers and my peers and contemporaries and be back home, which, you know, is kind of coming full circle. And that felt special to me. And we had just such a great time down there. It was genuinely a blast. They're a great group. And anyone who knows the agency and the agency culture, at least out here in Las

stamie karakasidis (17:06.542) Yeah, that looked pretty cool.

Adam (17:30.405) Angeles. You know, it kind of gets a wrap sometimes for being like a fraternity, but it really is very family oriented. And I guess to a certain degree, it is a fraternity. It's very fraternal in that, you know, people genuinely care about each other and spend time together and hang out together. And that cast over, you know, the course of the four or five months we were filming really started to feel like family. And

I look back on all the things that I've transpired in my life to get to where I am today and to the place that I call home at work, which is the agency. And couldn't be more grateful. You know, they've really created an amazing foundation for people like me to do good business and I'm super grateful to be there.

stamie karakasidis (17:53.902) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (18:05.838) Yeah, there, I mean, Mauricio's a lovely guy and I've met him. Yeah, he just, he sparkles, like he's a really cool guy. And yeah, and I mean, and he just has that charm that permeates out of him. But do you think, do you, you said fraternal, so do you like, does it feel like a boys club sometime or do you feel like, I don't pick that up, I'm just saying, like, do you ever feel?

Adam (18:09.715) He really is. Yeah.

Adam (18:17.875) Yeah.

Adam (18:28.947) Yeah, it can. I mean, look, our industry is interesting in that I don't know that it is dominated by one sex or the other. You know, there's a very strong representation of amazing female entrepreneurs and bosses in this industry. And the agency is no exception to that. We certainly have some amazing, powerful women at the company. Just look at Mo's daughters and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. When I say fraternity, I don't necessarily mean it as a voice club. I mean that inclusive of men and women. So call it a...

stamie karakasidis (18:37.614) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (18:43.181) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (18:49.934) Yeah, exactly, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (18:55.054) Right.

Adam (18:57.971) sorority or ferority or whatever you want to call it. But yeah, and that's what it feels like. And it's just a group of people that genuinely care about one another and, you know, obviously love to have fun together, but do good business together. And I think the work life balance that exists in a culture like this is paramount to happiness. And I really think they've kind of nailed it. They figured it out early on. And I think the thought process behind when it started, which is going back almost 12 years ago,

stamie karakasidis (18:59.79) Social club, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (19:10.606) Yeah.

Adam (19:24.787) was meant to be more like what you would see at an agency on the Hollywood side of business, you know, in entertainment, you know, like a UTA or CAA where things are more collaborative amongst agents instead of it being this kind of every man for himself. I think they caught on to something uniquely different a little bit early and they were able to take that and run with it. And when you have personalities like Mauricio running the show.

stamie karakasidis (19:32.59) Mm -hmm. Yeah.

Adam (19:49.299) naturally is going to be successful. The guy is so charismatic and honestly such a nice guy. You know, I think people know him from what they see on TV, which for me is kind of head scratching because I'd never seen Real Housewives or really understood the nature of his celebrity actually until we were in Miami together and just, you know, being out in town and watching people just be so drawn to him like a magnet, you know, and asking for a picture or an autograph everywhere we went there it was and everyone met him with a

stamie karakasidis (19:52.366) Yeah, so yeah.

Adam (20:17.779) with tremendous praise and applause. And, you know, he's just seems like, I guess, a guy that a lot of people can relate to just in terms of the way he carries himself. And, you know, he does business the same way. You know, what you see is kind of what you get with Mo. And I have nothing but respect for him and what he's been able to build.

stamie karakasidis (20:25.838) For sure, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (20:32.078) That's what I loved about the season actually was that it showed that people do business with people they like. Like, of course you have to know your craft. You have to be experienced, but that's, it represented that. Like all the clients like their agents. Mauricio had that charismatic quality before he was on TV. Like, you know, you just saw him and he just had this like little twinkle, you know, like his little, yeah, yeah, exactly.

Adam (20:40.435) Mm -hmm.

Adam (20:55.123) Yeah, I guess it's something you're born with, just like any other talent. I don't know that that's something that can be taught, but that's innate to who he is. And, you know, if there's one thing I try to take away from him, it's just, you know, the way he sees life and the way he attacks like every day with this crazy enthusiasm unknown to mankind. And every interaction he has, you know, you've talked to him and you feel like you're the only person in the world because he gives you that true attention. And to have that coming from the guy at the very top is incredibly impactful.

stamie karakasidis (21:10.126) Mm -hmm. Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (21:18.574) Mm -hmm.

Adam (21:22.739) you know, for senior agents and even for brand new agents trying to cut their teeth and make it in this industry.

stamie karakasidis (21:25.646) For sure, for sure, for sure. Let me, so you're, I love your, your personality's always very, you know, cool and calm. Adam, what pisses you off? Because I love seeing like, I mean, I've seen you get spicy and like throw out some one liners, which I fucking love. What really gets you? Like what gets you going?

Adam (21:39.699) Ahem.

Adam (21:45.363) Yeah.

It's a good question. I don't know that I have a good answer. I tend to be pretty even. Maybe that's one of my strengths, but anger is not an emotion I'm super in touch with. I'll get frustrated just like anybody else, especially when I feel like someone's being taken advantage of or there's obviously a disservice happening. But ultimately, just like anyone else, I get frustrated with stupidity. I get frustrated with ego. Agenting is hard. And a lot of agents, especially when they're starting out,

stamie karakasidis (21:49.454) Ha ha ha ha.

stamie karakasidis (21:59.534) Okay.

stamie karakasidis (22:05.166) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (22:13.71) Mm -hmm.

Adam (22:16.435) go about business a certain way, which is I'm going to cause a problem. So then I can go and solve the problem to show the client the value I added. Look what I did for you in solving this issue, which is an issue you created in the first place. And that shit drives me nuts. even with that, I'm not the kind of guy that's ever going to yell and scream or raise my voice. And I think it's that much more impactful when I sit across from somebody in a negotiating room or having a, you know, contentious confrontation.

stamie karakasidis (22:22.51) Mm -hmm.

Adam (22:44.339) And I say stoic all throughout that. And the words that, you know, I speak tend to carry heavier weight when I'm not yelling and screaming and flailing, because those aren't qualities that I typically respect. And I always try to model myself after people that have come before me and who I feel like have done it well. And ultimately these are just choices we make. And, you know, I guess part of it is inherent and just in terms of my nature and what my personality is, but, you know, I guess I just try to.

stamie karakasidis (22:55.246) No, right.

Adam (23:10.675) absorb as much as possible and just be the best version of myself every single day. And hopefully that comes more second nature.

stamie karakasidis (23:17.07) Okay, you don't lose your temper, but you do have some good one -liners though, I have to say, because you are very funny. I know, I know you don't remember them, but you're like, you're really, you're very funny, like in a subtle. Well, thank you, yeah.

Adam (23:20.979) I don't even remember.

Adam (23:27.571) Well, coming from a comedian, I greatly appreciate it. I know my sense of humor is dry and I can definitely be silly. And you know, when the camera's off and I can let loose, then absolutely. There's certainly some personality in there that I guess the people in my inner circle and close to me know all too well. Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (23:42.542) Yeah, they get to see, yeah, for sure. Where do you see real estate going in LA in terms of design? Because I know you work with a lot of developers. That's one of your niches as you tapped into that at the start of your career. Where do you see it going? Like...

Adam (23:55.663) Yeah. LA is interesting. LA is obviously a very design forward city and it's a world city. And I think there's influence from all over the place that ultimately end up in these world markets. And, you know, I compare that to what I see in Miami, which is my hometown. And I love what's happening in Miami. It's a true Renaissance and that's a market that I think was undervalued for a long time. But from the design and style point of view,

I actually think LA has a major leg up still than what I'm seeing in Miami. Miami is still very much about very modern, contemporary, flashy, shiny finishes, a little bit more pomp and circumstance. And I think for Los Angeles, what I've noticed a lot, at least in the design world and the developer world, those builders and designers that take their crap very seriously are really leaning more towards that organic ethos in terms of the materials they use and choose. So.

I think the trend we've been seeing a lot nowadays, and I'm sure you'd probably agree with me, is a lot of travertines and a lot of limestones and a lot of muted earthy finishes and plaster on the walls and bouquet couches and things with a lot of texture that are essentially timeless is really the best way I can describe it. You know, it's the type of property that you'll buy today and 20 years from now will still be appreciated and look amazing and potentially resell for more the second time around. And something I've noticed, at least here in LA, is the super shiny, flashy modern homes, these, come on.

stamie karakasidis (25:12.238) Mm -hmm.

Adam (25:20.435) quote, unquote, McMansions. Yeah, they're beautiful from the jump. But as time goes on, they lose something, a little bit of luster. And unfortunately, they don't make the best investments because when you go to resell them the second time around, they tend to sell for less. So I always look for styles that I feel like are timeless, whether it's more traditional or Mediterranean with some transitional flair. But I'm really loving seeing a lot of these more natural elements in homes nowadays. And

stamie karakasidis (25:26.254) Yeah, they...

Adam (25:47.315) You know, when you walk into a home, there's, there's form and function. And ideally you want to have both. You don't want to have beautiful design and a home that's not livable. And I think the trend today, especially as we have more women developers in the market, because I think they have a much better eye. Yeah. Developers and designers who've made a real imprint. And I think the way they look at a house and the way the house is, is lived in, you know, they have obviously a woman's perspective and more of a family perspective. And I think a lot of male developers oftentimes miss that.

stamie karakasidis (25:51.438) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (25:59.534) Are you seeing more women developers now?

Adam (26:17.971) or worse for whatever reason. And it just seems like it's taking the whole industry in a much more positive direction. And it's definitely a direction I'm very proud of.

stamie karakasidis (26:19.598) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (26:26.094) I mean, you've had like some gorgeous listings even since I've been here, but your last, I mean, your developer who did Lucerne, that house is gorgeous. Arden's beautiful, your newest listing.

Adam (26:37.011) Yeah, Arden is the perfect example of what I was just talking about. It's not the most expensive listing in LA. I mean, obviously we have properties here that are north of a hundred million dollars, but for five million dollars, which is still, I get it, a monumental amount of money for most people, especially, you know, in this country outside of these major cities like Los Angeles, you know, what you get for that location is tremendous. And you're talking about, again, beautiful materials like unfilled travertine and...

stamie karakasidis (26:44.43) Mm -hmm.

Adam (27:05.331) and French oak and white oak and chevron patterns and you know just.

stamie karakasidis (27:09.006) The floors are gorgeous. They were like real wood, oak, chevron. And then I wanted to run my arms against the wall and then the pool. I mean, the whole thing, you just walk in and you go, and you haven't seen it really in LA. That's what I love about real estate. There's so many different things you can see. It could be a condo or whatever, but you walk in, it's something new and you get excited all over again. And...

Adam (27:13.331) Yep.

Adam (27:33.715) That's why I think it's one of the greatest jobs in the world. We get to spend our days literally walking on some of the most beautiful, thoughtful, designed homes and properties that most people will never have the privilege of being inside of. And it's kind of pinch me moments sometimes when you walk these properties or when you have the privilege of selling them, but ultimately it's inspiring. And you see kind of the thought process that a lot of really creative people go through. And it's always inspired me to try not just to do my job better and be more creative, but...

stamie karakasidis (27:49.87) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (28:03.15) Mm -hmm.

Adam (28:03.347) Ultimately to get into that side of the business. And I think one of the best parts about being a real estate broker is it's kind of like legal insider trading, right? Like we get access to some of the best deals before the general populace ever gets to see them. And you know, if development is something that, you know, you have kind of a passion for it's in your blood, then why not take advantage of it and go out and do it yourself and kind of make your own future. And I've started doing that and it's just been a real.

stamie karakasidis (28:13.262) Right?

Adam (28:30.643) you know, tremendous asset, not just to be able to speak that language of development, but to go through the process, to really understand it in a way that I can speak to the clients in that language because I've been through it myself. And it only helps to further cultivate that sense of, you know, people you like to work with, people they know, like, and trust. And, you know, the more, I guess, guidance you can provide through that process and literally taking someone's hand and walking them from, you know, the genesis of buying the property through completion and selling it on the other side is really rewarding and knowing that you had a hand in.

stamie karakasidis (28:47.789) Right.

Adam (29:00.499) and ultimately what becomes a very meaningful transaction in someone's life, especially when it's from the beginning like that.

stamie karakasidis (29:01.454) Right.

stamie karakasidis (29:06.158) You've done, I know you've done a home on Sunset Plaza, but is that where you would like your future to go is in development? Do you see that?

Adam (29:14.131) I don't know. You know, I think about it a lot. Obviously, I'm kind of, you know, in the midst of, you know, the market here. And I try to do good business as much as possible. But ultimately, I'd love to have ancillary businesses that, you know, obviously help to sustain a certain lifestyle. And I started in developments around 2014, two years after I got into the business. And that was ultimately my tool to make a name for myself in this industry. And it was, again, just my way of working smarter.

stamie karakasidis (29:21.518) Mm -hmm.

Adam (29:44.339) You know, every mom and pop maybe sells a house once every 10 or 15 years and to go knock on every door and cold call a bunch of people that I didn't know just didn't seem like a great use of my time. So I decided to go after developers and they didn't care where I was from or who I was friends with. They just cared about access to good deals. But at the beginning, I didn't know what a good deal was. So I had to learn from their lens how to underwrite a deal and kind of, you know, work backwards and figure out if somebody's going to buy a property for this much and it's going to cost.

this much to build and this much to finance and you have this much in closing costs. Ultimately how much is left if I can put together a fair assessment of what the resale value is. And in doing that, I was able to start transacting over and over again, because good developers...

stamie karakasidis (30:25.07) And how did you learn that? Did you go to someone that you trusted? Or like how did you put that together? Like, okay.

Adam (30:31.187) Mostly self -taught and asking a lot of questions of people that were in this industry, you know My brother was just kind of going through it at the same time So we learned a lot together and kind of cut our teeth together and as trade as it sounds, you know There's resources all over the place websites YouTube. I'm an avid YouTube watcher even till this day, you know When I'm climbing into bed at night and putting something on it's typically something that I'm gonna learn from as opposed to just binge watching a show on Netflix Which I still do from time to time

stamie karakasidis (30:37.422) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (30:44.974) Right.

stamie karakasidis (30:55.63) Totally, yeah.

Adam (30:58.099) But there's resources and access to things all over the place if you have a little bit of ingenuity and can figure out where to look. And it's all out there.

stamie karakasidis (31:07.79) Right, that's true, very true. I mean.

Adam (31:10.579) And then ultimately just doing it, you know, so in, in 14, I was lucky enough to link up with some developers who took a liking to me for whatever reason and allowed me to really.

stamie karakasidis (31:19.886) I wonder why someone would like you, Adam. I mean, it's probably really hard to like Adam, but...

Adam (31:26.675) You know, Stamia, I speak sarcasm, so I'm picking up what you're putting down. But, you know, with them, they let me lead the process, not just in terms of, okay, you know, you're the agent, go find the property. And once I'm done, you're going to sell it. It was like, all right, how do you see this? What's your vision here? I want you in the meetings with the architects, with the contractors, with the engineers, with the city. And, you know, there's nothing really that comes close to just having experience. You know, I went to law school. I don't really know how to be a lawyer. You know, you can sit and take a real estate exam.

stamie karakasidis (31:37.55) Right, right.

stamie karakasidis (31:43.758) Right.

stamie karakasidis (31:54.958) But you know how to talk, you know how to talk. Do they teach you that in law school?

Adam (31:57.491) Yeah, no, I don't think so. I think that was just kind of part of my nature and just understanding how I like to be spoken to and living by the golden rule. And I think in any industry, especially in business, communication is key and you can never really over communicate, but you can certainly under communicate. So I think it's just learning what makes people tick and.

Ultimately, you know, we wear many hats and you know, sometimes you have to be a therapist and sometimes you have to be an attorney and it's very specialized type of attorney, which is what I really think real estate agents are, whether they know it or not. you know, and when you understand, you know, what makes each client uniquely different and if there's a way to just connect to them in some way, whatever that is, you're just looking for common ground. And once that connection is made, the rest becomes easy. but there's no greater skill in real estate than being likable.

stamie karakasidis (32:35.822) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (32:45.774) True that, that's very true.

Adam (32:47.955) and maybe in life.

stamie karakasidis (32:50.35) Yeah, that's very true. I'm gonna work on that quality. I'm just... I have a few questions from your social media that I wanted to... I'm gonna get to, but I have a few other questions before that. What is your largest deal where you like put it into escrow and then you walked out of the door and went, holy shit, I just put that house into escrow. Okay.

Adam (32:54.195) You're doing just fine. You're not somebody I ever worry about staying with. I can promise you that.

Adam (33:03.987) boy.

Adam (33:18.163) I've had a few. I'm really fortunate to say that the largest deal of my career was 90 million. That was a really tough deal. It took five months and I might've lost a year or two of my life on that one. There was a lot of stress and a lot of pressure. And you know, cashing the check is one thing for me. I really wanted that feather in my cap. It was just such a challenge and it was such a monumental number. And at the time it was one of the biggest sales in the history of Los Angeles. And, you know, just knowing that kind of, I would have that.

stamie karakasidis (33:19.79) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (33:23.79) Wow.

stamie karakasidis (33:43.982) Wow, yeah.

Adam (33:47.571) check mark next to my name forever was, was meaningful ego or not. It's just something I really wanted and was really proud when that closed. And then I've had a lot of heartbreaks. You know, last year I had a deal in contract that was 58 million, but I had both sides of the deal doing this with John, which obviously a lot riding on that. And we got five months into that deal and the buyer ultimately released $3 million of earnest money and then some. And we felt pretty good at that point because nobody walks away from $3 million. And they did.

stamie karakasidis (33:48.846) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (34:00.59) Wow, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (34:14.958) Right.

Adam (34:17.235) buyer was ultimately put on a very specific list in China, which essentially froze him from moving any more money from mainland China to the United States, and they had no choice but to walk away. And that was devastating. And that's the nature of real estate. You know, you go into every deal never knowing if it's going to close or not. Ultimately, we only get paid when a deal closes. And when they don't, it can really hurt, especially when you put five months of your time and energy into something and you have nothing to show for it. But that's the business. And...

stamie karakasidis (34:24.366) Adam (34:45.971) and then be the break sometimes and you give yourself a day to sulk about it and then you kind of say one, two, three over it and then you got to move on to the next.

stamie karakasidis (34:53.646) You definitely have to have a bounce back, a fast, fast bounce back. Like when you lose in a game, you gotta be able to get back up because this business will eat you up and spit you out. And those deals, it's interesting because I love when you have like an easier deal. So say you have a deal that they see one or two houses and then they close and it was easier than normal deals. And they go, wow, I'm like your easiest client. Like, yeah, like this was a breeze. And then you think,

Adam (35:18.931) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (35:21.39) Yeah, because I've paid, I've been like tortured for the last like seven months with every other deal, you know, so it kind of balances out. What I find the bigger deals, because a lot of people are like, it's the same job, but a bigger deal, but I don't necessarily agree with that. I mean, the stress you carry on a larger price property, I feel is a lot heavier than on like a million dollar home or a $3 million home.

Adam (35:27.635) It does.

Adam (35:45.971) Yeah, it can be. I think it's the stress you put on yourself. You know, ultimately clients are clients, right? And it's funny, John always says this, the worst of people comes out in times of war and the times of buying and selling real estate. And it is so true as cliche as it is the larger deals. Obviously there's a lot more riding on the line. but the job really is the same. And I could tell you for every million dollar deal versus any 20 or $30 million deal I've done.

stamie karakasidis (35:58.286) Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Adam (36:11.795) the amount of work involved isn't that drastically different. So it was a conscientious choice that I made relatively early on to want to focus on the upper end of the spectrum. There's a lot more volume on the small side and not to say I turn away smaller deals. I'm obviously super happy to service those too, because it's all about relationships and you never know where the next leader client is going to come from. But ultimately, if you're going to do the same amount of work, you might as well make as much as you can out of it. And that's why I obviously love the high end in addition to just the magnitude of these properties and how uniquely special some of them are.

stamie karakasidis (36:15.534) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (36:21.518) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (36:28.142) Right.

stamie karakasidis (36:41.518) And then do you show a high -end property the same way you would show a $2 million property? Okay.

Adam (36:46.675) I do. Yeah. The process for me is very similar. Obviously it depends if I'm on the sell side or the buy side. I like to be hands -on and assuring, but I always offer the client the option because every client is different and some clients would really rather just be left to their own devices to walk through in their own time without having somebody hover over them. There's only so many different ways I can say this is the kitchen and this is the bathroom. And to me, that's not what the job is about. If I'm doing my job effectively representing a seller,

stamie karakasidis (36:52.75) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (37:09.038) Hahaha.

Adam (37:15.571) It's about marketing effectively and getting as many people through the door as I possibly can. The person who really has to do, I guess, the job of selling and advising in that specific scenario is the one representing the buyer. I don't have access to the buyer for more than 30 minutes. There's nothing I'm really going to say in the midst of that showing that's going to sway them one way or another. All I'm trying to do is to create the best experience for them possible. And that goes back to being respectful, being likable, checking your ego at the door and, you know,

Ultimately, that's the one aspect of the job that feels like it's a little more retail, you know, where you're providing this white -loved experience. But other than that, it's a lot of putting out fires, obviously dealing with issues which come up on a daily basis. For us, it's not just handling our own issues and our own deals, but, you know, getting involved in the deals for other agents on the team and being a backstop for them when situations come up that they don't know how to handle. And that just comes with experience. And it's one of my favorite aspects of this job is the mentorship.

stamie karakasidis (37:48.238) Mm -hmm. Right.

stamie karakasidis (38:05.166) Mm -hmm.

Adam (38:12.915) and being able to pay it forward and having a great group of agents at GRG that I get to really work hands on with, especially when needed. And it's nice to be needed, let's be honest.

stamie karakasidis (38:19.79) Right. Yeah, yeah, totally. What do you think the biggest reason a property doesn't sell? Yeah.

Adam (38:27.923) Overpriced more often than not. That's really the, the main issue that we run into, you know, there's no more effective marketing strategy than pricing a property appropriately. And that's usually within five to 10 % of what the true value is. And sometimes it's, it's hard to pinpoint the true value, but almost every seller thinks their house is the greatest house ever built. And there's such a large emotional component to this. And what you tend to see happen more often than not, when a property is priced too high. And I'm sure you've had the same experience, Amy is.

stamie karakasidis (38:41.07) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (38:47.246) Right.

stamie karakasidis (38:56.878) Mm -hmm. Yep.

Adam (38:57.523) you chase the market down. And if you chase the market down, it obviously takes a lot longer. You're going to accrue carrying costs and then you ultimately sell it for less because psychologically, every buyer is thinking this property has been on the market for seven months. It hasn't sold. There's something wrong with it. There's obviously some kind of flaw. What don't I know about that that has created an issue here or it's just massively overpriced.

stamie karakasidis (39:12.558) Right.

stamie karakasidis (39:18.062) I mean, they even do that here if it's 30 days. Like I had a client who was like, it's been on the market 21 days. I'm gonna offer 200 ,000 less. I was like, no, no, no, no, no. I go, let's discuss this a little longer. Yeah, even if you market it, it's just not, you know, it doesn't matter if it's overpriced.

Adam (39:26.867) Yeah. Yeah.

Adam (39:31.603) It's...

Adam (39:36.819) It's scary. You know, I think the houses that tend to have the best results do the opposite. And I think that is a very tough conversation to have the clients. They can't understand the nature of underpricing a property and then bidding it up. It doesn't work so well on a $50 million property, but like on the bread and butter deals, you know, like one to three million bucks, especially when the market's hot. The biggest service you can do for yourself is really studying the comps and understand that in Los Angeles, no two comps are going to be the same. There are obviously unique things about every specific property.

stamie karakasidis (39:51.31) No, right.

Adam (40:07.187) But if you can hone in on what the 80th percentile is of what the value of that home is and price it there, you're gonna sell it a lot faster, you're probably gonna get more money, and it's gonna be a much more enjoyable experience versus just going on this sludge of a marathon and having a race to the bottom.

stamie karakasidis (40:12.59) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (40:22.478) Yeah, I think the psychology, because sellers always think I'm gonna lose money if I under price it. And you're like, no, no, no, that's not what's gonna happen. You're gonna push the price up. And inevitably you choose when you wanna sell it at that price. But it's a whole thing. All right, let me get to my little questions. All right. Is the 90 million deal your most memorable deal? Or is there another deal that...

Adam (40:35.955) That's it. Yep.

Adam (40:40.851) Sure.

Adam (40:47.987) I've had a lot of memorable deals. If I'm ever fortunate enough to get to the point where I can look back on my career and write a book that nobody will read about the most challenging deals that I've had, there's a few chapters in there that I'll look back on and laugh. There's no question.

stamie karakasidis (40:57.102) Okay.

stamie karakasidis (41:03.566) Do you remember your deals? Because I don't remember most of my, I mean, like, I would have to like really sit down. I like, they leave my head. Yeah, okay.

Adam (41:10.803) Some, yeah, for sure. I don't have the greatest memory when it comes to attention to detail in every deal, but there are definitely some, I think I remember people more than the deals themselves and the way people carry themselves and the stories that come from just the very uniquely different personalities that exist in a city like this, because Los Angeles is like, honestly, it's one of the most eccentric and eclectic cities I've ever had the privilege of living in or visiting.

stamie karakasidis (41:15.375) Okay, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (41:21.294) Okay.

Adam (41:39.123) You get all walks of life here and it just attracts some really interesting people. You know, anytime you have a city based around Hollywood and the entertainment industry, you're going to get a bunch of characters. Very much so.

stamie karakasidis (41:40.942) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (41:49.102) It's eccentric people. Yep. Have you ever knocked on a door and someone answered it naked?

Adam (41:56.147) Yeah, I have. I actually have. And this was not from Dorn. I've never been a big door knocker. I'm not a prolific door knocker or cold collar. I had a deal I did. This would make the book. I had a deal I did in 2021. It was a $43 million deal. Big deal. And that was another deal where I had the buyer and the seller. So a lot in the line. And I had never met the seller before.

stamie karakasidis (42:03.502) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (42:10.126) Chapter one.

Adam (42:23.763) I had reached out to him just to explain that I had this buyer. I knew the house was built and available. And he invited me to his house to come and have a conversation. And he lived up in the Hollywood Hills. And when he answered the door, he answered it, butt ass naked. And there was a woman behind him, also Sam's clothing, except she had big bunny ears on and she was prancing around the kitchen. And it's.

stamie karakasidis (42:48.27) So it was Easter.

Adam (42:51.795) Every day is Easter in Los Angeles, maybe. There were some other extracurriculars going on for 10 o 'clock on a Tuesday morning, which was ridiculous, but that is not so unusual in a city like this. It does happen.

stamie karakasidis (42:57.006) Hmm hmm hmm

stamie karakasidis (43:03.438) So when you sat down to talk to this person, did they put pants on?

Adam (43:07.635) no, they put a robe on, so no pants were worn at any time by anybody other than myself.

stamie karakasidis (43:10.03) A rope, okay.

stamie karakasidis (43:14.318) Okay, and then did she just sit there with a robe or no robe? She disappeared.

Adam (43:17.619) No, she disappeared. At a certain point, it was just myself, the other gentleman who I was having the conversation with at his kitchen table, and some mound of substance that was just sitting in front of him. Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (43:23.534) Okay.

stamie karakasidis (43:28.426) my God. So she's like, I'm just going to take my bunny ears and hop over there. That's amazing.

Adam (43:33.523) went into another room and never saw her again. Wouldn't even know she was or been able to pick her out of line just because her face was covered with a mask.

stamie karakasidis (43:39.374) Amazing. Do you have a favorite celebrity story in Los Angeles? Doesn't have to be like, you ran into him at a coffee shop, real estate, anything like a car wash, like a fun.

Adam (43:48.403) Yeah, I do actually. So I've been really fortunate in that I've had the privilege of working with a lot of very high profile people. And it started before my days in real estate. When I was in law school, I was a bartender back in South Beach where I was living at the time. And I'll make the story full circle, but the coolest experience I had in that job was actually with Dave Grohl, former drummer of Nirvana and obviously lead singer of the Foo Fighters.

stamie karakasidis (44:12.654) Okay, sure.

Adam (44:16.211) drummer kings of the Stone Age. The guy's incredible and arguably one of the nicest human beings you'll ever meet. He walked up to the bar, ordered three crown and cokes. I obviously made the drinks. I put them on the bar. He went to pay and I said, Mr. Grohl, out of respect, these are on me. You've been a huge inspiration and I love everything you do. And this is the least I can do and just want you to know, grateful. And he smiled at me. He took a bow, took a couple hundred bucks out of his pocket and threw it on the bar. And I thought that was so sweet.

stamie karakasidis (44:37.198) So cool.

stamie karakasidis (44:45.486) Very sweet.

Adam (44:46.675) Eight, nine years later, I'm sitting at lunch with a good friend of mine who happens to be a celebrity, kind of high profile. And she had actually asked me the question, this same question, like, what was the best experience you've ever had with a celebrity? And I tell her this Dave Grohl story and I get up and run to the restroom for a second. And when I come back to the table, I see she's on FaceTime and she has Dave Grohl on the phone and she tells him the story.

stamie karakasidis (45:08.142) shit.

Adam (45:13.715) and she turns the camera towards me and I'm like, yo, what's up? And he goes, holy shit, I totally remember dropping a couple hundred bucks on that guy. Fucking incredible. And like, it just like was such a very cool, pinch me type moment. And he was so gracious then and so gracious when I met him 10 years ago. And it's really nice to see that, you know, even people with that level of success can stay grounded and obviously understand what the important things are in life and be so focused and committed to.

stamie karakasidis (45:20.43) That's...

that's really cool. Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (45:32.974) Mm -hmm.

Adam (45:39.027) relationships and their fans and just the way they see the world, you know, is really cool because it would be so easy for someone like him to go the other direction.

stamie karakasidis (45:45.806) And he's extra special and that he remembered is great. My older son went to school with his daughters and he said they're lovely. Like he loved them. Yeah, that's really cool. Yeah.

Adam (45:52.691) Yeah.

Adam (45:56.755) Yeah, I hear the same things about him all the time. There's a few people in that industry where obviously you hear a lot of horror stories, but there's a lot of really amazing people in every industry here and every walk of life. And when you find the good ones, you got to really hang on tight.

stamie karakasidis (46:06.158) Right.

stamie karakasidis (46:11.406) Yeah, here are my questions. How did you meet John?

Adam (46:14.835) All right, let's do it.

Adam (46:18.611) I met John roughly 11 years ago or 10 years ago. I actually had an open house. It was one of my first larger listings. I think it was like a $16 million property in Beverly Hills. And I had known of John just because we were of, you know, I guess similar generation and coming up together at the same time in the business. And he came to the house and introduced himself and I was like, I know who you are, man. It's so nice to meet you. I've been looking forward to this actually. And, you know, immediately it was like kind of instant chemistry.

And we just slowly started to build a friendship and ultimately it led to where we are today. He is a wickedly smart guy. I honestly don't have enough things. John's incredible. A lot of people don't know this about John, but John didn't go to college. John is a fifth generation Angelino and he just has this entrepreneurial spirit and more often than not.

stamie karakasidis (46:54.35) Very cool, yeah, I love John and his eyebrows and his hair and the way he speaks. He's the best. He is, I love hearing him speak.

Adam (47:16.819) whether he will say it or not, he's the smartest guy in the room. And he is so articulate and so well spoken and so well read in research, but more than anything, well prepared. He really takes every meeting seriously, like it's homework for his honors science class the next day. And he gives it 100 % all the time. And it's rare for me in my life to find people that have a similar work ethic, but I think John blows mine out of the water. He's truly incredible.

stamie karakasidis (47:29.102) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (47:41.966) I see John in politics. Every time he speaks in the meetings, I'm always like, I...

Adam (47:45.043) Me too. I told him he missed his calling. He should absolutely be like mayor of Los Angeles or run for city council. He has plenty of time. I just don't think it's something that he has the ambition for.

stamie karakasidis (47:50.094) He still has time.

stamie karakasidis (47:54.766) Right, the only negative thing about John that I can say is that he went to the Eagle Super Bowl and he was a Patriots fan because of his...

Adam (48:00.787) Mm -hmm. He's a big Patriots fan, but he has good reason. John's uncle was the offensive line coach for the Patriots for like 30 plus years. Fair enough, Stamien. Fair enough. Fair enough.

stamie karakasidis (48:05.966) Yes.

Is blood a good reason to not support the Eagles? Is it? I don't think so. You're a beautiful puppy, Sophia. Are you a Chihuahua lover forever or was that just, yeah, okay.

Adam (48:20.243) -huh.

Adam (48:24.275) I am now. It was, it wasn't intended. It's not the dog I would have picked, you know, like it's not like I went to the shelter and I was like, yep, I'll take that two pound thing with no teeth. It was, it was not, you know, not something that was intended. It's just something that happens. just speaking about relationships, just in a past relationship. And there was like an immediate connection with this strange little creature who.

stamie karakasidis (48:32.334) I'll take the tiniest dog you have that...

Adam (48:51.059) inherently likes nothing and nobody. So the fact that she showed me any kind of attention or love was kind of took me aback. And that was probably four or five years ago. And we've been kind of inseparable ever since. And I think I'll probably have a chihuahua forever because she sets such a good example of like what that unconditional love is. And I've always heard about this between, you know, man and dog. And I've certainly had this experience with other pets, but the connection I have with her for some reason is profoundly and uniquely special for me.

stamie karakasidis (48:53.326) Hahaha!

Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (49:07.534) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (49:15.854) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (49:20.75) yeah, she loves her daddy, that's for sure. Could you, she really is, I mean crazy. Could you ever date someone named after your dog? I mean, now you're in a relationship, so I mean, but when they were trying to like, you know, do a love story with Sophia, I was like, how can you date someone named after your dog? I mean, I...

Adam (49:24.371) Yeah, yeah, she's doggedly loyal. No pun intended. Yeah.

Adam (49:33.235) Adam (49:40.915) So.

Adam (49:44.787) It's funny you ask that because in my past, I have dated Sophia's. Yeah, I think one or two, maybe more. I hadn't thought about it to answer the question. I don't think it's gonna matter because I don't see myself dating anybody new anytime soon, if not ever. That's it, yeah, game over.

stamie karakasidis (49:49.518) Okay.

stamie karakasidis (49:59.79) No, no, you have, no, you're done now, you're done. That's good, yeah. Who is your favorite person on Buying Beverly Hills? And listen, no one listens to this podcast except like a few hundred people, so you're safe to answer that question.

Adam (50:13.843) good question. Alright, so obviously John aside and anybody GRG related aside, I have a lot of love for that whole cast. However, it'd be really hard to pick one but just off the top of my head, the person that I really enjoy spending time with is Zach. For those that know Zach or don't know Zach, you know, he obviously is portrayed as kind of the class clown on the show and that's genuinely who he is in real life. He is...

stamie karakasidis (50:16.206) Yeah.

Adam (50:38.611) big, warm -hearted, you know, affable, just super likable, incredibly sharp, but just funny. You know, the guy just genuinely makes me laugh and has this real sense of care and compassion in him that I can certainly appreciate. And he's just such a likable guy. And, you know, for me, he is exactly the type of humor that I appreciate. So I always enjoy the moments I get to spend with him, no question.

stamie karakasidis (50:56.448) Mm -hmm.

There's people that have humor where they use their humor to bring people together. You know, like they'll walk in a room and like they want to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy and that's his humor. And of course he's closest. He makes fun of Ben because they're real super close. But in gen, yeah, exactly. But in general, his humor brings everyone together because everyone loves to laugh. I mean, if there's one thing about people, it's like they don't laugh a lot, like adults, they need to laugh more because life gets.

Adam (51:15.379) Well, they're the same person in so many ways.

Adam (51:22.131) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (51:28.302) way too serious. There's like so much shit we deal with.

Adam (51:29.715) Yeah, and he's one of the most liked people in our industry. And I think coming to our company was, you know, a really formative moment for him. You know, Zach, as is kind of discussed in the show, came from Hilton Highland, which was an incredible company. I say was, it still is. And he had been there for many years, but that's an environment that is very buttoned up. And there were certain processes there and, you know, things you could or could not do. And I think it was really difficult for someone like Zach to really showcase his true personality.

stamie karakasidis (51:42.734) Mm -hmm.

Adam (51:58.899) And I think the same could be said about a lot of companies, especially ones that are run a little more corporately. And I think the fact that the agency is such a familial, you know, boutique dynamic really kind of opened up the horizons for him to really let his personality shine and to be the best version of himself. And if you look at, you know, his career numbers on the deals he's done, he's had some tremendous ones, but his business has been unbelievable since joining the company. He's really taken off and has really entered that upper echelon or upper stratosphere of.

stamie karakasidis (52:02.862) Mm -hmm.

Adam (52:28.275) of top producer in Los Angeles.

stamie karakasidis (52:30.062) Yeah, he like owns who he is. Like he's present in his body. Like he's very comfortable. Yeah, it's really, yeah, it's really.

Adam (52:34.419) Yep. And unapologetic about it. Sometimes a little too comfortable.

stamie karakasidis (52:39.694) But once you go there, there's no coming back. You can't. So reality show, season three, what do you think? nice. Okay, have you guys heard anything or? Okay. Yeah.

Adam (52:42.547) There's no coming back. Yeah.

Adam (52:49.075) I fucking hope so. I haven't heard a thing. I think it's done well. It was in the top 10 for a few weeks. The feedback that I've gotten at least just from the random people all over the world I've reached out have been nothing short of positive. Everyone's been awesome. It's really funny to go and read the comments on the internet and Instagram specifically on Twitter and Reddit and on these message boards and...

stamie karakasidis (53:02.318) Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (53:14.638) When you read the Reddit stuff was so funny when we were at that open house and you were like, I read comments on Reddit and you started reading them out loud. It was awesome.

Adam (53:22.675) That's the best. And honestly, the really mean stuff is some of the funniest stuff. And you have to have, I guess, some thick skin to put yourself out there and to be on TV. And obviously there's a lot of pluses that come with it, but there's a lot of crazy stuff to you. Just the exposure and becoming a more recognizable person and walking the streets and meeting people that feel like they know you. And obviously you wanting to know them a little bit. And, you know, obviously wanting to, to make sure that, you know, you're always representing yourself and your company to the best of your ability. And.

stamie karakasidis (53:25.742) Yes.

stamie karakasidis (53:33.422) Mm -hmm.

Yeah.

stamie karakasidis (53:43.47) Mm -hmm.

Adam (53:51.507) You know, it's just been a real blessing and I never thought that this would be my life, but here I am. And after having done it and having had so much fun with it and seeing what the end result was, I would 100 % do it again and heartbeat if the opportunity comes.

stamie karakasidis (54:03.086) Well, you were really true to yourself. I mean, you were awesome on the show. Like you came across great. It was fantastic. Yeah.

Adam (54:09.395) I appreciate it. It was interesting to watch because so much of what we filmed wasn't on there, you know?

stamie karakasidis (54:16.366) I know you're like, I don't know, there's no real estate on this show. And then I watched it and I'm like, what is that I'm talking about?

Adam (54:20.915) Well, I mean, there were there were other storylines for us that were really centerfold, at least in terms of our existence on the show, which we thought would get a lot of coverage that didn't make the show at all. So interestingly, I think for John and I, we I think we're maybe more portrayed as more kind of background as opposed to, you know, in front of the camera at all times, we were more secondary. And I kind of like that because it allowed us in many situations to be the adults in the room and really come across as the professionals that.

stamie karakasidis (54:29.294) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (54:40.878) Right.

stamie karakasidis (54:48.43) Right.

Adam (54:50.131) I see that we are while still having a great balance of work and fun. And, you know, I have no qualms with how I was portrayed. I do feel like it was true to myself. Obviously they put me in some funny situations, but somebody gave me a good note before I started filming, which was, if you don't be an asshole, they can't make you look like an asshole. And to a large degree, that's kind of true, but even though it's unscripted in its reality, obviously shows like this are hyperproduced and you're put into, you know, some situations that you'd rather not be in and it's figuring out.

stamie karakasidis (55:17.742) Mm -hmm.

Adam (55:20.371) how to be a gentleman in all situations and to manage the expectations, not just of yourself, but of your peers and contemporaries and then ultimately the audience and still wanting to deliver a great show while not selling yourself out for the sake of making a great show.

stamie karakasidis (55:22.478) Right.

stamie karakasidis (55:33.998) Right, and the editing, I mean, they worked in your, I mean, everything you did was true to your character. So you're being true to yourself, they can't edit that into a different personality. Right, exactly, exactly. Okay, so would you ever do a crossover with Selling Sunset?

Adam (55:42.579) They can try. It's going to be really tough.

Yep.

Adam (55:53.535) I mean, I guess I kind of already did, right? Season one of Selling Sunset. I don't know. I don't know how to answer that question, depending on what the context of that was and which production team was behind the filming. You know, if it was buying Beverly Hills production, then hell yeah, would love to.

stamie karakasidis (55:56.654) Yeah, you did in the first, yes, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (56:03.726) Yeah. I know it's.

stamie karakasidis (56:09.102) It's not real, I don't think it's real. I mean, that's a hard crossover. I mean, unless you want all the blondes to come over to one of your listings on that. No, yeah, Jason's, yeah. And so someone, who does your social media? Someone asked, I did not put that there. That was a question in your Instagram.

Adam (56:15.731) Sure. I love when Jason comes. Jason's a good guy.

Adam (56:24.147) Hahaha.

For the four people that care, my Instagram is managed by the one and only Stamy. Stamy has been a blessing when it comes to my social presence. I have very little interest in my social media. I love to look at it. I hate to post.

stamie karakasidis (56:37.902) Thank you very much.

stamie karakasidis (56:42.606) But you answer every message yourself. Like I do the story stuff. The office does the posts.

Adam (56:46.419) Yeah, my responsibility is to engage and to actually talk to people who take the time to actually take a few minutes out of the day to say something thoughtful. And I do, I do, especially if it's respectful engagement and somebody really is thoughtful in the message they want to deliver, then I would be an asshat to not take some time to respond. And that's something that I really value.

stamie karakasidis (56:57.87) And you enjoy that, yeah. Yeah, it's really cool.

stamie karakasidis (57:11.246) you'd be surprised how many people don't respond.

Adam (57:14.067) no, I'm not surprised. I expect that. And even with that, it's so funny, like I'm still learning all this. I didn't know, Nikki just pointed this out to me a couple of weeks ago. There's that like other folder where there are these like other messages that you, and I opened it up two weeks ago and there were thousands of messages and it took me hours to try to sift through it. And I didn't want to feel like I was letting anybody down. It's, I guess the people please are in me, but it just feels like the nice respectful thing to do. And when somebody puts in a little bit of effort to say something nice.

stamie karakasidis (57:15.342) Yeah, yeah.

stamie karakasidis (57:39.15) Yeah. So back when we did the show, it was just general messages, but it's hidden messages. So I found the folder you're talking about 10 years after our show aired. So then, yeah, so eight years. And then I answered everyone and they're like, thanks so much for answering me eight years later. And I'm like, I'm so sorry. I never saw your message. Because I feel the same way as you do. If someone's going to send me a message, I'm going to like engage. I don't because they're taking their time.

Adam (57:51.635) my god.

Adam (57:55.439) Great. Yeah.

Adam (58:06.323) Yeah, but just finding the time to do it. Like we all have lives and family and significant others and obviously careers and businesses that we have to tend to every day. And by the time you know it, there's not enough hours in the day and it gets eaten up. So you have to really make a concerted effort to carve time out, to go do things like that. And ultimately it's important.

stamie karakasidis (58:08.238) Yeah, exactly.

stamie karakasidis (58:23.374) Yeah, right. Totally agree. Totally agree. Do you...

Adam (58:28.115) By the way, great, great job with my Instagram stamy. Really, like I feel like the content game has been nothing short of spectacular over the last couple of months and I owe that all to you.

stamie karakasidis (58:30.894) Thank you.

stamie karakasidis (58:35.982) Well, I feel like you are a great person to do that for because you are a lot of fun. And I think I got a good grasp on your sense of humor now. And there's more to come.

Adam (58:47.123) Well, I'm a lot of fun because you're a lot of fun and I have a lot of fun just hanging with you. And if just hanging with you leads to great content, then I'm all for it.

stamie karakasidis (58:55.47) Well, then great. So that's perfect. We're gonna play pickleball. I'm gonna record that. Stamey is not a calm person. I might throw the ball here and there if I lose, but you know what?

Adam (59:00.115) Mm -hmm. Yep.

Adam (59:05.683) That has not been my experience of Sammy. My experience of Sammy has been the absolute antithesis of that. I always find that you are thoughtful, hyper respectful, cool, calm, and collected, but more than anything, you're the coolest motherfucker I've ever had the privilege of knowing, excuse my language. And there's not enough time in the day for me to spend time with you. And you've been a major asset in my life, and I can only hope that I can return the favor.

stamie karakasidis (59:11.502) No.

stamie karakasidis (59:24.494) That's very kind. Thank you.

stamie karakasidis (59:33.038) thank you. Yeah, you're definitely a gift in my life and I'm very grateful to have you and definitely one of my highlights in 24 for sure. I mean, I made a big transition. I left the company I was with for a very long time that I liked and I'm very, you know, it was a hard decision to make, but I'm so happy I met you, like seriously.

Adam (59:52.115) Well, I hope you landed in a place you love and all I can say to this love affair is I love you more.

stamie karakasidis (59:57.198) I love you. Well, I mean, like, how do I not end on that, you guys? To be clear, there's more than a few hundred listeners. But anyway, I digress. Do you have a favorite quote?

Adam (01:00:10.771) It's going to sound silly, but honestly, it's just where there's a will, there's a way. I really believe in that. And at least in the experience of my life, crazy things happen and sometimes for a reason. But anything that I've really put my mind to in the course of my life and I've been hyper -focused and dedicated and no is not an option and failure is not an option, it's amazing what can happen.

stamie karakasidis (01:00:16.974) Okay.

stamie karakasidis (01:00:33.422) I gotta say, and especially with this job, I mean, I've seen some of the craziest stuff happen, the way I've ended up in LA, like, I do believe in that. And you have to be open -minded to believe in that. And miracles do happen. Like, you can make stuff happen, even if you think you're stuck somewhere or, and change is really good. It's scary, but you gotta like, you gotta make a move. If you don't make a move, nothing's gonna change.

Adam (01:00:59.987) I'm with you. I'm not the most spiritual guy. You know, I tend to be more agnostic, but there have been, you know, a few circumstances in my life where everything looked like chaos. And when you look back, the pieces all fall into place in this magnificent, almost designed type of way. And whatever that is, I don't really care. You know, it's all part of my experience and I'm just happy to be living it and to be present here and to be obviously talking to you and having these types of moments and experiences and always just looking forward to see what comes tomorrow.

stamie karakasidis (01:01:16.11) Mm -hmm.

stamie karakasidis (01:01:27.854) Well, that I think is gonna wrap this show up. I'm gonna take a little picture right here, a little teaser. Adam, this was so much fun. Thank you so much. Guys, so I'm gonna link Adam where you can follow him and please watch Buying Beverly Hills Season Two, follow the agency and thanks again for listening and heart you. There's a heart. Isn't that what old people do? Or what do young people do? that one. There you go, that one. look what it does now.

Adam (01:01:37.043) Pleasure is always mine. Thank you so much.

Adam (01:01:50.835) Much love. Something like that.

stamie karakasidis (01:01:57.774) Wow, wow. Modern technology. I think there's a thumb do the thumb now. no, just the hearts. I don't even do the heart right. Damn, I failed everyone. Okay, well have a good night. Thanks Adam. Okay, love you. See you later. See you later. Bye. Bye.

Adam (01:02:02.771) I love it. I don't know, you go first and see.

Apparently not.

All right, Sammy, love to talk to you later. Bye, guys.

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