Frequent Asked Questions

Richard T. Gibson PA 

How long have you lived in South Florida?

 I moved to Florida in the midst of the tragic 9/11 events in NYC. I had purchased a home in Florida in 2001, right before the September 11 tragedy, returned to Los Angeles to pack and move, and moved to Florida right after closing on a new home in Fort Lauderdale.

How long have you been in your current residence?

When showing properties in a subdivision of Fort Lauderdale called South Middle River in 2003, I showed a property that was previously a Haitian Church. Impulsively I purchased the home and have improved it and enjoyed it ever since. The home is very unique and although I will likely move again to a waterfront home, I plan to always keep that property.

Do you work a lot in your area?

Of course I know a lot about and sell quite a bit in my immediate area, but that is not difficult. I am not a supporter of the concept that because I live somewhere it is the only place I should work. So, it is not where I would say I specialize if anywhere. I try to know as much as I can about all areas that are important to my clients. I help my neighbors and my neighborhood and have served as President in the past of my area’s neighborhood association, but a relatively small portion of my listings or sales volume come from that area.

Where is your real estate business?

My focus has been to stay diversified across many sectors so I can best serve my clients. There has been a strong emphasis on all price ranges in residential over commercial, however I sell a tremendous amount of investment properties and enjoy working with investors.

What is your specialty?

Mostly I enjoy and feel the most expert at marketing and listing properties for sale. I also particularly enjoy working with out of town buyers since I recall when I moved here how much I needed help. I can empathize with the people who are not originally from here and go even further to make sure they understand what the areas are like and that they have considered all options. Lastly I have a specialization in each investing (CIAS) and short sales (CDPE) which I feel have helped me adapt to the changing market and help people the most I can.

What has been your success in your career?

I have an unusually strong work ethic, drive, and attention to detail. For people who have corporate backgrounds or are detail oriented themselves, they generally find the extra attention and passion to treating their money and problems as if they were my own to be extremely important. I really love people and feel that properties for lack of better words are the “things that hold people” so I will say that having a background in psychology and genuinely desiring to make my clients happy has led to my success in part.

How do you work with your customers?

Collecting as much information as possible about the client’s objectives and goals is first and foremost which makes listening skills and an understanding of verbal and non- verbal communication critical. I listen carefully and pay attention to the comfort level of my clients because often times I find that how they feel about something may not be that clear to them either, and I try to help them understand or in some cases wait until they do understand to make decisions.

How do you work with your sellers?

Delivering a remarkable result is the objective, and starting with a realistic perspective is crucial. For sellers, when they are not short-selling, price is usually the most important objective, and finding the “right price” and marketing the unique features of each property to the right buyer is the way to reach the “best price”. Other factors are also relevant. Some sellers do not want to negotiate and do not want the stress of much involvement. Others like to have a “negotiation” and be involved in strategy and marketing. Sellers are as unique as are their homes, so there is not one simple strategy, there are an infinite number of approaches, each one tailored to the particular seller and listing. Marketing in real estate for me is “what we must to do to be sure the price needs to be dropped”.

How do your work with your buyers?

Buyers, in my perspective do not necessarily need to know what they want or need, but rather should be able to rely on an expert to guide them to the right property by considering their unique objectives. I feel that I must be that expert and point out what they do not see, and what they may not have considered without help. Many second home buyers for example, assume they should buy a condo since they will not have to be concerned with maintenance, but there are many other options and these need to be considered as well. Working with buyers is subject to what I call the “six month test”. After six months of owning the property I sold them, how happy are they? It is my responsibility to look forward to the future and anticipate how they will feel long after buying.

What did you do prior to this career?

 I worked in the television industry and almost exclusively in cable television both regionally and nationally. From managing production studios to producing programming, I taught production, produced and sold local commercials, and ultimately was recruited by MTV Networks to sell national advertising time. For nearly 18 years I was fortunate to work for leading Fortune 500 companies and was one of the top producing executives with MTV Networks, United Artists, Fox, Tribune Company, etc. I admit to being proud to have been the first person to have sold “The Gap” television advertising as well as “New Line Cinema” and many other national corporate accounts.

Where have you lived previously?

Born in Kittery, Maine, most recently lived in Los Angeles and Sacramento, CA; Previously, my father served in the Air Force as a navigator of KC-135’s and I have lived in Minot, North Dakota, Beale AFB, California; and since both parents are from Pennsylvania have lived temporarily in various Pennsylvania cities with family.

Hobbies?

Landscaping, Koi, gardening, travel, movies….and travel again.

Clubs, organizations?

I have served on many volunteer community Boards, and as many as six at one time however recently serve only on one. I serve on the Thirteenth Street Alliance, which is a coalition of four key Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods; Poinsettia Heights, Lake Ridge, Middle River Terrace and South Middle River. Past: VP of GLCC, President, South Middle River Civic Association, etc.

Designations

Certified Investment Agent Specialist (CIAS); Distressed Property Expert (CDPE); Managing Partner, Gibson Group Property Management, LLC; Degree in Psychology, Communication Studies; Oversee a division of Gibson Group Property Management responsible for renovations on properties I have sold or manage to maximize cash flow to investors or maximize resale value to sellers.

Specialties

Luxury Homes, First Time Buyers, Investors, Residential, Waterfront, Wilton Manors Market, Short Sales, Foreclosures, and a broad range of geographic areas in South Florida.