Set against a backdrop of towering palm trees and sun-soaked sandy beaches, Palm Beach, Florida, has attracted people the world over since its first resorts were built in the early 1900s. Today, it stands as a destination for bustling restaurants, designer stores, immersive art galleries and a beautiful mix of Mediterranean-inspired architecture.
“It’s a glue trap,” says Kourtney Pulitzer, senior global real estate advisor at Sotheby’s International Realty — Palm Beach Brokerage. “People come for the weather, but they really stay for the lifestyle.” Pulitzer, who has more than 25 years of experience across several industries, has made Palm Beach her home and works to help others do the same.
The beauty treatment
Making a start in fashion marketing and interior design, before ultimately settling into luxury real estate, Pulitzer has a trained eye for beautiful objects which gives her “a huge advantage” in helping clients see potential in a space. Running her own clothing store, she learned that “people really need help to visualize what they’re going to wear or how they’re going to decorate their home.”
She calls this the Kourtney Pulitzer treatment. When sellers approach her with a property, the home goes through a staging and decorating phase to ensure it entices the right buyers. “Almost none of the properties are as beautiful as they look when I get hold of them,” she says.
It has not always been easy to convince homeowners to make the drastic changes needed. “I worked on one home in Ocean Ridge and my client looked at me like I was crazy to paint the kitchen white,” she says. Pulitzer, however, had gathered together online research showing that homes sell better when they’re painted white. “Once we made the change, I traded the property for a record-breaking price, so everyone was satisfied.”
You never sell alone
Pulitzer’s diverse work experience is not the only factor contributing to her success. “The biggest mistake young agents make is not prioritizing relationships with other agents,” she says. Property sales are about collaboration: “In almost every transaction, agents have to work with one another to ensure success. Working your network and connections gets deals done.”
This was made even easier when she joined the Sotheby’s International Realty network. “[It] walks in the room before you do. There’s not another name as synonymous with luxury. It has been a total game changer for me.” It’s a sentiment she echoed at the recent Global Networking Event (GNE), which was hosted by Sotheby’s International Realty in Tennessee.
“GNE is especially valuable for its networking opportunities,” says Pulitzer. “I met agents from around the world, which is great because when one of my clients expresses interest in buying property abroad, I can put them in contact with the best of the best.”
Embracing digital change
GNE also offered Pulitzer another asset: training sessions on social media and digital marketing. “The industry is changing,” she says. “Social media is taking top billing as the marketing tool.”
In Pulitzer’s opinion, an open mind to new tools, techniques and market changes — and a good amount of preparation — is what guarantees success. “It’s tempting to refuse when someone approaches me with a new idea that has historically not worked in the market, but I’ve learned that the data is not always right,” she says. “I always make the best recommendations, but buyers and sellers are also in tune to market shifts. It’s important to listen and to not be afraid to try something new.”
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Photography courtesy of Pelican Pix
