Meet Adam Brawer | Luxury Realtor & Fantastic Human

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Brawer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was in a tough place in my life. I had just shut the doors on a film company that I co-founded 8 years prior after a big Amazon film I was producing starring Amber Heard fell apart. I left 15 years of my career on the floor and knew I needed to pivot. It was late 2019 and I spoke with several friends about a potential new career path. The advice that I was getting was to get my real estate license.

Initially I wasn’t excited about the move, but I believed in myself and my ability to reinvent myself. I was also deeply nervous, not knowing fully what I was getting myself into. I was in a place where I needed to make money quickly; this decision was borne out of necessity. And so I dove in head first, burned all the ships and headed into the unknown.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I moved to Los Angeles almost 20 years ago after getting a job at William Morris Endeavor (WME). I thought I wanted to be a music agent, after booking some big shows in Europe during college. From music, I moved into television and helped package some big reality series including Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. After WME I transitioned into development at Fremantle Media, producers of American Idol and America’s Got Talent. My specialty was music based unscripted series. After producing reality TV for a few years, I moved into film and co-founded my production Company Sentinel Pictures, based in Santa Monica.

Being a producer is one of the toughest jobs imaginable. It’s a series of daily fire fighting; every issue becomes your problem and to combat the constant stress, I got deeply into yoga. They say making a film is like shooting one arrow through 100 windows that need to be open at the same time. It’s also a business of near constant rejection, all which helps strengthen and callous you, until you have rhino-skin.

And this impenetrable armor has helped me immeasurably. It allows me to navigate tough situations and have the difficult conversations. The adversity in my past life in film has also given me the strength to persevere and find solutions where others can’t. And the network I gained in film, including notable celebrities, really gave me an advantage out of the gate. One of my first big sales was a home in The Hills behind Chateau Marmont. A major film financier owned the property and gave me a shot at the listing. I was fortunate to beat out two of the biggest luxury Realtors in LA for the listing and I sold it quickly.

Now in my fifth year in real estate, I’ve created a brand that is synonymous with the highest level of service. I build teams around my clients depending on their needs and I’m known to sell properties off market, keeping the transaction private.

I look at each client as a business partner and collaborator. I put their interests first and create a strategy for each property to market it effectively and find the perfect buyer.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, I’d take them to lunch at Soho Malibu, on the water. The scenery is beautiful and the food is delicious, plus it gives “out of towners” a glimpse of the Malibu lifestyle. For drinks, I’d take them to the rooftop at The Proper Hotel Santa Monica. The sunset is extraordinary and so is the food. For lunch, it’s Great White in Venice – the salmon curry bowl is incredible and the people watching is so perfectly Venice. For coffee, it’s either Menotti’s across the street or Topanga Living Cafe. TLC is a quintessential part of Topanga living and the outdoor seating area is perfect for socializing or working. Speaking of Topanga, I would take them on a hike to the Mesa, up Entrada road in the state park, where the views of the Pacific are incredible. For my tennis playing friends, we go to Malibu Racquet Club and stay after at Sparrow Cafe for lunch overlooking center court. The best burger in LA is Endless Color in Topanga, so no trip is complete without going there. Another favorite spot is Cobi’s Indian restaurant in LA, which got a Michelin star last year. The food is exceptional and the ambiance is so original. For weekday lunch, we go to Alfalfa on Main street in Santa Monica, because the breakfast burritos are incredible. For an intimate evening out, we go to Petit Hermitage in WeHo – the rooftop pool is always filled with colorful characters. And when they ask where to stay, I suggest Elsewhere in Topanga, owned by the same group. It’s a unique hideaway on 14 acres with various homes for short term rentals.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Dave Culwell – an extraordinary real estate coach. Dave has coached me for almost three years now growing my business in many ways. Dave is formerly the Head of Growth at Douglas Elliman before he started his own coaching business, and has a ton of experience in residential real estate. Dave is basically my Tony Robbins – whenever I’m dealing with a situation I haven’t encountered before, I call him – he’s my sounding board and my advisor. We workshop solutions to any issues that arise and especially work on languaging to deliver news in a way that it’s best received. He’s a master of communication.

Website: www.adambrawerestates.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adambrawer/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambrawer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adambrawerestates/

Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/51HF9OrcJJvW29LVR6JYtA

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adambrawerestatesLA

Image Credits
Eric Williams, Dusan Simonovic