What do Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Christina Applegate, Candace Bergen, Clint Black, Marlon Brando, Albert Brooks, Carol Burnett, David Cassidy, Nicholas Cage, Joan Collins, Cindy Crawford, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Jane Fonda, Harrison Ford, Andy Garcia, Janet Jackson, Elton John, "Magic" Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Eriq LaSalle, Heather Locklear, Madonna, Barry Manilow, Demi Moore, Al Pacino, Priscilla Presley, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Pauly Shore, Christian Slater, Patrick Stewart, Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, Barbra Streisand, Elizabeth Taylor, Tina Turner, Jerry Van Dyke, Robin Williams, and Stevie Wonder all have in common?

If you could play the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game in real estate, the central connecting character would be Fred Sands, president of Fred Sands Realtors. Since he opened his first office in Brentwood, a toney suburb of Los Angeles in 1969, Fred Sands has made extraordinary client service a mission, enabling him and his staff of professionals to cater to the whims as well as the genuine needs of celebrities with inimitable style and discretion. The company's sophisticated clientele also includes U.S. presidents, international leaders, and corporate executives, among many others.

What is different about serving the homebuying and selling needs of celebrities? Issues such as privacy and security are heightened, as well as the need to accommodate bicoastal and even intercontinental lifestyles. Explains Sands, "Celebrities need somone that understands them, respects their privacy but are not frightened of them. That takes an experienced agent. Some people get starstruck like deer in the headlights."

Celebrity personalities run the gamut from gracious to grating. Sands recounts a couple of stories to illustrate the difference. "One major singer signed a lease for $30,000 a month and then asked us to find him another place because the bedroom was too light. We offered to darken the room with curtains and he said no, he didn't feel good about the bedroom. We got him another place, and he paid both leases without a problem. A week after he was in possession of his new home, they started remodeling next door, so as a day-sleeper, he couldn't stand the pounding. Then we got him something else, and he paid the lease on that, too. Very gracious. Then we had another celebrity who got mad at us about something and filed a lawsuit over the house we got him, citing things like the house only had three TVs and everyone knows you have to have seven TVs in a house, and the china service wasn't large enough, and so forth. We called the attorney, and he said, 'Oh, he is letting off steam. He just wants to punish you. Just call him and say you're sorry, and he'll dismiss it.' And he did."

And what kind of agent can handle such mercurial personalities? "Our agents are upscale and polished, with a reasonably good knowledge of architecture and interior design," Sands says. "They don't mistake a French Normandy for an English Tudor. They understand the affluent lifestyle. They are able to provide information on a wide range of services that their clients might want, from chartering a jet to arranging a massage or personal trainer in the home. They expect these services to be provided by people who are discreet and again, respect their privacy. No one wants stories about their cellulite splashed across the tabloids. Our agents make a point to know about the celebrity client, so they can make conversation. People magazine can be a very good source. Then they can say, 'I read that your TV show is top-rated or moving to a new time slot.' Or, 'Your ratings have improved. Congratulations.' That is not intrusive, but demonstrates the agent's interest."

With only sophisticated, experienced agents on the team, you would think it would be difficult to join the rapidly expanding company. "That may be true in some markets. In Beverly Hills, it is crucial that an agent begin with experience in the area or at least significant contacts. Otherwise, you would have a hard time making it. But we have more than 60 offices now, and there are many offices that would start someone based on their potential."

Ongoing training, including live training and videotapes, is available to agents to ensure that top-notch service is always a priority. For those with a yen to work with the rich and famous, Sands advises, "You need to be educated and diplomatic. You can get into some very interesting situations, and Los Angeles particularly is a very small town. Everyone knows each other, and they all attend the same parties. If you make a mistake, everyone knows about it."

When asked to share naughty tidbits on some his favorite clients, Fred Sands' lips are sealed. "I wouldn't do that," he says flatly. But he recognizes a certain contradiction in the celebrity culture. "They don't want publicity, but they don't like it if they don't get it!"

Published: February 17, 1998

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.