Realtors of the Year Repeat as Champs –
The “Old School” Way

By Ernie Soller,
Community Correspondent

For the second year in a row, Leslie and Irv Rothschild, of Bright Realty, have taken the honors of selling the most new construction homes in Lakewood Ranch in the period between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2018.

If this fact surprises anyone, it may be that the surprise factor comes out of an approach to business that Irv calls doing it “Old School.” They don’t use social media. They aren’t locked into the internet as the only way to market homes. They work with their clients on a personal, face-to-face basis, establishing trust in their expertise, and guiding those clients toward decisions they’ll be happy with for years to come.

In addition to the sheer numbers, here is some anecdotal evidence:

My friend was looking to leave the winter cold of northern Virginia and to put some warmth in her life. She wanted sunshine, culture, and a place to meet new friends and enjoy her retirement – a reasonable wish list.

She attended a “Live South” show at a hotel ballroom near her “up north” home.

There were representatives from various southern locations – the Carolinas, Georgia, and, of course, Florida.

There she met Leslie and Irv Rothschild. She had a nice conversation with them, got on their mailing list, and later, found that a friend of theirs had used the Rothschilds to find a home here in Florida.

She was most impressed with the way they did business – Leslie and Irv took care of everything. They took her “wish list” seriously. They informed her as to which hotels would give her the best rates for her stay when she came to check out housing in the Sarasota area. They picked her up at the hotel and promptly took her to view several homes that they had selected as meeting her requirements.

The first home was an older structure, which she rejected. Then they took her to a newer development in Lakewood Ranch, and she bought a home through Leslie and Irv Rothschild. She noted that their approach to business was like “the super-fast action of a well-oiled machine,” in that they knew the market and made it very easy for her to make her selection and get all the details taken care of within a month.

The Rothschilds are ex-northerners themselves, having arrived in Florida from the snows of Buffalo, N.Y.

They started their Florida real estate careers working directly for home builders but eventually decided to become general realtors with Bright Realty, concentrating their efforts in the area of Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and of course Lakewood Ranch. In their opinion, the Greater Lakewood Ranch area has it all – culture, golf and tennis, pro sports nearby, polo, beaches and restaurants: high-end, ethnic, and everything in between.

Their personal approach to attracting clients and giving them the chance to make their Florida dreams come true begins with their attendance and participation in several of the “retirement expositions” of the type attended by my friend. Leslie and Irv participate in roughly eight of these sessions a year, up and down the East Coast. At these sessions, they not only sell Florida, they sell themselves, as well as their brand of service, and establish that personal relationship which makes them so successful.

They actually listen to their clients’ comments about what sort of home they are seeking, be it a small villa or condo, or a manse on the third tee. Are they looking to be near a particular school? Are they aiming for a senior lifestyle community?

They feel that it is their job – and privilege – to enable their clients to actually enjoy the home-buying process. They will take clients to the Lakewood Ranch Information Center to give them a feel for the various neighborhoods of the Ranch. Once a decision has been made, the Rothschilds will even accompany a client to their builder’s design center, so as to make the experience of picking out all the various little items that can make their new Lakewood Ranch home uniquely “theirs,” a really fun experience. In doing this, they take away some of the stress which can creep into this process.

So, once again, “old-school” service and the personal touch have made Leslie and Irv Rothschild the most successful real estate sales people in Lakewood Ranch.

Congratulations, Leslie and Irv!!

If you or a friend might like to experience the “Old-School” service of Leslie and Irv Rothschild, you can go to their website: www.LiveSarasota.com, call Irv at (941)321-9683, or Leslie at (941)266-5308.

They return phone calls. And they can open doors for you-in Lakewood Ranch!