LOCAL PROFILES
Real Estate Exec: Linda Murphy

Linda Murphy possesses one of the most important qualities a REALTOR® can have: “I’m a people-person,” she says. “Because I was in the field of education for many years, I have the desire to help people; Real Estate allows me to do that.” And nurturing, guiding and teaching are all part of what makes her a dynamic force in the Las Vegas—and international—Real Estate scene.

Before coming to the Las Vegas area, Linda flourished in the Real Estate boom in northeastern Florida. The tiny area between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach was No. 5 in the nation and the market was hot. But the family’s move to Las Vegas four years ago didn’t slow her down. She looked for opportunities to learn about her new city and soon began to sell property for Blue Heron Properties where her husband is a partner. The development group features desert-style loft-design homes that are very different from the traditional styles of the area. The concrete floors, natural lighting and general openness were an instant appeal to local house hunters as well as those in the market for vacation homes. Linda sold out the 23 homes in Stone Canyon—the group’s first development—before searching for a permanent Real Estate company to call home.

Linda chose Windermere at Anthem Hills for its supportive and cooperative work environment. Windermere, which started in Seattle, WA, is now in 11 states, with more than 625,000 listings throughout the West. It opened its first Las Vegas office about four years ago and now has four offices in the Las Vegas area. “They had the ethics that I admired and wanted to be a part of,” she recalls. But the Windermere organization doesn’t take just anyone. Linda had to interview for the job, sit in on staff meetings and spend some time in the office to see if it was a good fit. It was, and Linda decided to add her full-service style to the top-notch team already in place.

“Windermere offices are small to medium size,” Linda says. “We have more of a family environment in the workplace. It’s very supportive and everyone cooperates to make the whole process easier.” Linda believes it is this atmosphere that makes Windermere’s REALTORS® so successful. “We have already claimed a good market share in the Las Vegas area and are rapidly gaining presence,” she explains. “Sometimes people think we deal strictly in high-end homes, but we’re not at all exclusive. Everybody gets the same quality and professionalism from us, no matter what their price range.”

Linda enjoys working with both buyers and sellers equally. “There’s an old saying, ‘If you don’t have a listing, you don’t have sales,’” she comments. “I’m building lifetime relationships, one client at a time. I believe it takes everybody communicating to find just the right property and walk them through the whole process.”

Linda believes the Las Vegas Real Estate market is still solid compared to overall projections throughout the U.S. “Inventories are coming down and sales are starting to increase again,” she says. “We’ve had our own market downturn, but every market is unique. This area continues to have job growth. Gambling isn’t the only thing Las Vegas has going for it these days. Conventions have become huge for the city, as well as performing arts.” The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute and its research have brought the area to international significance in the medical field, and Las Vegas is also becoming increasingly important in the world trade market, diversifying the economy even further. “Our mayor creates positive energy for the city,” Linda says, “and that carries over into the Real Estate industry. It’s good for everyone.”

Staying on the cutting edge of Real Estate information and supporting professional organizations is of key importance to Linda. She is the 2008 chairperson of the Education Events Committee for the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® (GLVAR), which recently hosted the Annual REALTOR® Rally. The two-day event includes classes that are offered to further educate agents and enhance their professionalism. The Rally offers a way for agents to earn CE credits as well as to attend classes toward their desired designations. In addition, an exhibit hall showcased vendors from a wide variety of Real Estate-related venues from signage to mortgage companies, as well as nationally noted speakers on current trends and market conditions. The annual event enables REALTORS® from Southern Nevada to network and experience the latest in information and products to better serve the industry. The Education Events Committee was in charge of putting together and distributing the packets of materials, helping attendees locate their classes and providing for the needs of the guest speakers. GLVAR also offers classes to Real Estate agents throughout the year. Committe members monitor the classes and see to the needs of the speakers.

As a former educator, Linda believes in continuing education in her field. “We have the opportunity to earn designations that will enhance our skills and better serve our clients,” she explains. “The more education we have, the more effective we can be in benefiting our clients.” She is a Risk Reduction Graduate (RRG), also working on her Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) and Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designations. “I like the fact that my clients can have confidence in my ability to help them navigate the whole Real Estate process, whether it’s from a buying or a selling perspective.”

Incorporating her love of travel with her Real Estate business has led Linda to become active in The Coffee International Team, a team within the Windermere Anthem Hills office providing Real Estate opportunities all over the globe. The global market matches buyers and sellers of primary residences, vacation homes and development opportunities. The international team works with buyers worldwide and specializes in the Las Vegas market. REALTORS® in many countries hold the CIPS designation and work together to find the perfect property for each international buyer.

“So much of our Real Estate is global now, and although you can hang your license in two or three states, you get referrals and contacts from all over,” Linda explains. “That kind of predictable referral network comes from your clients’ high level of trust in the services you provide.” The group is knowledgeable in topics that are unique to the worldwide market, helping clients navigate the issues of visas, international lending and finance, currency exchange, etc. “Las Vegas has always had an international market,” Linda says. “We decided it was time to focus on it.”

Linda’s preference in free time activities also reflects her love of learning. “I enjoy reading,” she says, “and always have something Real Estate-related that I am reading.” A Southerner by nature and background, her fiction preference is usually about the historical South. She also enjoys reading about the countries where she will be traveling with her husband and two sons. Recently, she has been brushing up on her French. Her sons also speak French and Spanish, with Italian being the next language the family would like to learn.

To get the benefit of Linda’s expertise in the local market, e-mail her at lindamurphy@windermere.com. To find out more about the international Real Estate group, please visit www.firstworldwiderealty.com, or she can be reached by phone at (702) 622-1877.

Photography: Elisabeth Libby