LARS NORDSTROM

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Lars Nordstrom Executive Agent of the Month

N

r e a l

e s t a t e

g r o u p

the name you’ve come to trust

TM

Lars Nordstrom

L

Written by Haley Freeman - Ian Wiant Photographer

ars Nordstrom achieved his success in real estate the old fashioned way – by working hard, taking care of people and refining his craft. With his good sense of humor and down-to-earth manner, Lars proves that for him, no job is too small and no task too humble.

He treats every client like a friend and reaps the rewards of a loyal client base.

Lars is a lifetime athlete honored as an NCAA 3-time All-American in swimming and an academic All-American in water polo, who also earned his degree in Kinesiology.

As a swimmer in San Diego, Lars spent a lot of time at the beach. A friend’s father asked him to look out for any houses for sale with an ocean view. “He told me if he bought it, he’d give me $500,” Lars says. “That sounded like a lot of money to me – I was a broke young guy trying to find coupons to shop at Costco. Then I met a real estate

agent who offered me $1500 for the referral.” Following that, Lars attended a career fair on campus at UCSD. “I was curious about why an agent would offer me $1500 for a name. That’s when I learned how much he could make on the sale. Before you knew it, I was a licensed Realtor®.”

In his real estate class in San Diego, Lars met Chris Speer – an Army veteran wounded in action and beginning his second career. They worked together for a time and became fast friends. Lars then headed off to Orange County and Chris remained in San Diego, where he worked with a high-volume REO team. “I knew that I wouldn’t make the money that I could elsewhere, but I took the job for the experience,” Chris says. “After dealing with that many properties in such a short amount of time, nothing bothers me. I don’t get flustered when something goes wrong. I know what to do.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Building a Five-Star Real Estate Team Simultaneously, Lars worked with an REO team in Orange County and then branched out on his own as the market shifted. “I shopped around, and the more I talked to First Team, I knew I had to go to work with them. My choice was not about me, but about the service I could offer to my clients.”

Beginning his career during the distressed market did not deter Lars. He continues, “I did REOs to learn the market, but at the same time, I knew that I needed to get out and meet people, follow up and work hard to make it in the conventional market. I did open houses and walked neighborhoods. Everybody around me kept complaining that business wasn’t like it was in 2004, but I’d never had the experience of putting out a sign and making $20,000 the next day. I never knew what easy money was. I still don’t know. I just know that you have to work hard for your money. You have to work hard for your client. I learned that from my dad and grandpa growing up. It’s all about

balance. You work as hard as you want to work, to be as successful as you want to be.”

After establishing himself with First Team, Lars began building The Nordstrom Real Estate Group. He has assembled a group of outstanding agents, with like values and varied skills. “We are all very different people, but our ethics are the same and we all have fun together,” Lars says.

Janice Stahler was the first to join Lars. She is a native of Orange County who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She began in real estate working with her parents’ brokerage specializing in the sale of assisted living and healthcare facilities. “What I saw in her was a female version of me,” Lars says. “She’s a hard worker and does whatever she can for her clients. She started out with me as a buyer’s agent, but now I share listing leads with her and she is generating listings of her own.”

The Nordstrom Real Estate Group: Chris Speer, Janice Stahler, Lars Nordstrom and Yolla Elkhoueiry ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Chris and Lars reunited when Chris joined the team in early 2014. “If I could give Chris a title, I think it would be ‘the guy who keeps everything together,’” Lars says.

“He’s way more disciplined than me. I like to have fun, and that’s how I attract people. Chris is very disciplined and keeps everything going. He acts as our business facilitator, is a buyer’s agent and has his own business” Yolla Elkhoueiry is the newest addition to the team.

She grew up as the youngest of seven children in a conflicted region of the Middle East and achieved a successful career as an architect. She speaks Arabic, French and English, and her broad cultural background helps her to authentically connect with a wide range of clients. “Yolla was a past client of mine who had such a positive experience that she wanted to get into real estate herself and provide others with an experience that is equally fun and enjoyable. I feel that is the greatest compliment I

could ever receive as a professional. Yolla is very hardworking, well-connected and has the nicest family. She is a buyer’s agent who also works on her own listings, and we are happy to have her working with us.”

Lars and his team remain diversified and agile to assist clients in any kind of market. Luxury properties and international clientele are an increasingly large percentage of their portfolio. “The only thing we don’t provide is property management, but we have a great referral partnership for that. The phenomenal schools and neighborhoods here are a big draw. Buyers are coming here from overseas looking to have this lifestyle. I knew that I needed to align myself with a company with an international presence if I wanted to provide the service that would attract the best international clientele. First Team is the exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate as well as Luxury Portfolio.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

“Real Estate Is Very Personal. It’s All About Family And Lifestyle.”

Lars and his team also embrace the millennial market.

“Many agents say millennials are difficult, and they’re afraid of them. But if you want to work with them, you have to give them the information they want. They come to a transaction knowing all the what, but still not knowing the why. The internet can decipher everything except what’s important to us as people. That’s what sets us apart as agents. We advocate and negotiate for people – the internet can’t do that. Until real estate becomes an impersonal business, we still have a job. And real estate is very personal. It’s all about family and lifestyle, and that’s why we’re still employed.”

According to Lars, his goal isn’t to be the number one agent in OC, but to help as many people as he can while maintaining a balanced life. “People ask me about my motivation. It’s not a bigger car or house. It’s my little girl.

Family is number one for me. My church is also important to me. I feel my faith has gotten me where I am today.”

Fifty-five clients have given Lars and his team a 5-Star rating on Zillow. “I openly wear my heart on my sleeve,” Lars says. “What people say online about our service means so much more to me than my paycheck. We’re here to make the real estate process easier and make good friends along the way.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Lars Nordstrom First Team Real Estate Tel: 714-345-8579 NordstromGroupSoCal@gmail.com www.HomesByNordstrom.com CalBRE # 01768982

N

r e a l

e s t a t e

g r o u p

the name you’ve come to trust

ExecutiveAgent Magazine