Today we’d like to introduce you to Vartan Kebabjian.
Vartan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The experience of purchasing my own house was the key factor that made me want to get into real estate. I came into the real estate industry with a background in computer programming, system analysis and economics.
The Marketing aspect came easy to me, as I have had extensive experience in that realm. I was the business development director for a major Construction/consortium overseas. My experience helped make the transition easy for me to get my name out there as a realtor/broker.
I have been awarded consistently as a top selling and listing broker of the year when I was associated with another real estate prior to opening up my own company-SPK Realty
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Naturally nothing works smoothly in the beginning. I have effectively identified my strengths and preferences within real estate. Focusing on sellers, leveraging my marketing mindset, and tackling challenging niches like For Sale By Owner (FSBO) then short sales which aligned well with my interests. I’ve chosen few paths and strategies to leverage my skills and build a successful business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about SPK Realty?
In order for me to be ahead of my competitors, I utilized technology early on in my real estate career. I’ve used disks in DOS version computers to farm my marketing area. I was the computer Committee Chairperson at the Pasadena Board of Realtors in 1996. Also, volunteering to teach computer classes to seniors at the Pasadena Senior Center was a valuable way to help bridge the digital divide.
After 10 years of working with a local well known real estate firm, I realized I was operating as a company within another company. Therefore; It was time to venture on my own. SPK Realty was the first to launch a website in the Pasadena area in January of 1997. Other local large firms followed afterwards.
At SPK Realty, the business has grown specializing in residential and residential income. However; over the years, my interest shifted towards mixed commercial and business opportunities.
The success of SPK Realty is credited to my family members who are the backbone of the business.
I’m happy that my teenaged kids Shant and Patille helped me with inputting documents in the system in late 1990s, which was instrumental in automating our files, so that we could operate our business efficiently.
I was fortunate to have my son Shant work with me in SPK Realty for a long time, and he was a great addition to the company.
He provided me with a lot of valuable support to help run the business. He was the head of our BPO department, and I’m really proud of Shant’s contributions to SPK Realty.
My wife Gohar is currently heading marketing and social media department.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I was assisting clients with their short Sales back in mid 1990s, and this process led me gradually into REO transactions (Real Estate Owned), which are foreclosed homes. My client based shifted towards banking institutions.
Then came a period around 2010 when I decided to mix it up, ie, marketing business opportunities can be interesting. Selling business opportunities, franchises, or commercial investments often relies heavily on objective data, financial models, and Return on Investment calculations. This approach minimizes emotional influence and focuses strictly on the quantitative potential of the venture.
Pricing:
- Pricing is a crucial strategic element in business, when executed effectively it can significantly contribute to efficiency and success by streamlining interactions and ensuring mutual value
- Pricing a home slightly below market value can be a strategic move in a competitive market. This creates urgency and higher demand.
- Chasing the market is detrimental for sellers because overpricing a property initially and then making a series of price reductions leads to the home taking longer to sell and ultimately selling for less money than if it had been priced correctly from the start.
- it is wise for experienced brokers to emphasize correct initial pricing to maximize the initial surge of buyer interest and leverage market psychology to the seller’s advantage.
- A fair market price attracts serious, qualified buyers who are ready to make a reasonable offer, rather than warding off potential buyers when overpricing or attracting bargain hunters when underpricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spkrealty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spkrealty/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vartan-kebabjian-01118617/
Image Credits
Vartan Kebabjian
