E XECUTIVE AGENT
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MAGAZINE
Tamara Suminski & Chris Duff
South Bay Real Estate RE-Imagined
Written by H. K. Wilson
W
hen Broker-Owners Tamara Suminski and Chris Duff decided to open the doors on Beach Real Estate Group in Manhattan Beach, they had a vision: to deliver an exceptional real estate experience seasoned with authenticity, integrity, innovation and happiness.
With a focus on LA County, and in particular, the South Bay, Long Beach and LA’s Westside, Tamara and Chris believe it’s important to be knowledgeable in the areas where they perform their work. “If we don’t feel we fit the need of a client, we refer the business to someone we trust,” Chris says. Although their practice is local, their reach is global, since Beach Real Estate Group is equipped with the same digital resources as any large brand. Its listings are syndicated on all of the top industry platforms, including Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow.
That’s a big dream, but in just over a year, this dynamic real estate duo has succeeded at bringing their dream to life. With a business driven almost exclusively by referral, Tamara says the explanation for their success is simple: “We’re about people and relationships. We believe that part of our value proposition is our ability to better understand our clients and serve them in the best possible way. We represent anyone who needs real estate help and can benefit from our resources. Our commitment is the same whether someone is buying a $300,000 condo or a multi-million-dollar home.”
The pair also owns a real estate school called Innovate Success Strategies. Its purpose is to “instruct, motivate and inspire real estate practitioners to transform their business through innovation.” Tamara and Chris travel together throughout the country to consult with agents, brokerages and associations, and provide leadership, designation and certification training. Recently, they launched a new Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) course for the National Association of Realtors®.
According to Tamara, the company is “small and mighty,” committed to slow and deliberate growth driven by select agents that fit the company’s core values. “Our image is of each agent collectively providing the best customer experience possible.”
With their complementary skills and shared values, Tamara and Chris are a powerful force. Chris describes Tamara as a creative, solution-oriented professional and energetic trainer. “She brings a high energy in her speaking that really makes a difference with people. She is so memorable to the client or student.”
Tamara is a third-generation Realtor® who enjoyed a successful first career in the hotel industry. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business. Since real estate investment was always a topic of conversation around the family dinner table, she says it was inevitable that she would eventually join the profession. When she finally did turn her attention to real estate in 2004, she immediately fell in love with professional development and education. “I’ve always been a trainer and interested in knowing more about any career I’m in. I immediately enrolled in professional development and certification training my first year.”
After a disadvantaged childhood, Chris made his way from Ohio to Texas on a Greyhound bus. Like Tamara, he obtained his real estate license in 2004, and he started his career in farm and ranch sales. From humble beginnings, Chris succeeded rapidly, applying his extraordinary work ethic and gift for connecting with people. He soon took over a large franchise real estate office in Corpus Christi. Chris brings his years of transactional and management experience to his partnership with Tamara, and together, they are raising the bar on California real estate.
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“Chris is a great coach and mentor,” Tamara says. “He’s also a stabilizer and analytic who holds us accountable. He’s much better at running the financial side of our business than I am.” Tamara and Chris share the belief that home ownership offers stability to families, and they donate substantial time to advocacy for private property rights. Tamara says, “When you hear the story of Chris’s upbringing and how he eventually got into real estate and became a very successful broker, it shows why home ownership is so important.”
“For me, it’s the reason I love what I get to do,” Chris says. “I get to put people in homes hopefully for the rest of their lives — a place of security and comfort where they can have conversations around the dinner table with the people they love. That’s what a home is. It’s not just an investment. It’s a place to share love with a family and all the people you love spending time with. When we get to make that magic happen for our clients, for me, it goes a long way. It’s important for us not only as Realtors®, but as homeowners ourselves, to go to battle for everyone to be able to get a piece of that American Dream called home ownership.” Tamara and Chris met in real estate, and they are engaged to be married this year. Looking to the future, they are excited about furthering their distinctive real estate presence in the South Bay and making many dreams of home ownership come true. Tamara Suminski & Chris Duff Beach Real Estate Group 2315 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Tel: Tamara (310) 514.6081 Tel: Chris (361) 877.0529 Email: tamara@beachregroup.com Email: chris@beachregroup.com Web: www.beachrealestategroup.com DRE # 01472334 / 02063976
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