Rappin' With Real-Estate Wunderkind, Josh Flagg

You may know him as the refreshingly honest one on the popular Bravo TV series, 'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles'. Or the guy who wears slippers to important business meetings. Or the one whose grandmother serves as the oracle of wisdom on the high-stakes reality show. Whichever it is, Josh Flagg no doubt supplies heart, humor and eccentricity to the real estate docu-series -- even if he does seem a bit over it all at times. Though he may seem like a dichotomy -- an old soul with boyish charm -- the 27-year-old Flagg is essentially dominating a man's game, playing real-life Monopoly, buying and selling the Boardwalk's and Park Place's of L.A.'s most prestigious neighborhoods. In a recent turn of success, Flagg's residential real estate sales eclipsed $250 million in just over one calendar year -- a figure no doubt bolstered by his presence on the show. I caught up with Flagg by phone as he stood outside his Beverly Hills office (wearing his trademark slippers, of course), as he offered insights into the real estate game and a peek at what's to come when the show returns.

What's the secret to making a high-stakes transaction go smoothly?
JOSH: It's like a dance. Everyone has to be happy. The buyer has to be happy; the seller has to be happy. You kind of have to be a therapist for both parties ... You can't just give all your attention to one side. Even if you're just representing that side.
You recently sold Adam Levine's home (of Maroon 5) for $5 million. Just another client or special case?
JOSH: Nothing special. Just a regular client looking for a nice house in Beverly Hills. He closed escrow and tore the house down.
With the high-profile homes you've represented like the Merv Griffin property or the Dorothy Chandler Estate, are those more dynamic deals or do they require the same TLC as any other deal?
JOSH: Every deal requires the same attention -- it doesn't matter what price range you're at because everybody who wants to sell their house has the same expectations and same demands of me. Whether it's a $100 million house or $1 million, it really makes no difference. The house is usually their biggest asset and they want that attention they deserve.
I love on the show that you're the one guy who never takes it too seriously. Does that attitude attract a certain sort of seller to you?
JOSH: I don't know. It attracts a lot of oddballs. I mean, they're all fun though. I take my job very seriously ... I guess I'm just a little more relaxed and not as high strung as other people.
When selling a house, you often have "a hook" when you're staging it for other agents. How important is that?
JOSH: It obviously works. Look at the houses I've sold, I have a good track record... Sometimes you don't need a hook, it just depends on the kind of property. If it's a slam dunk ... you don't need to do that.

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