Valerie Fitzgerald
(Heart and SOLD)
Over the last 15 years, Valerie Fitzgerald has single-handedly managed to build a multi-million dollar real estate business, establish her own charity foundation, speak around the country at numerous business conventions, and appear on national television shows like Entertainment Tonight and MTV’s Cribs, or more recently, on NBC’s new series Open House LA. Fitzgerald is ranked among Coldwell Banker’s Top 10 agents nationwide, and earned the attention of the Los Angeles Business Journal for the highest sales volume in L.A. County for residential real estate in 2000. Despite her ever-growing success, her life is anything but one-sided; she is the proud mother of a 21-year-old who she calls her inspiration. Fitzgerald recounts her remarkable experiences in an upcoming book, published by Simon and Schuster later this year. “It means everything to me,” she says of her life. “You need to have the dream of how you want your life to be, and then you need the heart to go and get it. Don’t ever give up-if you shoot for the moon and miss, you are still among the stars.”
HL Where are you from? What attracted you to L.A.?
VF I was born in the heartland: Huron, South Dakota. My family moved to upstate New York and we lived on a chicken farm. I had to box eggs before school most mornings. At one point, we moved to L.A. I was working for Revlon and it was not working out for me and a friend suggested I go into real estate. I was not only a single mother but I was also broke and really scared at the time.
HL What attracted you to real estate?
VF At the time I went into real estate, I didn’t have the luxury of making choices based on what I was “attracted” to. I had a baby to raise and I decided to focus and give it my all to have a successful real estate career.
HL Who was your first mentor, and how did he or she influence you?
VF Without a doubt, my very first mentor was Judah Hertz. He taught me perseverance and to not take things personally. My second mentor was a wonderful woman who initially scared me. Her name was Thelma Orloff. She was tall and always dressed to the nines. She would say, “Just keep a smile, kid, and they will love you.”
HL You’ll never be found without your…
VF Positive attitude. There isn’t anything else.
HL What were your yearly sales for 2007? Forecast for 2008?
VF I have been fortunate to have consistent gross sales of approximately $160 million in residential sales each year for a while now. While I do follow a business plan, I am also aware that there are conditions that can skew projections. So to claim that we will surpass the previous year’s achievements in 2008…I feel would give no credibility to a changing climate. To be honest, we will do just great.
HL What is your most memorable deal?
VF My most memorable deals are the ones where both buyers and sellers are happy at the closing and we have dinner together to celebrate.
HL Where do you live?
VF I live in Brentwood, California, in a family neighborhood where neighbors are friendly.
HL If money were no object, what property on the market would you recommend in Southern California?
VF My own home…but I am not a seller…ha ha ha, where have I heard that before?
HL What is your formula for keeping your high-profile clients happy?
VF I don’t have a “formula” for keeping anyone happy including myself. I am so pleased to represent the people I do, and what I give to my clients is information. They are constantly informed about where their home stands in the “perception” world of value-locally, nationally, and internationally.
HL Tell us one thing most people wouldn’t know about you.
VF I have written a book that is being published by Simon and Schuster in New York and will be released February 2009. It is called Heart and SOLD and it is a collection of lessons and stories about raising a baby and a business.
HL What is your proudest achievement?
VF Without a doubt, being the mother of Vanessa Fitzgerald, a wonderful young woman I am so proud of.
HL Where would we find you on a Friday night?
VF Reading, writing, dinner with friends…but always going to bed manifesting the partner I would like to one day share my life with.
HL What are your favorite vacation destinations and/or leisure activities?
VF One day I had the realization that my daughter has been in 23 countries and she’s just 21. So traveling is immensely important to me. Let’s see…where to start? Dinner in London, lunch in Paris, a walk on the beach, and dancing in Istanbul or Saint-Tropez.
HL Your forecast for the L.A. real estate market for 2008?
VF Considering that there is a low inventory of homes available for sale, a lot of foreign investing as a result of currency exchanges, a plethora of buyers on the side lines, and reasonably low interest rates, I expect 2008 to continue to be strong.
HL What are your personal goals for 2008?
VF My personal goals grow every year. I will be healthy, I will listen to and be available for those people in my life that value a relationship with me. I will give my heart and soul to my family first. My friends and my clients will know the truth as I know it, and I will be on the New York Times best seller list with my book.
HL In your opinion, what makes L.A. so special?
VF There are a lot of things that make L.A. special. I look for the “twinkle” in life and a sense of humor.
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