(NEW YORK, NY) – Nest Seekers International, one of the fastest growing brokerage firms in the world, is celebrating 18 years of operation.
Founded in 2001 by president and CEO Eddie Shapiro, Nest Seekers has infiltrated some of the most competitive markets in the industry such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, the Hamptons, New Jersey, Miami, Beverly Hills, Seoul, and London.
While the firm has seen an immense amount of success over the past 18 years, they’ve reassured us that the best has yet to come.
Broker Pulse spoke with Mr. Shapiro to get his take on the past 18 years and to see what he has planned for the future.
1) If you could sum up the past 18 years at Nest Seekers International in a few sentences, what would you say?
Growth, growth, growth. Always and in many ways. I started the company in a small one-room office, sitting side by side with a web developer. This year we estimate that we will reach about 1000 agents and employees in 8 region markets and 22 office locations and stores. We are featured in the media like no other firm in the world, with more to come. We’ve worked on the most interesting projects and listings and have the most diverse and interesting group of people that make up this company. It is just as fun and exciting to come to work today as it was 18 years ago. What else can you ask for?
2) What can the real estate industry expect from Nest Seekers International in the coming years?
We would like to further our international aspiration backed by the unique proprietary tech we are developing. We will continue following our philosophy of what the new age global broker is and should be. Our next step is to implement it in a way that will undeniably pave the way for the entire industry in that direction. We’ve done it before with our media and marketing concepts. We’ve done it by selling across markets and across the country. We will now do it with this new platform and global vision. It’s awesome and makes total sense. And I love innovating.
3) In your opinion, what are some of the firm’s greatest accomplishments?
Our greatest accomplishment is that we have built the company completely organically and out of cash flow (except for the initial seed money set forth to open the doors). We don’t have investors, funds, or a long list of shareholders that have funded our growth. We’ve bootstrapped step by step, day by day, and built a brand, recognized around the world basically out of thin air, from a good idea, hard work, timing, and smart implementation. Another accomplishment is the community and culture we have created at the firm. I believe that is a very hard thing to do when building a business.
We have people who have been with us since inception. As big and as accomplished as we’ve become, that sense of family, personal warmth, and support that exists in our firm has never been compromised.
4) Tell us a bit about your story. How did you get here? How did you start Nest Seekers International? Did you ever anticipate it would become this successful?
I came to this country when I was almost 19 years old. I wanted to pursue a music dream I’ve had since I was very young. In order to survive I bounced between day jobs. I very quickly ended up in real estate and took to it like fish to water. My dire need to survive in a foreign country completely on my own was a major motivator. Persistence, perseverance, hard work, and determination. As for success, I never look at it that way. Success is relative. I guess if you are asking me that question then it means I am successful. My philosophy is to put my head down every day, focus on hard work, stay humble, stay grounded, focus on the day and week ahead, and do what I’m supposed to do.
5) Do you have expansion plans for Nest Seekers International?
We continue to grow in the existing markets we serve which include New York, LA, Miami, NJ, Long Island, the Hamptons, London, and Seoul. New markets we are working on include San Francisco, Madrid, Hong Kong, and Vancouver. We will get there. However, a tremendous amount of our resources and efforts are now dedicated to technology.
We are investing further in proprietary systems backed by data science, artificial intelligence, automation, and all sorts of systems to empower our agents in ways like never before in our industry. I am most excited about that.
6) Do you have any advice for agents/firms that are just starting out?
My advice to new agents is that this industry is incredibly competitive and more fast-paced than ever. Nothing here is handed to you. So, unless you are coming into it with a major commitment to work harder than everyone else unless you are motivated and persistent and ready to invest yourself in it long-term, you might want to consider another occupation. On the flip side, if you own these attributes and are prepared to do what it takes to get there, then this business can be more rewarding than almost any other industry out there. It’s interesting, it’s exciting, and for those who are willing to work, it is incredibly rewarding.
On behalf of all of us at Broker Pulse, we want to wish Mr. Shapiro and Nest Seekers International many more years of continued growth and success.
