Bravo TV Personality and Global Real Estate Sales Pro Advises Staten Island Realtors to Be ‘Fearless’

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. —  Fredrik Eklund, a rock star of the international real estate community, shared some thoughts and experiences with real estate professionals during a presentation this afternoon at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, Livingston.

Speaking at the Staten Island Board of Realtors® (SIBOR) 7th annual Global Real Estate Symposium, Eklund advised those new to the profession to be confident when entering the international marketplace.

“Create yourself. Reinvent yourself. Be fearless, and go after it,” said the co-star of Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Listing New York.” [related story]

As for foreign investors mulling the possibility of investing in New York City, Eklund said, “I tell them ‘you haven’t really succeeded in life until you own something in New York.’”

Eklund is a licensed real-estate associate broker of 11 years, with over $1.5 billion in residential sales to his credit. Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, and now residing in New York City, he works with the Eklund-Gomes Team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

He studied at the Stockholm School of Economics before founding an Internet company and working for the investment bank SEB in Stockholm, London, Singapore and Tokyo. In addition, Eklund is the founder of one of Scandinavia’s most high-end residential real estate brokerages, with 35 employees and $500 million in closed sales in the last year alone.

Having traveled extensively with his family at an early age, Eklund said he had visited every country in Europe by the age of 7.

“I felt like a citizen of the world, more than a citizen of Sweden,” he said.

Twelve years ago, at the age of 24, he moved to New York City.

“I didn’t know the names of the streets, the neighborhood,” Eklund laughed.

But encouraged by a friend to try a career in real estate, he traded his lack of knowledge for an in-depth understanding of the city, its people and its marketplace.

“What I like about New York is it’s always changing,” said Eklund, whose U.S. transactions mostly embrace Manhattan and Brooklyn. “With a few exceptions in Asia, such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau, New York City is changing the quickest … [in terms of] architecture, price point and services affecting the city.”

Now arguably successful in his chosen field, Eklund said much of his career is fueled by working with developers … [because they] “need to fill their buildings.”

About The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)

The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest not-for-profit trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.

SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically; and to promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.

Comprised of over 1,600 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas.

SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 3,000 real estate transactions every year.

All SIBOR members belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

SIBOR may be reached at 718-979-0007 and viewed online at http://siborrealtors.com. SIBOR may also be visited on Facebook at “Staten Island Board of Realtors,” on Twitter via @SIBOR, and on YouTube at the Staten Island Board of Realtors and RelevantPR channels.

Media Contact: Barton Horowitz

Relevant Public Relations, LLC

Headquarters: 718‑682‑1509

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