Matthew Breitenbach has always been on our radar as a real estate powerhouse. When he went solo, we took notice. He may have not been the first to brand out his business, but it was one of the best fully-thought-out and designed brands we’d ever seen. In this deep-dive into Mr. Breitenbach’s work, you’ll find that it always comes back to his core beliefs, work ethic, and family. And his family includes some of the most powerful real estate connections imaginable. It was a pleasure for us to meet with him to discuss his vision, how he maneuvered during a global pandemic, and his ground-breaking branding.
You must have not known how insane the pandemic was going to be for the East End and real estate in particular. What were your thoughts when it first started?
To be honest, I was really scared. I didn’t know if I was ever going to sell a house again. I was also trying to really help any clients I had in New York City that kept calling me. They were the most scared. They were worried the government was going to shut down New York City and not let people out of the city. I did feel like an essential worker because I was guiding these clients through the process and keeping them safe and calm.
Wow, that sounds harrowing.
Here’s an example… I was able to swing an off-market rental for one of my biggest clients. We didn’t even have a lease. He drove out of NYC as fast as he could with his family, took residency in the rental, then signed the lease and wired the next week.
All being said and done, how did your business do in 2020 and then in 2021?
My business has been growing and I do think the bump in the market has helped me, but it has not been everything. I have seen massive growth in my business every year since I joined Compass, but the recent market surges definitely have added fuel to the fire.
In 2020, my first quarter was going rather well, but once the pandemic settled in we saw a massive jump in Q3 and Q4. In 2021, the Breitenbach Advisory Team had a banner year doing $307,000,000 in sales. In 2022, we have kept the pedal down despite tough market headwinds, closing $72,000,000 in deals so far in Q1. If you tally it all up, since the start of 2020 and the pandemic BAT has done $500,000,000 or half a billion in sales just in that time period alone. I like to think of it as our team really solidifying itself as one of the leaders of the next wave of luxury real estate brands to have powerful influence over the Hamptons market.
Congratulations, that’s incredible. Did you change the way you did everything or were you able to persevere the way you always had?
I remember not really caring about planning much and just putting the pedal down. The surge of leads and activity came in so fast you really didn’t have time to plan or strategize. I remember just telling my team, “I am not going to be my usual communicator or meeting with you all and doing all of these team building, building-culture like activities. This market is on fire and I need to focus on getting deals done.”
I feel I have always had a lot of grit and a main life principle of mine is bouncing back with passion whenever I get knocked down or get hit with tough seasons of life.
What are some things that high-net-worth buyers and sellers look for now that they didn’t pre-pandemic?
People are spending more time at home to work and just live. The home office and gym have become big areas of interest for luxury buyers. I also feel turn key, new construction homes are in very high demand.
It seems your whole family is all about real estate or building real estate. Did you always want to be in real estate?
No I did not, but in my early 20s I felt this desire to be an entrepreneur. I felt called to build a brand or build out a vision. At first, I got into real estate because I wanted to start a media company, but I soon fell in love with real estate and went 120 percent strictly in to real estate.
I was always creative. I started a literary magazine in high school. I was a musician and writer in college and also an athlete. So I had a mix of creativity, competitiveness, and a high octane work motor. This all ended up being a perfect mix of ingredients to build a highly successful real estate team and brand.
We love how you branded out your business. Why did you feel it was necessary when most agents/brokers just push their brokerage and their niche in them? Even your logo is stunning.
Thank you! I have always looked at real estate brokerages as a platform. Unfortunately not all brokerages think like that. That was what really drew me to Compass, because they give focus on agents and help them build out their brand and vision. I always looked at real estate not as just an agent, but as a CEO or entrepreneur. I wanted to build a brand that is connected to a certain type of elevated real estate experience. I wanted to disrupt and innovate the traditional real estate way of doing things and make it better. I like to dream big and I have always thought BAT was never just about sales. It is about relationships. It is about a certain experience.
We remember the Breitenbach Advisory Team as a signatory seemed like a fresh approach to real estate branding. Can you explain why you chose to be known as an advisor? Does advising such mega investments further establish trust in your abilities for both buyers and sellers?
The team name in a non literal sense is because I wanted to start building more of a brand that includes my name, but is not fully focused on it. Advisor is a great word because I feel advisors focus on relationships over transactions, which is a major principle of our team. I feel trust is everything. I really focus on building trust with my clients. Listening to their motivations, expectations, disappointments, and concerns. Really trying to understand their real estate goals and helping them achieve them.
You’ve sold over a billion in real estate over your decade+ on the East End. Why do you think you are so successful at such a young age?
I got in at a very young age, had an incredible mentor in my mother, and set out with the mentality that nobody will ever outwork me. I have been blessed with a lot and accomplished a lot at the same time. I have tried to perfect the art of not looking back or checking to see how far I have come. I like to keep my head down and just try to build the best business and be the best father, husband, and person I can every day.
You’ve been with Compass for a while now. Why did you choose them over all of the other brokerages?
There are so many reasons I loved Compass then and love them still now. It is almost hard to put it all in words. When I met with Compass in 2017, I felt like I had found my counterparts in the business. I compare it to someone pulling up with a Ferrari and asking if you wanted to take the car for a drive. It was the real estate brokerage I had always dreamed of. I was really moved when I left my meeting with Compass and they gave me a business plan and a vision for what they wanted to help me build, while other brokerages simply would just throw money at you. It was not an easy move to make and I found it harder to leave to go to Compass than even when I left working with my mom to start my own career. When I looked at the future and thought, where is the brokerage that I want to be a part of in 10, 15, 20 years? What is the company that will be best setup for the future of the industry? Compass was hands down a winner.
What kind of marketing strategies do you use for your buyers and sellers? Is there a formula to it?
For sellers, BAT takes a very strategic approach both in the way we sell and in the way we market properties. It is important to plan, which I feel a lot of brokers don’t. Every property BAT markets has a sales and marketing project map specifically designed to make sure each home we market maintains a certain elevated presentation standard, gets the property massive exposure online and on social media, and gets the home sold. Our goal is always to move a property within three months.
For buyers, our main value proposition is our private marketplace. In 2022, BAT has curated 56 percent of our deals off-market. Any broker can search a database for a buyer. For our team, we like to focus on finding creative solutions for our buyers. Our objective is always to help our clients achieve their real estate goals – no matter how hard. If you are loyal to us and believe in us, we will do everything possible as a team to help you get what you want, be it sell your home or buy a new construction oceanfront. If there is no opportunity, we will do our best to find it for you.
What was it like selling Truman Capote’s legendary Sagaponack home? What was it like in the house?
That was the first big deal I did after going out and starting my own team. It was a very cool property on Daniels Lane in Sagaponack. What was most cool about it was this secret forest of Japanese maples that Truman planted years ago. This forest was covered by brush for years until my clients’ landscaper found the forest years after they originally bought the home.
My client had the landscaper clear the brush which opened up this romantic element to the property, which became even better when my client put a fire pit in the middle of Truman’s Japanese maple forest. It was cool walking through the forest just pondering what these trees have seen — Truman walking by these very trees brainstorming and thinking about his next book.
Dreamy! You also sold NBA superstar Jason Kidd’s home in Water Mill. It can’t be like selling other homes… what methodology do you activate when representing so many celebrities?
I helped sell Jason Kidd his house in the Hamptons and then helped sell it for him when he was traded from the Knicks. Jason was one of my favorite clients and working with him really opened up a lot of doors in the sports and entertainment world. I am on the executive board of Compass’s Sports and Entertainment division and really enjoy working in that part of the industry. I feel the methodology is the same for athletes and celebrities: treat them like a real person and not try to “broker” them or hard sell them. These types of clients have people trying to sell them something all day or use them for something. I try to come at these types of clients with a sense of servant-ship and compassion. It is crucial to relate to them as a person and on a real level, not a fan, or not someone pushing them to do a deal just so you can tell someone you did a deal with so-and-so.
Getting to know you on social media, one can see that you are a devoted husband and father. Are you able to spend enough time with your family while working so many high-profile deals?
One thing I work on with my business coach is achieving more success while living more life. Those are two concepts that seem to contrast each other, but I have really worked hard to build balance and structure into my life. As a real estate agent that is really hard. You are continually on call and most clients don’t respect boundaries. I am blessed with an amazing team that continues to grow and support me and allow me to spend certain times of day with my family and certain days as well. I love my wife and my three daughters very much. I love what I do and I love building an incredible business, but I will always be a father and a husband first and real estate investor, entrepreneur, and agent second.
To learn more about Matthew and see his properties, visit www.breitenbachadvisory.com.
