In a city full of remote workers, Platinum Properties’ bustling New York City office speaks volumes about the firm’s commitment to its agents.
The boutique brokerage boasts a high staff-to-agent ratio and an invested executive team that shows up in the office every day, reminding agents that they are part of a mega-team working together toward a common goal instead of independent operators struggling for recognition. Founded in 2005 by Khashy Eyn and his sister, Dezireh Eyn, Platinum has maintained its family values over the last 19 years while quietly taking over an increasing share of the New York market. TRD spoke with the Eyns and a few of Platinum’s agents to learn how the firm’s tight-knit culture and supportive environment continues to breed success.
Platinum Family Values
When Platinum agents choose to make their daily commute to the office, they’re greeted by at least fifteen managers and support staff. For a team of seventy agents, the high staff-to-agent ratio is one of many reasons agents come to the office instead of taking phone calls from home.
“From the minute I walked through the door, I knew Platinum Properties was like no other real estate firm that I had interviewed with,” says Suzanne Remy Colton, who has been with Platinum since 2018.
One of the biggest perks of its team-like structure is the opportunities and leads that the firm provides. Roughly half of the company’s business is generated by the house, with agents in the office oftentimes getting first dibs on priority listings. House leads, paired with a dedicated support staff and an impressive tech stack, help agents grow their career.
“House leads, or ‘business builders’ as we call them, are one of the greatest attractions for mid-career agents who come to Platinum,” says Platinum President Teresa Stephenson. “Very few firms can help level up the average price point of an agent’s business almost immediately.”
Platinum’s leadership team strives to provide their agents with support, opportunity, and camaraderie, giving the entire Platinum family a good reason to hop on the subway every morning.
Support: Investing in the Future
Platinum’s commitment to unparalleled support doesn’t stop with their impressive staff-to-agent ratio. In today’s real estate industry, having access to the right tech is just as important as professional development and coaching. That’s why Platinum launched Platinum Ventures, a proptech investment arm that keeps the firm’s agents ahead of the game when it comes to the tools they need to succeed.
“Not only do we make an investment in those businesses, but we also join as an advisor so that they can test their products within our firm,” explains Khashy, who recalls how Platinum Ventures’ partnership with a virtual tour company gave his agents early access to an industry-changing product during COVID. “At the time, that really helped us get ahead.”
“What sets Platinum apart is that it’s not merely a brokerage,” says Sales Director Melissa Joy True. “It’s an incubator for agents seeking to flourish amidst the ever-evolving market challenges.”
Opportunity: Business Builders
From its roots as a boutique rental brokerage, Platinum has expanded into every corner of New York City’s real estate market.
“We’ve done over two-and-a-half billion dollars of commercial transactions since the firm’s inception,” notes Khashy, who started to focus more of his time on this segment during COVID, when the Eyns saw an opportunity as retail and office vacancies proliferated.
Commercial transactions are not the only line of business booming at Platinum. Its powerhouse sales team hustles to dish out house leads to the entire agent base, leads that serve as the seeds that will grow the agent’s sphere of influence. These “business builders” help agents increase lead volume and/or price points to ensure their careers never stagnate.
“We can help agents get more leads, bigger leads, and provide the proper coaching to take their sphere of influence to that next level,” says Stephenson. “Experienced agents who join our team are thrilled because they are doing significantly less administrative work because of our support staff, while our ‘business builders’ help raise their average price point.”
Platinum has continued to grow its rental business as well. The firm boasts over 5,000 exclusive leasing units in the city and is proud to be an exclusive partner of some of the city’s largest landlords and developers, including MetroLoft, Silverstein, Namdar Realty, and others.
The diversity of opportunities that Platinum provides puts its agents in an ideal place to support a variety of transactions. “There’s really no firm that has done all of these lines of business, and has done them successfully,” says Khashy. “It gives agents that opportunity to come into our firm, where they can be successful in every aspect of the real estate market.”
Camaraderie: Family Values
The Eyns founded Platinum with the express goal of creating a team of agents who would work together to build one another’s business. The company is founded on a set of principles and core values that influence every aspect of its operations.
“Our first core value, family first, means we have each other’s backs. We communicate openly and honestly and our success comes from working together,” says Dezireh. “While COVID has provided more flexibility in how and where we work, we still find that creating an office environment where staff and agents are collaborating together serves as the best recipe for success for our team of agents.”
Whether it’s working remotely, working from the office, or out in the field with clients, by fostering a close-knit working environment, Platinum has developed a company culture that makes its team excited to go to work.
To learn more about how Platinum helps its agents thrive in an uber-competitive New York City real estate market, reach out to info@pp-nyc.com.