It's Day 3 of the opening stage of our Real Estate Hotties Contest and we continue with a debut match-up of two SF natives: Luba Muzichenko from Zephyr Real Estate and Scott Brittain from Hill & Co. Luba came to San Francisco from the former Soviet Union when she was just two years old. She proudly considers herself a native even though a small technical glitch made it so she wasn't born here, but it's definitely the city where she was raised. She even went to college here! Way to keep it local, Luba. Her favorite quote is this gem from Herb Caen: "One day if I do go to heaven?I'll look around and say, 'it ain't bad, but it ain't San Francisco.'" Scott is a native San Franciscan who's been working in real estate for five years. He loves meeting new clients and helping them with all of their real estate needs in a city that's very close to his heart. When he's not selling real estate, he's coaching high school lacrosse at Saint Ignatius College Prep. He enjoys sharing his love of the sport with the next generation of players. Q&A time and your chance to cast your vote after the jump!
Luba Muzichenko of Zephyr Real Estate
Best advice for buyers/renters? There's no cookie cutter answer to this one. Everyone's circumstances are different. Both buyers and renters are faced with the problem of tight inventory right now. But the best piece of advice that works across the board for both groups is to be prepared! For buyers, that means having a good solid pre-approval from a reputable lender and a good solid relationship with a reputable agent - if you're missing either of these, the chances that your offer will be accepted over another are very slim. For renters, that means bringing an application form, copies of pay stubs and bank statements, a credit report and reference letters to every rental showing - rentals often disappear in just one showing, so make yourself stand out to your potential landlord.
Have you always been in the real estate industry or did you have a different career before entering brokerdom? Not counting the variety of jobs I had as a teen, my careers have included hotel management, office management, human resources and believe it or not, even a short run, ahem, as a dog walker. I was even fortunate enough to get a chance to work on the food and retail end at the San Francisco Zoo as an office manager where I was often caught in the act of blowing kisses to the polar bears or talking to the parrots when I thought no one was looking.
What do you like to do when you're not selling real estate? Well, I've been called the crazy dog lady by more than a few people. :) Right now, I'm working on training the pit bull pup I adopted from Rocket Dog Rescue a couple of months ago. When I'm not doling out hot dog treats to her for her "sit/stays", I'm doing what most typical San Franciscans do...enjoying the food, wondering if I love or hate Anthony Bourdain while debating whether to stand in the even-longer-than-it-was-before line at Swan's, going for a bone-chilling, soul-nourishing "summer" walk on the beach, picnicking in Golden Gate Park, scouting out which comedians are coming into town, figuring out which weekend I can skip off to Tahoe, Napa, or better yet, Puerto Vallarta, hiking in the headlands, kayaking in the bay, or just finding a sunny patio spot to share with my friends over a glass (or more) of wine.
What separates you from the others in this competition? My tattoos? That I show up to meet clients in gym clothes? That being brutally honest sometimes means i throw out an expletive (or three) from time to time? That I don't take myself too seriously? :-) Really, I'd say it's that I've talked more people out of buying or selling real estate than I've helped to buy or sell real estate. I'm not in it for the quick buck. I see my role as more of a consultant than a sales person and I never ever put anything before my clients' best interests.
Scott Brittain of Hill & Co.
How long have you been in the business? I have been in the business for five years, but have been around San Francisco real estate for the majority of my formative years. My grandma has been flipping houses here and there since the mid-70's. I like to think she originated the "open floor plan" before San Francisco saw it performed fairly frequently. When she would draw up the new floor plans for a property, she would always try to incorporate a "great room," which would consist of a big kitchen that opened into a living room and dining room. I have learned a lot over the years following her projects and I feel that it makes me even more of an asset to my clients by having this experience.
What do you like to do when you're not selling real estate? When I am not selling real estate, I enjoy hanging out with my girlfriend Ashley, our dog Cooper, my friends and family. I love hanging out in The City, Sonoma or taking a trip to Lake Tahoe. I also enjoy being around the sport of lacrosse. I have been playing for years and I have coached at my alma mater, Saint Ignatius, for the last five years.
What separates you from the others in this competition? My refusal to lose is what separates me from the others in this competition. You could put Ryan Gosling into this competition and it wouldn't matter one bit. Gosling knows better than to challenge me. I will do whatever it takes to win. I am better than everyone in this competition at finding hilarious Youtube videos online, useless knowledge and my undying love for the Giants and the 49ers. I also do a pretty solid job of being a fair weather Warriors and Sharks fan. In other words, I am the manliest nominee in this competition.
People in your industry are always so good looking. What are some of your secret grooming tips? My grooming techniques are actually highly classified. I have perfected a hairstyle that I like to call the Scotty B Bizness Part. If I started telling everyone how I get my hair looking so perfect, it will be even more popular of a hairstyle than the Jennifer Aniston Bob.
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