Episode 262 – Ira Serkes, Compass

Episode Summary:

Our guest today once worked as a chemical engineer at Chevron. He now has over thirty-six years of real estate industry experience that helps him provide great insights for industry agents. Joining us is Ira Serkes, Real Estate Specialist at Compass Realty. Ira and his wife Carol specialize in helping sell and buy homes in Berkeley and the surrounding communities.

In this episode, join Ira and me to discover some of the advice Ira has to share from being in the industry for over three decades. We also discuss Ira's community and photography blog and his definition of work/life balance.

Top Takeaways:

Ira Serkes' Advice for New Agents
Ira Serkes had many great pieces of advice for new agents. He first recommends the book Ninja Selling by Larry Kendall, citing the book and the correlating class as the best he has taken and read.
Ira also shares his idea on real estate by saying, "Real estate is not your life; it simply funds it."
Ira mentions The Regret Minimization Framework concept, the thought process to minimize one's life regrets.
Ira urges new agents to seek a harmonious life rather than a balanced life as there will be many times when things in life require more time than usual.
Ira finished by saying, "Always remember what is important." As we reflect on the years, it is more evident than ever that we do not know what tomorrow will bring.

"That's my mission, is to let people be aware of these [decisive, life-altering] moments and recognize them ideally in time. Also, to recognize that real estate is not your life. It simply funds your life. The thing that is truly important is to live your life in a way that when you look back, you don't say, 'Gee, I wish I would have done something.'" – Ira Serkes [12:11]

"I've never seen my role as selling things; that's a byproduct. What's it a byproduct of? Providing buyers or sellers with information so that they can make the right decision." – Ira Serkes [14:57]

Episode Highlights:

[00:18] Intro

[00:44] Meet Ira Serkes – Bronx to Berkeley

[01:25] Growing Up in the Bronx

[03:23] Attending the Bronx High School of Science

[06:04] Pursuing a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering at Cooper Union

[09:15] Attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst for Master's

[10:07] Patents and Seizing the Opportunities Life Offers

[12:40] Working with Engineers in the Real Estate Industry

[17:20] Working for Chevron Led to Living in Berkeley Since 1974

[21:27] What Living in Berkeley Is Like

[24:26] Ira's Blog BerkeleyHomes.com

[28:03] Tips on Building a Business and Referring Out Leads

[35:29] Master of Yelp Reviews

[39:36] Ira's Advice for New Agents

[44:53] Connect with Ira

[45:46] Closing Thoughts

[46:17] Outro

Episode Notes:

Joining us today is Ira Serkes, Real Estate Specialist at Compass Realty, helping buyers and sellers alike in the Berkeley and surrounding communities. Ira Serkes grew up in the Bronx in New York City, sharing that he grew up with a view of the Bronx Zoo and frequently visited. Ira attended The Bronx High School of Science before attending The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. At Cooper Union, Ira Serkes earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Ira continued his education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he received his Master's in Chemical Engineering.

Ira Serkes describes his life as changing through countless one sentence decisive moments. One of those moments was taking a position as Research Engineer at Chevron in Berkeley, where he has now resided since 1974. Another one of those moments in his life led him to real estate. After investing in his first property, a seven-plex apartment building in Berkeley, Ira met his wife Carol, and they have been married for 35 years.

Early on in his career, Ira started his blog, berkeleyhomes.com, sharing Berkeley's neighborhoods for all to see through posts and his own photos of the community. Ira shares that the best time to create a blog was twenty years ago, but the second-best time to make a blog is today. As twenty years from today, you won't look back and wish you had started it! Ira Serkes also has another site, serkes.com, for his other photography ventures.

Ira Serkes believes that everybody should have a website on top of their company website. He also shares it is critical to have an email account that you control, so you will still have all your connections and your email account in the event you leave the real estate industry. Ira shares another tip for agents, which is not to try to be all things to all people. Have enough business to be happy and place referrals with other agents for all of the other leads as you can gain passive income from a cut of the commission. Ira encourages people to build their own business and refer out the leads when necessary.

Ira Serkes offers numerous great tips to new real estate agents. Ira believes that real estate is not your life; it merely funds it and believes it is essential to understand the Regret Minimization Framework concept. Ira also advises to seek a harmonious life over a balanced life and continuously be aware that you do not know what tomorrow will be, so do what is essential today. Ira Serkes' last piece of advice to new real estate agents is to create memories rather than acquiring things.

Resources Mentioned: