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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10.2.2020 | DIGS.NET 29 M A R K E T bout a year ago VIP agent Cindy Ambuehl started her own real estate group. A big deci- sion and investment, since this sole proprietor had been a singular force for the entirety of her career—first as a television actress, then as a luxury agent who started garnering trade accolades early in her 13-year career. "I always loved real estate," says Ambuehl, "and when I started to make a living as an actress in my early twenties, I personally invested in properties. Years later when I decided to pursue it professionally, I really understood the human aspect of the business. I think that commitment and the repu- tation I earned as a result is why my business grew so quickly." Cultivating an exclusive boutique group to extend Ambuehl's award-winning brand of real estate beyond just her has proved a smart move. is year— their first in consideration—the group landed on the 27th spot (out of 65) on REAL Trends "2020 Small Teams by Volume" with over 178 million in sales. Why such success? "I am extremely maternal, hence the hundred children I have," says the mother of seven with a laugh. "I'm very protective of my team, and want to help them. I give them a lot of opportunity, and they step up." Among the benefits of having a team, with everyone aligned with Ambuehl's approach, is prac- tical. ey can be in places she can't, such as the team member at a Doheny listing early in the morning for a showing while Ambuehl is across town overseeing a property refresh. Another plus is the boost that comes with new blood, energized and ambitious, and eager to adapt to the new norms of real estate, like digital, a core of Ambuehl's business. "It's extremely important that we reach home buyers in the manner that they're shopping and looking at homes," the agent remarks, citing a recent scenario where analytics helped to re-animate a listing that was lagging. e strategy involved promoting the proper- ty's eight-car garage, and tracking data from online shoppers. "When anyone was searching for a four-or- more-car garage, we were automatically notified and they automatically saw that house," says Ambuehl. "You can't do that in print, you can't do that on the phone." Part of her digital push is utilizing social media. At the urging of her son, Ambuehl Group agent Zander Diamont, she was an early adopter, posting positive videos with her and her husband, actor Don Diamont, and their kids, or musings about work and current events. "I have 43,000 followers getting to know me THE PROPERTY IMAGES ARE FROM THE FOLLOWING LISTING: 10960 Verano Road, Los Angeles 6 Bed | 8 Bath | 8,200 SF Offered at $10,500,000 personally," Ambuehl points out. She even personally answers questions posed to her on Instagram. "It gives them a sense of who you are. ey feel like they know you and can trust you." Likewise, her team has followed suit with humorous videos posted to the Group's Insta- gram account. "It's not just about you anymore," she says of shifting to a business model that casts her as trusted group leader and mentor in addition to busy agent. "You have to make sure every member of your team is taken care of, because they're an extension of you." It's not so different from Ambuehl's style of working with clients—a high-touch personalized approach that, on the days we spoke, had the agent shepherding an out-of-town client's dog to safety in the aftermath of the wildfires, and submitting a count- er-offer for another client in a make-or-break deadline of two hours. Her steady demeanor and commitment to her trusted real estate credo—"Honor the process"—always help. Which means keeping a steady focus on client service, versus moving listings or racking up commis- sions. ese things, she insists, will happen if you get the first—and most important part—right. A