For Josh Altman, real estate powerhouse and star of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing, a day at his high-powered California office really can be a day at the beach.
With an exclusive clientele consisting mainly of celebrities and high-net-worth individuals from around the world, Josh Altman, a self-proclaimed “no-bull type of guy,” has become one of the leading real estate agents in the business, moving luxury properties at Hilton & Hyland Real Estate. With over $200 million in sales in 2012, and his projected goal of $300 million in 2013, Altman is quickly on his way to becoming a top realtor in the country.
For Altman, coming to Los Angeles is a childhood dream come true. “There was something about the glitz and glam of Hollywood that I just wanted to be part of, and it lured me in from the East Coast,” Altman says. “For me, it was about selling the dream ever since I was a kid. I always wanted to wheel and deal in Tinseltown and was fascinated with huge estates.”
Although a city kid at heart with a home base in the Hollywood Hills, Altman finds the ocean soothing and relaxing, and so he logs plenty of hours by the beach with clients in search of a beachfront home. “Whenever I show homes on the sand, I want to loosen my tie just a little bit. You feel like you’re always on vacation.” Approximately 40 percent of Altman’s sales are derived from oceanfront sales, although he notes they are tending to trade slower than houses in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, and other city neighborhoods.
According to Altman, ocean home buyers vary all across the board-–from billionaires to beach bums. “I have major businessmen who want a second or third home to get away from the office, clients who are retired and just want to wake up to the sound of the waves breaking, and athletes and celebrities who want to be closer to the airports or get away from the paparazzi.” If his high-octane career stays its current course, he’ll most likely know exactly how those latter clients feel.