Ask luxury and celebrity realtor Carl Gambino about the secret to his success that\u2019s led to over $2.5 billion in career sales, and he\u2019ll say it\u2019s due to his passion and love for the industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI work seven days a week and live and breathe real estate,\u201d said Gambino. \u201cWhat people don\u2019t understand is that real estate is a mind game. You need to set your intentions and goals and then learn all the data, i.e., who is buying and selling, and understand the marketplace thoroughly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gambino noted that there are obstacles to reaching these goals, but with consistency, \u201cyou will build a belief in your own abilities \u2026 it\u2019s important to remember that clients can pick and choose from thousands of agents and they want to know you\u2019re an expert who they can trust with their assets.\u201d<\/p>\n
These values have driven Gambino to launch and grow the Gambino Group<\/b> at Compass<\/b>, which operates in six top-selling markets, including Los Angeles, Miami, New York, the Hamptons, North Fork on Long Island, New Jersey and most recently Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The firm\u2019s brand stands for three core values \u2013 transparency, honesty and integrity, he said.<\/p>\n
Gambino has been recognized as an industry leader on multiple occasions, including being named one of The Hollywood Reporter\u2019s Top 30 Real Estate Agents in its L.A., New York and Miami editions and repeatedly appearing in Variety\u2019s Showbiz Real Estate Elite list. He is also on the Los Angeles Business Journal\u2019s 2025 Leaders of Influence: Residential Real Estate and Leaders of Influence: Nonprofit & Philanthropy lists.<\/p>\n
Gambino represents some of the biggest names in business, sports and entertainment, guaranteeing his clients privacy and discretion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m personally involved in every deal we do,\u201d he said. \u201cI fly across the country for our showings, and when I take a listing, it\u2019s exposed across multiple markets.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Among his most notable transactions are the $55 million sale of 71 Beverly Park in which he represented the seller and this year\u2019s $51.8 million sale of 942 North Alpine Drive for a buyer. Both properties were in Beverly Hills.<\/p>\n
He was also involved in the record-breaking $42 million sale of the co-listed property Trousdale Estates and the $16.55 million sale of 948 N. Orlando Ave. in West Hollywood and co-represented actor Mark Wahlberg<\/b> in the $55 million sale of his Beverly Park mansion.<\/p>\n
Some of the group\u2019s current and most exclusive listings in the L.A. area are 133 S. Mapleton Drive in Holmby Hills ($59.9 million), 1309 Davies Drive in Beverly Hills (nearly $50 million) and 1480 Capri Drive in Pacific Palisades ($21.9 million).<\/p>\n
While his success stems from a series of deliberate steps supported by daily motivational readings and podcasts, he didn\u2019t originally set out to become a realtor. In fact, it was a mix of fortunate accidents and a childhood fascination with buildings that led him into the industry. Born in New York, Gambino was raised in the New Jersey communities of Cliffside Park and Lincoln Park. He didn\u2019t come from wealth; his mother was a teacher, and his father was a bank teller.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have a life plan,\u201d said Gambino. \u201cIn high school, I thought I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. But I was always obsessed with real estate and architecture. When I was young, I would have friends drive me around to look at brownstones and mansions (in the neighborhood).\u201d<\/p>\n
Although he had an interest in real estate, some of his earlier jobs in New York included handing out flyers for a locksmith, selling advertisements for a local magazine and working the coat check at Craft Steak. Then one night, he met a guy at a party who reminded him of Alec Baldwin<\/b>\u2019s character in the film \u201cGlengarry Glen Ross.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a license plate that said \u2018closer,\u2019 and he told me that I should get into real estate,\u201d said Gambino. \u201cSo, I started doing commercial and multi-family sales in New York City. I worked for legendary commercial broker, Adelaide Polsinelli at Marcus & Millichap<\/b> whom I credit with giving me life changing self-development material to read.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following that period, Gambino entered the apartment rental business, but he eventually decided to leave it. He moved to L.A., where he worked as a dog walker, and he was soon introduced to John Bercsi<\/b>, the largest real estate developer on the Westside, specializing in high-end estates and historic property renovations. Gambino then became Bercsi\u2019s assistant on various projects. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t take long to see he was incredibly smart and great with people, so I pulled him off the building sites to work with me on the development side,\u201d said Bercsi, who is an agent at Compass, adding that he also respected Gambino\u2019s New York work ethic. \u201cHe had this insatiable desire to learn all aspects of the business and had a natural instinct for real estate you can\u2019t learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gambino has \u201ca great nose for dirt as we say in the business\u201d and \u201ca charm\u201d that easily gained clients\u2019 trust, Bercsi said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Overall, Bercsi believed that Gambino ought to be selling homes rather than building them.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I urged him to get his license,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gambino shared that his now wife, interior designer Sarah Ivory<\/b>, also encouraged him to jump back into real estate.<\/p>\n
Bercsi eventually introduced Gambino to Kurt Rappaport<\/b>, co-founder and chief executive of Westside Estate Agency<\/b> (WEA) which has offices in Beverly Hills and Malibu.<\/p>\n
With his license in hand, Gambino met with Rappaport, who according to Bercsi hired him \u201con the spot\u201d to work for his agency WEA, which he co-founded with Stephen Shapiro<\/b>.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I met Carl, he was special,\u201d said Rappaport. \u201cHe had raw determination and was a natural dealmaker. With an obsession for stats and people there was no holding him back. \u2026When Carl started at WEA (in 2015) he could be in the room with anyone and hold his own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rappaport said that within a couple of years they were closing deals on both coasts. \u201cCarl will always tell you the truth and that\u2019s why people love working with him. Like learning a new language, Carl could learn any new market in a short period,\u201d Rappaport said, adding \u201cit was clear he wouldn\u2019t limit his talents to just one city.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gambino said he learned a great deal from both Rappaport and Shapiro while working for WEA, where he represented high-profile clients and gained expertise in the luxury real estate industry. In 2019, he achieved record-breaking sales in Encino, representing Joe Jonas<\/b> and Sophie Turner<\/b> in their $14.1 million purchase. He then resold the property for them in 2021 for $15.2 million.<\/p>\n
When Gambino joined Compass in 2020, he brought along a celebrity clientele list that included Alex Rodriguez<\/b>, Jennifer Lopez<\/b> and Harry Styles<\/b>. The Gambino Group, which he founded, has expanded to a team of 32 members. He collaborates with his team on self-development, goal setting and business development.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When it comes to new hires, Gambino personally meets with any potential agent recruits himself to understand their work ethics and goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur brand represents excellence, and each agent is an extension of us,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gambino and his team serve as advisers to all their clients, and it\u2019s common for him to represent the same client in multiple deals across different markets, he said. For example, he mentioned selling a home in L.A. for almost $36 million and a townhouse in Manhattan for about $23 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the advantage of working with a group that has the ability to expose properties nationally and internationally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Though he boasts pocket listings worth (upwards of \u2013 not sure you need it) $45 to $70 million, he represents clients at all transaction levels \u2013 including from $1 million homes to $50 million homes.<\/p>\n
Although Gambino and his team continue to engage in record-breaking transactions, the business has encountered some challenges. For instance, when the controversial real estate transfer tax Measure ULA (United to House L.A.), often called the \u201cmansion tax\u201d took effect in 2023, Gambino acknowledged that it did have an impact.<\/p>\n
The measure initially imposed a 4% tax on sales above $5.15 million and a 5.5% tax on transactions of $10.3 million and above. That threshold is now $5.3 million and $10.6 million and above, respectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLike most places, we had clients rapidly selling properties before it took effect and clients who decided not to sell,\u201d said Gambino. \u201cPeople have slowly adapted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gambino also expects the U.S. Federal Reserve\u2019s decision to cut short-term interest rates by a 0.25% will have a positive impact on the industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny rate cut will stimulate some activity in the market,\u201d said Gambino.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And while transactions are the focus of his business, he has gone the extra mile to assist his clients during times of crisis. After this year\u2019s wildfires, the Gambino Group introduced its complimentary Concierge Relocation Service, connecting clients with vital resources and contacts to help them in relocating to other neighborhoods or states where the group operates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe service has gotten a lot of traction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Outside of real estate, Gambino is a motivational speaker and an active art collector. His art collection includes emerging and contemporary painters. Known as the silent closer, he\u2019s amassed over 100 works by artists such as Robert Nava, Alejandro Pi\u00f1eiro Bello, David Hockney, Sholto Blissett, Cynthia Talmadge, Yvette Mayorga, Charlotte Keates and Kate Pincus-Whitney.<\/p>\n
As a patron, he connects high net-worth clients with emerging artists, funding studio spaces and supporting art initiatives. Gambino continues to inspire audiences around the country as a motivational speaker for companies, events and podcasts.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust last week I joined him as he spoke to 500 agents about his path to success and the manifestation and attraction tools he uses to develop himself and his team tools he has taught me to use,\u201d said Bercsi. \u201cWhile sitting in the audience I was overcome with a mixture of pride and admiration \u2026 The student had become the teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he looks toward the future, Gambino plans to continue to expand the Gambino Group team, which also features international listings for exclusive properties in Sardinia, Italy, Algarve, Portugal and St. Barth\u00e9lemy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me real estate is the most exciting and interesting business possible,\u201d said Gambino. \u201cEvery day I get to interact with some of the most prolific people in every field and learn something new.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ask luxury and celebrity realtor Carl Gambino about the secret to his success that\u2019s led to over $2.5…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":281406,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,145322,2961,224,5337],"class_list":{"0":"post-281405","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-gambino-group","11":"tag-la","12":"tag-los-angeles","13":"tag-losangeles"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115326513704474664","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}