Meet Todd Pivetti | Not Your Daddy’s Realtor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Todd Pivetti and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Todd, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I feel like so many people are naturally risk averse. Even the thrill seeker type- they know about consequence and risk. Myself? Well I was always the designated driver, the one making sure everything was safe, and the one who didn’t want to jump off the high dive. I naturally stayed away from risky things. It wasn’t until I moved away from home to the big scary city of San Francisco, (not that scary actually), when I started to realize that risk was necessary. I had dreamed of creating an interesting/successful life but never had the emotional wherewithal to make a jump. Difficult not to take a risk when you’re alone in a new city. You gotta make friends, lovers, money, and your own happiness and none of that happens without putting yourself “out there” and discovering your uniqueness. I learned, I grew. Now cut to my life as a Realtor in Los Angeles where playing it safe won’t get you no where, fast. I could have chosen a brokerage with a big name and got brand security- nope. Went with a small, boutique brokerage that I believed in and where my voice was heard- but had no guarantee of success. I could have chosen to put on a suit and tie and be all “professional” but instead I decided to be the the one in the team photo bringing the runway to your holiday cards and looking good while doing it – which probably alienated some more conservative clientele. I could have sent out a mailing campaign to 4000 doors in Los Feliz with my face and my most recent sale on it- but I thought a full body nude photo of me might turn some more heads. Now…THAT’S risky.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I sold steaks for about 15 years. And I was very good at it. I thought one night after a Russian Housewife of Somewhere threw a drink in my face because I “didn’t serve the wine right,” (plot twist, lady – I totally did it right thank you), that if I’m really good at selling steaks and wine and things with truffles on them why am I not selling more expensive things?! Thus I was completing the natural life cycle of a failed actor. Actor to waiter to Realtor. Now the next step is to eventually move to Palm Springs and become a lizard.
I knew I’d need help with getting started so I joined a very small and boutique brokerage that looked like it had it’s stuff together. Thank god it did. I volunteered as my broker’s assistant and learned more in about 3 months than most Realtors learn in two years. I think a common misconception about Realtors is that the business comes to us. No no sweetie. Being a Realtor is essentially starting your own business. There is zero guarantee, even if you’re great, that business will happen. In a major market like Los Angeles there is an enormous amount of competition and much of my career thus far has been simply getting my name and face out there. Talent and skill are the prerequisites here. One truly has to be a multifaceted pillar within their circle of clients and community to be successful here.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
“Sarah! It’s been so long! TOO LONG, I know. And you’re only in town for two days. Ugh! Ok so here’s the gig. We’re not going to Hollywood at all because who wants to deal with any of all that. I’m gonna take you on a hike up to the Observatory. Yeah. A hike. I’m not driving up there like a damn tourist. It’s a great view and you can see where Demi Moore shot Cameron, Lucy, and Drew. Then we’ll hike down and end up on Hillhurst in Los Feliz. We can stop at Blue Bottle, or Maru, or The Guesthouse to get a good $8 LA coffee. But it’s like totally worth it. Back to mine for a minute then for dinner we’re gonna go get the best pizza in the world at Triple Beam Pizza. Once we’ve completely ruined our waistlines we’re gonna get a Lyft to Akbar. It’s the best damn gay bar around, trust me. And it’s the first Monday of the month which means it’s “Learn the Words B*tch.” Basically an open mic drag queen night where if you’re in the final three and don’t know the lyrics to a song picked from a hat the audience yells, “LEARN THE WORDS, B*TCH.” It’s a great time. I saw Alaska there once. Then the next day I’m gonna take you to brunch at Little Doms, or All Time, or Loupiotte Kitchen. All in Los Feliz. We can walk. Yes. Walk, Sarah. After that we should definitely do a Silverlake architecture driving tour. Trust me, the houses are sooo much cooler and unique than the ones on Mullholland or the Bird Streets. We’re definitely getting dinner at Park’s BBQ and then ending the night at Tabula Rasa which has the best rotating wine selection in the city. How about them apples, SARAH?!”
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my homie, my main squeeze, the peanut butter to my jelly, the man who believed in a newly licensed Realtor who didn’t know his ass from his head – Glenn Shelhamer, my Broker of Record. His mentorship and unwavering support mean more to me than he’ll ever know.
Website: www.shelhamergroup.com
Instagram: @notyourdaddysrealtor
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-shelhamer-real-estate-group-los-angeles