For Las Vegas Agent Avi Dan-Goor, Selling Is Just the Start of the Journey

If there’s one thing Avi Dan-Goor would like everyone to know about Las Vegas, it’s that there’s so much more to the fabled Nevada oasis than the high-wattage Strip. Avi Dan-Goor “A lot of people who are very well traveled and educated think that Vegas is the Strip and don’t realize that over 2.5 million people live beyond the Strip,” he said. “It’s like thinking that New York City is Time Square.” Dan-Goor first encountered the city as a teenager visiting his older sister and immediately felt a connection. “Being Israeli, I love the heat,” he said. “Summer is my happy time.” His interest in the hospitality business brought him back to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned a bachelor’s in hotel business management. But it was real estate that has kept him there for more than 20 years. After 15 years with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Dan-Goor joined Douglas Elliman in May as part of the brokerage’s first foray into Nevada . We spoke with him earlier this month about his real estate career during the Great Recession, the lessons he took from the hotel business and why the “true work” of being a real estate agent begins after the close. How did you get started in real estate? After I graduated with a degree in hotel management, I took the next two years to work in the field and realized that it really wasn’t my passion. I’d been advised by family and friends that I should get into real estate—people told me I would be good at it. And so, I thought, well, I’m 24 years old, I should just give it a try. To be completely honest. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I didn’t have a sales background, and like a lot of people who get into it, I thought seemed like a fun job. So, I started with a team that ended up being probably the best experience I could have had starting out. They ended up being great mentors and friends—it was just being in the right place at the right time. But the thing that I’m probably most grateful for was the fact that I started practicing full-time in 2007—and then the world collapsed in 2008. But I was too young to take things for granted, so when things crashed, I just went along with it. I wasn’t shaped as an agent yet, so I learned things the very hard way—you know, selling dumps for as low as $19,000 to make a $500 commission. I think it really helped me because it just forced me to do everything. I had a “Yes” mentality—I couldn’t afford to say “No.” Avi with his husband, Tom, and their dogs, Hank and Milo. Avi and his husband, Tom. Avi with his terrier, Hank. Avi with his terrier, Hank. Are there any lessons learned from the hospitality business that you now apply to real estate? That “Yes” mentality is totally a hotel mentality. I’m not doing people a favor by being their agent—they chose me; they hired me. So, they’re always right. When I talk to my clients, I’m calm, composed, and it’s my job to take care of everything and fix it for them. I’ve always said that my business is very much a concierge service. People come to me years later for recommendations, so it’s very much like a hotel, where you ask a concierge, “What’s the best show in town? What’s the best restaurant?” That’s how I run my business. For me, selling a home is just the beginning of the process. My true work begins when we close: my goal is to become the go-to for life for my clients. When they sell their house and they’re like, “We hope to keep in touch!” I’m like, “Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll be in touch very soon!” They know that the things that I recommend I personally use—and they know how particular I am, so they trust my recommendations. If people are new in town, instead of going to Yelp, they actually have somebody they trust to refer them to a doctor, a dentist, a vet, down to a therapist. If my clients can associate me with as many things as possible, they’re surely going to associate me with real estate when they or their friends need guidance. What’s the market outlook for Las Vegas? We’re in a tough place right now, and I hear that from every market in the nation. We’re in a correction period after things were just booming the last couple of years. I think we’re just slowly easing back into normal market conditions, where you actually have to market your properties and do the open houses and give reports to sellers every week because their property didn’t sell the first day with 17 offers. How has the transition to Douglas Elliman been for you? One of the things that I’ve been most impressed with is the family-like mentality of the whole company, how excited people get about a new office and how eager they are to get to know you—not just management, but also agents in other markets. I’ve been a part of a different company for 15 years, and I certainly had my own family within the company, but we didn’t make a thing when other markets open new offices. The day we launched here was overwhelming, and even now people reach out and say, “It’s so nice to meet you! We’ll send you all the clients and referrals!” It’s just nice and refreshing and exciting to be part of something that is big yet feels small. Spotlight Speed Round What is your desert island movie? The Shawshank Redemption Next travel spot on your list… We’re going to Rome and then to Cinque Terre to hike, and from there, we’re going to Tel Aviv Coffee or tea? Coffee. Most-used app on your phone… Sadly, it’s probably my email. Otherwise, Instagram. Who—or what—you were in a past life… A bird. TV show you’re binging… I just finished The Lincoln Lawyer . First car you owned… Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Last book you enjoyed… A book that I re-read every couple of years called The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy. What do you like to do outside of real estate? I love, love, love to travel. I love doing anything I can with my dogs, Hank the terrier and Milo the three-legged golden retriever. They love to hike and be in the pool every day, so they have a very fun schedule. And I love to cook. That comes from my family. I jokingly say I’m like a Jewish mother: I love feeding people. I love cooking for people. I grew up in a house where eating was something that brought people together, and so I love hosting people. I like to cook Mediterranean food—not only because I’m Israeli, but it’s also healthy, and I like to keep healthy. Shakshuka is a favorite dish of my husband, Tom. Honestly, I love to spend quiet time at home with my doggies and my husband. Life is good! Contact Avi at 702-497-3815 | avi@avidangoor.com