Q&A: Jeff Culbertson

By JACQUELINE PRIMO | Reporter

How does a real estate professional know when they’ve “made it?” For some, it’s when their firm hits a certain dollar number in sales or when they achieve a certain position within a brokerage company. Being named one of the “Most Influential Real Estate Executives” by Real Estate Executive Magazine trumps all of those other achievements.

Three executives at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and parent company NRT LLC recently earned that honor: Budge Huskey, CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate; Bruce Zipf, CEO of NRT; and Jeff Culbertson, executive VP of the Southwest region for Coldwell Banker.

The magazine also recognized NRT as the No. 1 brokerage in its “Top  200 Real Estate Brokers” list.

The Palisadian-Post checked in with Culbertson to find out what it takes to be one of the top execs in the industry.

“We’ve worked hard to achieve what we have, and we’re not done yet,” Culbertson said of the accolade. “Our ranking tells the story of teamwork, commitment, performance and outstanding client service that is Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.”

In this interview with the Post, Culbertson shares how he got his start and what makes Coldwell Banker and NRT stand out.

Jacqueline Primo: How does it feel and what does it mean to you to be named one of the “Most Influential Real Estate Executives” in Real Estate Executive Magazine?

Jeff Culbertson: We are extremely fortunate to have a very talented and experienced leadership team at NRT. It feels great to see that the industry recognizes our years of service and the influence we’ve had in bringing about change in our industry.

Primo: How does a large business like Coldwell Banker stay up-to-date in the fast-paced real estate market of changing highs and lows?

Culbertson: Great question, and one that is actually easy to answer because we are a large company. Before selling my company Contempo Realty to Coldwell Banker/NRT in 1997, I was an independent broker in Northern California.

As an independent, we simply did not have the resources to provide the tools as quickly as a large company can. Coldwell Banker/NRT has the resources to make certain that our associates are never behind the curve.

Primo: How long have you been in real estate? How long with Coldwell Banker?

Culbertson: This is my 37th year in the real estate business. I’ve now been with Coldwell Banker/NRT for 12 years.

Primo: Tell me about your philosophy as a real estate professional and how you work with your clients.

Culbertson: Although I don’t personally represent clients anymore, when I did, my philosophy was pretty simple: “If you help enough people get what they want, with as few challenges as possible, your reputation will grow as will your business.” In essence, just meet your obligations and exceed all expectations.

Primo: What made you decide to go into real estate and how old were you?

Culbertson: My uncle had entered the business and convinced me that it would be a good career for me. I was 19 when I closed my first transaction.

Primo: Were you in college at the time?

Culbertson: I was majoring in Business at Sierra College, and I started selling real estate in my sophomore year.

Primo: What was one of your favorite moments as a real estate associate?

Culbertson: My first sale because it caused me to believe that I could do this business and do it the right way.

Primo: What are some current trends in the real estate market?

Culbertson: No other business has more comment on coming change than the real estate business. As much as the business changes, it stays the same. “People still matter.”

What we’ve discovered is that all the change we hear about is only half true. Most people still want to do business with someone they like and trust first and foremost.

That relationship very rarely occurs without time. Our top associates stay current but they stay closer to their clients than they do to the latest gadget or webpage.

Primo: What are five things you like most about the Palisades?

Culbertson: Location, location, location, location, and location. The people who are fortunate enough to live in the Palisades need to pinch themselves every now and then so they remember there are very few places in the world like the Palisades.