My Recent Blog Posts

It's called sharpening your axe," my colleague said when I told him of my hesitation to break away for a real estate conference this January.  "If you never sharpen your axe, there's too much chopping and not enough firewood." This statement really captured my feelings about life long learning and how important it is to get up and go to places where you can improve your game, catch up on what's new and learn from other people. When it comes to conferences, quality programming is key, but the face to face interaction makes it even better. while getting away is always a challenge - kids, listings, buyers, the expense - it deserves to be high on the priority list.

We Rhode Islanders have waited a long time to welcome the America's Cup back to Newport, so it's been exciting to watch the razor-like sails of the AC45s appear in the harbor off historic Fort Adams. The boats and their containers started arriving last week. Over the last several days they have made their way to Fort Adams in preparation for the final leg of the inaugural America's Cup World Series.

Having just returned to my office in Newport, RI from my first Luxury Real Estate conference, I am reminded of how much I enjoy working in a high-touch, people-oriented industry.  As a former luxury hotel exec, I appreciated the exceptional service at the Five Star Grand Del Mar resort. Every time I took a wrong turn a smiling face appeared and straightened me out. My room and the physical amenities were lovely and perfectly maintained, but it was the attentive service of the hotel employees that really set it apart. When I returned to my room in the afternoon, for example, my messy computer cables were neatly coiled and tied with a little ribbon! As beautiful as the resort was (and I assure you it was magnificent), the highlight was the employees’ cheerful attitude, exquisite training and the service culture in evidence throughout the resort.