Inspiring Conversations with Garrett Stafford of Douglas Elliman

I was born and raised in West LA. Early on, I was interested in athletics and very competitive. My parents put me into a handful of sports. At the age of 7, I gravitated towards ice hockey which became the sport that I would ultimately focus on. That focus led me to move out of my parent’s house at the age of 15 to pursue a full athletic scholarship. Through hard work and determination, I would eventually receive a full college scholarship and play in the NHL and professionally for 14 years in the USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland. In 2009, a best friend launched a Luxury Motorsport company called Ghost Motorsports in West LA and asked me to be a part of it. Our shared passion for cars and design is expressed through this company. Ghost Motorsports is tailored to clientele that has the desire for their vehicles to be unique and modified to their needs.

In 2018, I began my career as a real estate agent for Douglas Elliman Beverly Hills. My introduction to design and real estate came early as my Dad, James Stafford co-founded Southern California Institute of Architecture, SCI-Arc in 1972. SCI-Arc is an Architectural Institute that would become known as the premier architecture school in the world for progressive thinking. From an early age, this upbringing put me on job sites all over Los Angeles. I was able to gather invaluable knowledge during property development meetings which I was lucky enough to overhear. This experience gave me a unique and immeasurable advantage when consulting on real estate properties.

There are obstacles and problems that need solutions everyday. Nothing worth fighting for is easy and that has always stuck with me. My work ethic was forged from the day to day grind of being a professional hockey player. Everyday you are tested whether that be physically, mentally and most of the time both. To have to dig deep on a day to day basis and make the conscious decision to push through the pain and be able to push through any obstacle that is in front of you. This daily exercise has laid a foundation for me to always fall back on, in business.

I’m lucky enough to be part of a wildly successful Real Estate Brokerage called Douglas Elliman. The leadership, support staff, and infrastructure are the best in the world. This umbrella is one facet of my success. First comes my family. My wife Lynne is a juggernaut with one of a kind accolades on her resume. She has become an agent at Douglas Elliman as well and has been a driving force in the success we have experienced in real estate. In addition to this base, I have recently started an incredible partnership with Jesse Morton. I’m excited to grow our business together exponentially. Finally, this experience has put me in a position to guide others and begin to give back to a younger generation.

The housing market in Los Angeles has seen a 30% increase in sales from this time last year. Furthermore, Greater Los Angeles had 628 residential sales over $10 million in 2021, totaling $10.6 billion. That’s a 90.3% increase in transaction volume compared to 2020. It’s an exciting time to be helping people achieve their real estate dreams. I feel lucky to be a true Angelino and have intimate knowledge of the city coupled with the design background and experience learned from growing up in my Architecture household.