DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
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4.12.2019 | DIGS.NET 27 M A R K E T "I went into real estate to be of service," Palisades agent Michael Edlen explains. "It was a great fit for me given my background, but I never thought about doing it earlier in my life." He did think about it in the mid-1980s, however, when pondering his next move. Edlen had technically been retired for about six years—focusing on parenting and portfolio management after building up and selling the family's manufacturing business—when, he recalled an earlier chapter when he and his wife were house-hunting. e analytic sort, Edlen had thought finding the right house would be simple: "You make a list of what you want, and then you go find it." After months of fruitless searching with three different agents, the Edlens finally found a home on their own—a fantastic property that checked off nearly everything on their list. "If what we experienced was the highest level of service in Palisades real estate," Edlen thought, "then I could do a whole lot better." A voracious self-learner, he listened to hundreds of real-estate training tapes, got his license, and set off on his new career. More than three decades later, he remains at the head of a busy and unique real estate team. "I was one of the first agents, to my knowledge, to go out and hire an assistant," Edlen explains. "In 1990, it was almost unheard of. People didn't think it was a wise business decision." He did it, however, to increase the level of service that he, a sole agent, could provide. After a year his assistant, he says, "was like a clone of me, and working out very well." He hired another. "When I did that, people knew I was crazy," he says with a chuckle. In the end, Edlen formed his team, and each member has a specialty. ere's a marketing director, for instance, plus an administrative assistant and an operations manager who's also an attorney. A business that Edlen powers "from the heart" while remaining the consummate real estate professional means his door is open when it comes to helping others. Need advice on your next real estate move? Relocation information? "Any day, any night or weekend I'm glad to be here to help people," he says. "at's the kind of spirit I feel is essential in real estate, and it's what I'm committed to." Among his specialties is the conscientious and expert servicing of senior clients. "is has become a very difficult world for some of them to function in," says Edlen, who has a SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) designation. "We strive to make everything understandable." He also focuses on building relationships, face-to- face, with all clients—an essential real estate skill that has perhaps suffered in the age of technology. "Taking the time to be empathetic" is an Edlen must, he explains, "so there's a clear understanding of what's important to the potential buyer or seller." Being compassionate, however, doesn't mean Edlen uses a soft touch when it comes to the end goal. He describes himself as "competitive and tenacious," and the more complex or difficult the situation, the better. Case in point: a seller with a pressing and serious health issue needed his house sold in a week. "We jumped to it and it was on the market in 48 hours, photos and everything," Edlen says. By day five, the house was in escrow. "My team and I have no hesitation taking as much effort that is needed to be loyal to our clients and deliver to them the highest quality of service out there."