The Deal with Danny Brown

If there's someone who has seen it all and done it all in the entertainment industry it's Michael Levine who has represented 58 Academy Award winners, 34 Grammy Award winners and 43 NY Times best sellers including Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie, KISS, Barbara Streisand, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Fleetwood Mac, Jon Voight, Charlton Heston and dozens of other super stars. He shares his insig...

As markets inevitably shift every 7-10 years it is imperative for great brokers to educate their clients.  If you don't manage your buyers and sellers expectations up front prior to going on the market, or before you get into escrow, you'll have a very high cancellation rate and more deals will fall a part.    This is starting to happen more often on the westside as we Transition out of the extend...

Tracy Tutor is the only female cast member to star on Million Dollar Listing and she owns it. Why shouldn't she? She grew up in a real estate family, her father Ron Tutor (Tutor Perini) is the country's largest commercial general contractor and is currently building the metro purple line extension in Los Angeles, and Tracy had a flourishing brokerage business long before she joined the cast of MDL...

The Compass REtreat in South Beach was fire!  Over 1600 agents and executives from around the country attended.  We had incredible speakers like Steve Shull, Tom Ferry, Robert Reffkin and Leonard Steinberg, a fun beach party brunch with yoga, massage and IV treatment stations, a massive warehouse dance party in Wynwood and a fantastic day hanging out at the Miami Dolphins Hardrock stadium.   The c...

Greg Shain, principal of Shain Development, has been building luxury estates on the Westside of Los Angeles for decades.  He's built several high end properties in Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Beverly Hills on spec and is a coveted custom home builder for ultra high net worth clients.  Like so many developers the sting of the Great Recession a decade ago forced Greg to re-evaluate his business...

In our business the discount broker almost always means expect A discounted price on your sale listed by an agent with limited skill.  If you are a seller you are nuts to do this.  If you are a buyer your only chance to get a house is to go after a house no one else Wants, or pay dramatically more than anyone else which ive Aeen several times when buyers are represented by a discount broker.    Li...

In 2010, Matt Hannaford left the legendary Beverly Hills Sports Council and joined Dan Lozano to form MVP Sports Group.  Together they've represented some of the biggest names in baseball, including Albert Puljos, Manny Machado, Joey Votto, Josh Donaldson, Kurt Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Beltran, Mike Piazza, Nick Swisher, Brian Wilson and several other up and coming major leagu...

As the head of the family law department at Cypress, LLP Stacy is involved with high stakes divorce proceedings on a daily basis. Whether it be division of high value property and assets, child custody disputes , complex business valuations or drug and alcohol related issues it's all in a days work for Stacy Feinberg.      With all of the chaos and drama swirling around her Stacy takes a calm, eve...

Real estate agents have to rely on escrow companies, title companies and inspectors to provide expertise and guidance for our clients throughout the transaction. It's imperative to have reliable, detail oriented escrow officers that can proactively handle the transaction with flawless execution no matter how busy they get or how many files they are managing. That is their job and when they don't d...

Co-founder of Sklar Kirsh and one of Los Angeles' preeminent real estate attorneys, Andrew has carved out an entrepreneurial niche where he participates in deals with his clients when asked. The firm has also taken on traditional global powerhouse law firms head-on by being more nimble to adapt to emerging trends and client's micro needs at rates which are more competitive. The strategy has proven...

Are we about to fall into another recession or are we experiencing the ups and downs of a normal market?

Sherry Yafai, MD is an emergency medicine physician who has transitioned into cannabis based medicine at St. John's Providence Hospital in Santa Monica.  Dr. Sherry graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA in neuroscience and graduated from medical school at the prestigious University of California, San Diego.  When recreational cannabis became legalized in California in 2017, it opened the flood gates...

Darrell M. Blocker recently retired from the CIA after a storied 28-year career battling terrorism and other dangerous threats to US citizens and US interests.   His life of espionage has taken him to many countries and he is a subject matter expert on Iran, North Korea and Counterterrorism. He held many prestigious positions including Chief of Station, Chief of Africa Division, Deputy Director of...

It's the dog days of summer for real estate agents on the westside of Los Angeles and although the pace of activity slows down we have had a few record High Sales. The manor (Petra's$ $119.75m is the highest sale of all time in Los Angeles and Ardie Tavangarian's Sarbonne Road estate sold for a hefty $75m.     As real estate agents it is time to catch our breaths, spend some time with our loved on...

James Farrior, a Pittsburgh Steelers legend and two time Super Bowl champion, sits down with Danny Brown to discuss his biggest hits, toughest running backs to bring down, transitioning to life after the NFL and his toughest assignment yet, being a dad.  James is a father of 5 children and one of the kindest souls you will ever meet which is the polar oppoistte of his ferocious middle linebacker p...

Andrew Shulkind is a seasoned award winning cinematographer by trade but has spent the last  two decades immersing himself in emerging technologies which enhance the entertainment experience like AI, VR and XVR.  As a consultant for global powerhouse companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Nike, Microsoft, NBA, Livenation, Oculus, Samsung, Riot Games and many more, Andrew has lead the movement of...

In this cut throat industry of high end luxury real estate you always have to watch your back.  Stakes are high and there's always people trying to take you down.  One of my biggest lessons learned early in my career is to cultivate and respect your relationships with other brokers.  In a sea of blood thirst sharks I choose to be a dolphin.  Nice guys finish last is an antiquated concept in our co...

Steve Shull was a Captain for the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII when Washington Redskins Hall Of Fame running back John Riggins ran over a Dolphins defender and broke off a 43 yard touchdown on a 4th and 1 play which is still known as one of the most defining moments  in Super Bowl history. This run overshadowed what may have been the biggest hit in Super Bowl history when Steve Shull knocked...

It's time to set the record straight.  I left The Agency to pursue an incredible opportunity at Compass.  To say I am happy about my decision to join Compass is an understatement, but not because something was wrong at The Agency.  I love Maurico, Billy, Santiago and Blair.  The guys treated me very well at The Agency and I have nothing but respect and appreciation for them.  What they've achieved...

Laura Wilson was born and raised in communist Romania in a small town called Radauti where  socialism reigned supreme and creature comforts like daily hot showers were non existent.  Food was rationed, you owned one pair of shoes and opportunities for advancement in society were scarce.  Yet Laura kept an optimistic attitude and was grateful for what she had. Government sponsored sports programs w...

My shameless plug.  I am honored and grateful to be recognized by the Wall Street Journal and Real Trends for being ranked as one of the top 200 Real Estate Agents in the nation by sales volume out of 2,000,000 agents.   I am still pissed off that kawaii didn't join Bronny and company but Bellinger is looking like the MVP so that takes the sting away.   Go Dodgers, Go Lakers and THANK YOU www.wsj....

With close to $1 Billion of assets under management Ross Gerber, is one of the most prominent investors around the globe followed by tens of thousands of investors on social media.  He is a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC, Fox Business News, and Reuters, as well as a contributing writer for  Forbes.com . Ross was an early adapter of Apple and the FANG stocks and has been vocal and controversial About...

The closing date on new construction is always a moving target which frustrates buyers and developers to no end.   It's a dance and a nuanced art form.  When will the builder get a Certificate of Occupancy?  When will the city give final permit sign off?  How long does it take to turn on utilities?   Will a lender fund without a C of O and without Power on?  What if the buyer made custom changes w...

Josh Lobel is an extraordinary human being and one of the smartest guys I've ever met.  He co-founded and for over a decade was the Co-Managing Partner of Archer Capital, which focused on investing in companies undergoing some form of operational or strategic transition.   Subsequent to this discussion, Josh founded Centerline Capital Management in partnership with Platinum Equity to focus on oper...

This week on The Deal, Danny shares a recent story about a run in he had with a squatter on a rental property in Culver City.  Tenant rights and squatter rights come into play and landlords have to work through the red tape to get them out.  It is not fair to landlords but this is the reality we are dealing with. You can find the Podcast's Instagram @thedealpod https://www.instagram.com/thedealpod...