Rise in home-based companies. Widespread acceptance of the work-from-home practice. Adoption of phygital events. Limited audience in live events. The outbreak of COVID-19 has considerably changed the way the world functions.
The pandemic crushed the global economy, forced millions of people out of employment, led businesses towards significant losses, and locked people in their homes for months in its initial phase. As the world moves forward with this pandemic situation, people have come to accept the changes. Smart business strategies to cope with the changing landscape; people finally leaving their homes with masks while following the physical distancing protocols, the world is now beginning to embrace the ‘New Normal.’ No one really knows when the world will resume its pre-COVID functionality; till then, people have come to accept the reality and are looking for ways around it.
Starting from the education sector to the real estate market, smart minds have designed strategies that will help them streamline operations and minimize the losses during this phase of uncertainty. When talking about these people who have been able to work their way around the evolving world, the name Tomer Fridman is one to bring into the limelight. The Israel-born real estate agent who works with high-end clients, including those from the entertainment sector. He is serving as an inspiration for other realtors struggling to keep up with the changing real estate market.
During the last quarter of 2019, Tomer was working on his newest listing. It was a $32 million contemporary home that was located on the Sunset Strip. He was planning a luxurious event to launch his latest listing, and then COVID-19 happened. It was devastating for the entire world, including Tomer, who was about to release his new listing. Tomer, one of the best real estate agents at Compass, saw all his plans go down the drain. Did it mean Tomer’s real estate firm, like all other companies, would incur severe losses? Fortunately, the high-end real estate broker in Los Angeles is not one of those who would give up so easily on their dreams.
A Dynamic Approach to Tackle the COVID-19 Effects
Tomer Fridman, who specializes in residential luxury estate properties and large-scale projects throughout Los Angeles, Israel, and Europe, was born in Tel Aviv, a city on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, on September 6, 1976. Even when he was a kid, he would get really excited to explore new real estate properties. Tomer used to love high-end and luxurious properties. His mother, Isidora Fridman, who has been working with Tomer as a 50/50 partner for the past decade, has, on several occasions, talked about how passionate her son was about real estate. She stated, “Tomer’s always had a passion for real estate, even way before I got into the business in the 1990s.” She also recounts that when all others of Tomer’s age would go out and watch movies, he would express his wish to explore the new properties. For a kid of his age, it was a bit unusual.
Even after he acquired his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, it did not alter his admiration for the real estate career. He stepped into the real estate market in XXXX with an aim to rise as a renowned professional in the industry. He was successful in goal and established a prominent identity in the real estate sector in California as the ‘Real estate agent of the VIPs.’ His identity was an outcome of his real estate dealing with high-end clientele that included the Kardashians, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne.
His real estate projects with celebrities with over 3 Billion in career sales are not the only reasons why Tomer has grabbed the masses’ attention. The dynamic approach he has adopted to survive in the real estate market amidst the pandemic has also added to his fame. Being Celebrity & Luxury Real Estate expert, Tomer, in 2019, came up with a concept of a virtual open-house party. It was something not many real estate agents or companies had given a thought until Tomer finally brought into practice.
In May, Tomer and his team members hosted a VIP open-house party on Zoom. It was an attempt by Tomer to provide the 25 would-be buyers of the property on the Sunset Strip an experience close to that when they had physically visited the house. Tomer worked on crafting an experience through which the potential buyers could experience the property using all their senses. Not only were the potential buyers invited to a virtual tour but were also provided with a 4-inch tall olive tree, small cuttings of stone, and a scented candle. The tree mimicked the real trees that were located at the entrance of the property. The box with cuttings included the travertine stone that was used for the floors of the house. It also had a cutting of the white oak slab, which was used to make the wall panels. Lastly, the Tom Dixon candle served the purpose of giving these would-be-buyers with a feel of the ‘rose petal garlands, cinnamon, and a Chinese herbal market.’
The tour was conducted by three agents, and they took the 25 interested buyers from room to room through the video feature on their phones. The three agents led these buyers to the foyer for a toast. The gift pack that these attendees received included a box of Beverly Hills Teuscher Champagne truffles with a small bottle of Moet & Chandon Champagne.
It is due to Tomer’s innovative approach that has led him to establish himself as a well-known real estate agent in Los Angeles. The executive director or Luxury and Celebrity Real Estate at Compass is also the chairman of the Fridman Group and on the board of Directors for a global real estate brand, EMEIA. Not only this, but Fridman has also acquired ranks in America’s Best Real Estate Agents by Wall Street Journal/Real Trends. Not once, but multiple times, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety have brought Tomer under the spotlight by enlisting him as one of the countries Showbiz Real Estate Elite and Hollywood Power Broker to the entertainment industry and Hollywood A-listers.
Now, by embracing the ‘new normal,’ he has initiated a change in how real estate firms have been functioning amidst an uncertain situation. He has set an example for all the realtors by proving that ‘when there’s a will, there is a way.’