ELENA LAKSHTANOV

REALTOR® Elena Lakshtanov relocated from Wisconsin to Florida seven years ago, fulfilling her dream of living in the sunshine state. Now, she helps others do the same. After obtaining her real estate license five years ago, she has been steadily growing her professional network, and has become an expert covering Sunny Isles Beach to West Palm Beach. The allure of the weather, beaches, and excellent school systems are enough to bring anyone to her door, but it’s also Elena’s ability to make clients feel at ease from day one that keeps her referrals high and clients happy.

“Boca is known for its incredible schools, safe neighborhoods, and well-maintained streets,” explains Elena. “It offers resortstyle amenities for all ages, with many 55+ communities for those who want to retire in comfort.” Not only does Elena believe that Boca is a little slice of heaven, but she shares her passion for the area with her clients. Many people come to her with hardly any knowledge of the local resources, and Elena is there to show them the best universities, restaurants, doctor’s offices, and of course, homes. “Many of my clients want to plan for the future of their family, and as a mom of three kids, I know exactly what to show them,” she says.

While around half of her business is referred to her, Elena also has a lot of new people finding her through social media or other advertising. When she started, that’s all she did — social media was her bread and butter when it came to getting the word out. Now, potential clients hear of her reputation for success and seek her out personally. “I love socializing and my clients often become good friends,” she says. “They call me, I call them — I’m someone they can rely on.”

A huge part of Elena’s social life stems from her roots. She is deeply involved in the Russian Jewish community in Boca and works with many immigrants who are assimilating to life in the United States. “I help a lot of people from around the world find their very first home in the U.S.” she says. When she’s not working, she loves attending picnics and gatherings with her friends as well as going to the beach. “There are so many fun things to do in Florida that you really can’t sit inside.”

Elena’s sales volume is already averaging an impressive $25 million each year, but she has her sights set even higher. At the moment, she is working to break into the luxury real estate division as the next step in her business. Her goal is to eventually earn her broker’s license, but she insists that there are lots of other ways to learn on the job in the meantime. “Many people don’t know a lot about Boca when they move here,” she says. “I love hearing about their lives and helping them find the neighborhood and community where they feel at home.”

Working with Elena as a REALTOR®, her clients get personalized attention and a focus on their unique needs and goals. With an unwavering passion for real estate, Elena brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. Her love for the industry is evident in the dedication she shows to each and every client. Elena firmly believes in building strong relationships with her clients based on trust, transparency, and open communication. Elena is constantly staying up-to-date on the latest market trends and technologies to ensure that she is providing the most current and effective advice. Beyond being a real estate agent, Elena becomes her clients’ trusted advisor and partner throughout their real estate journey.

Contact Elena Lakshtanov today and take that first step towards an exciting and successful real estate experience!

Cooperation, Not Competition, Creates Mutual Success for Agents

When people get along during a business transaction, everyone comes out happier. And in a service industry like real estate, agents have the power deliver that happiness. By working cooperatively, sharing advice and helping each other help clients, agents not only enhance their own reputations, but that of real estate in general.

“Bring everyone together”

Matt Kobelski, with Credentials Real Estate Group in Massachusetts, points out that providing good service involves more people than the party you’re representing. “I’m not afraid to bring together all the parties in a deal and say, ‘OK, let’s figure out a solution that works best for everyone,” he explains. “My goal is to avoid being adversarial.” Real estate, he believes, should always be a field in which each person can win. “It’s about working toward a mutual goal, shaking hands, and walking away happy that a seller sold, a buyer bought and everyone got what they wanted.”

But Is it that simple? Most agents have experienced the ways conflicting personalities and tension during a transaction can heat up even the most cordial relations. In reality, however, it’s more productive to let down your guard and work with others as a team than it is to allow stress and competition to preside. South Florida REALTOR® and broker associate, Risë V. Siegrist, for instance, has zero interest in competing with other agents. “It’s more important to be professional and associate with competent, caring people,” she says. By serving others with a cooperative spirit, experienced agents like Risë set an excellent example for emerging real estate stars. Risë hopes to be a model for the next generation of agents, training people who may one day become part of her team.

Risë’s position on cooperation inspires more reasons for nurturing relationships with other agents. Over the decades, many agents change brokerages several times. Who knows if that agent across the table will one day work at the same brokerage you do? Perhaps you’ll even have an opportunity to partner on an exciting, future transaction. Good relations keep doors open to endless possibilities.

Co-listing cooperation

Teaming up with an agent from a different brokerage on a transaction is not as uncommon or complicated as it might seem. In fact, some agents cleverly capitalize on their collective attributes, rather than competing against one another. South Carolina REALTOR® Kimberly Pannit is a perfect example of the universal benefits of co-listings. Although she has always been an independent agent, Kimberly works hard to form professional alliances that give her business the feel of a cooperative network across brokerages.

This cooperative approach may be nontraditional, but it benefits clients in unique ways. By working closely with agents at other brokerages, she shows how agents can improve client service while helping one another.

Kimberly’s cooperative approach began in her own neighborhood, where an agent friend from a different brokerage also lives. “Several years ago, I approached her because both of us were friends with our neighbors. I asked, ‘Why don’t we give our neighbors superior service and co-list together? We both love our area and are passionate about our jobs, the location and schools.’” She also didn’t want to make their mutual friends choose between them when they could work together. “I said, ‘Let’s give them amazing service together!’” With their brokers’ permission, two weeks later the agents co-listed their first home and put extra energy into ensuring uninterrupted client service.

Networking and “Co-opertition”

When the ultimate goal is to match a client with the perfect home or create optimal terms of sale for a listings, networking with other agents can facilitate that ideal buyer-seller match. Nashville REALTOR® and broker/owner Lisa Land embraced every opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the real estate industry and to her local market, even before building her own team. “Agents would frequently ask me for help or advice,” she says, noting that she shares, rather than guarding, the methods she uses to get through difficult or confusing transactions. “I was fortunate to have great mentors when I started in real estate, so I’m always willing to offer help, even to agents outside of The Luxe Collective.”

Meanwhile, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Janet Leigh Scott describes the climate between agents as relaxed and professional. “While the real estate market is highly competitive, we’re truly a ‘co-opertition’ market; agents work together and a have greater sense of community than you might experience in off-island brokerages,” Janet says. “If I have buyer coming into town, I’ll reach out to agents I’ve done transactions with to ask if they have anything coming up that might not be on the market yet.”

Even in hot, competitive L.A. real estate, independent agents such as Andrej Nagy of The Agency RE knows the importance of receiving and providing professional mentorship. “My relationships with clients are extremely important,” he says. “But my relationships with agents on the other side of a deal are also important.” For REALTORS® like him, working smoothly with other agents is a privilege. Doing so builds rewarding relationships while ensuring win-win transactions for everyone at the closing table.