Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Shuman.
Jeffrey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career in real estate while studying at Bentley University. I had a friend who worked as a real estate agent for a summer and he told me he really enjoyed it. I found an ad that a company had posted looking for a luxury real estate agent, so I contacted them and got the job. I was living in Waltham at the time, so I took $350 of my $1,000 in savings and rented a parking spot for the first month on Newbury. I was extremely nervous, but I was ready to give the job everything I had. In the beginning I was given clients looking for high-end short term apartments since most agents wouldn’t touch those type of leads. I was just grateful to have those opportunities and I did my first deal within two weeks. The excitement got me hooked and I knew in this business that your success was based on how much effort you put into your job. I was at a slight disadvantage because I was only 21, so I committed to working harder than anyone around me. At 22, I closed my first million-dollar sale and that was the moment when I knew I was meant to sell real estate.
About a year and a half later after graduating from Bentley, I began working for a developer and started my own brokerage with two partners. I was in charge of all the operations and renting out the 90+ listings we had. I still had many of my previous clients and it was a lot of responsibility at 22, but I was building my knowledge and the experience was amazing.
I took a couple of years off from doing real estate full time to pursue a startup with my brother. It was a fantastic opportunity and the skillset I gained from this experience has made me into the real estate agent I am today. I currently run all of our company’s marketing and one of our highly trafficked websites, which generates leads for all of the agents.
Since I started over 9 years ago, I’ve closed over $60,000,000 in sales and over $1,000,000 in total rentals. I currently manage over $20,000,000 in property.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being in real estate is never really smooth. There are some month’s that you close 10 deals and there are others that you close none. It can be extremely frustrating, but you have to remain committed and look long term. Often time’s people think that you dive into real estate and you are suddenly going to be making tons of money, but for 99% of people this is not the case.
I’ve sacrificed a lot for real estate and after 3 years of nonstop real estate in combination with school, I needed a small break. This was the reason I began working on my startup. At the end of the day, real estate is my true passion and I love working with so many different types of people as well as forming lifelong relationships.
Luxury Residential Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our company specializes in luxury real estate sales and rentals. I would say that my specialty lies within the heart of the city meaning locations like Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End, Midtown, Waterfront, Seaport District, and South Boston. I’m definitely known for representing many buyers with new construction sales and the level of service I provide my clients. They know that I put them first, go above and beyond what is expected of me, and that I’m reachable anytime. Sometimes it feels like I work 24/7.
I’ve been able to form a lot of relationships with people who work in private equity, venture capital, and startups as well as international buyers because of my experience and having studied finance in college. My finance background allows me to work with a lot of investors. I’ve always been great with numbers, so I have the ability to analyze investment opportunities on a more sophisticated level.
My work ethic and determination definitely play the biggest role in my success. My hunger for broadening my skills and eagerness to learn from as many people as possible has also been crucial.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I would say there were three specific milestones in my career that made me the proudest. The first was closing my first million-dollar deal at 22. The second was completing one of the largest rental deals in Boston at $35,000/month. The third was closing over $25,000,000 in sales within a single year.
Contact Info:
- Address: Luxury Residential Group
355 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116 - Website: www.LuxuryBoston.com
- Phone: (978) 460-0921
- Email: Jeff@luxuryboston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxurybostonjeff/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-shuman/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
