Richard Cifarelli - Top Agent Magazine

RichardCifarelli

RichardCifarelliImagine you’re on a flight back from Paris. Thepassenger seated next to you, casually flippingthrough a magazine, comes across an ad withyou in it. He glances over at you, recognizingthat the person in the ad is indeed you.Now picture yourself walking the streets ofManhattan. Passersby stop you to ask if they cantake a photo of you to add you to the photoalbum of top models.Sound like the life of a celebrity? This was infact Richard Cifarelli’s life not too long ago.Every real estate agent dreams of creating a brandso strong, so memorable that it causes immediaterecognition. And while Richard has created thatpersona today as principal of Cifarelli GroupInc./Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, hiscelebrity-like status peaked in his 20s and early30s during his lucrative and noteworthy modelingcareer with the Ford Agency.So how does a successful male model say goodbyeto the likes of Donna Karan and Dolce & Gabbana,not to mention international hot spots like Paris,Spain, Italy and Germany, and transform himselfinto a top producing REALTOR ® in his hometownCopyright Top Agent Magazine

“It’s all about experiences.If you don’t have that, you don’thave much of an education.”by Alysia Shiversof North Fork, New York? At 32, Richard movedon from modeling to pursue his entrepreneurialvision, which included founding his own productioncompany followed by a lucrative realestate career.Yet, if you haven’t noticed by now, Richard isn’tthe typical real estate agent. He prefers to callhimself an entrepreneur and he has embraced hisnatural entrepreneurial ways from an early age. At19, for instance, he purchased his first multi-familyinvestment property and tripled the rent roll. Thatsame year, he also started his first business.“I was very constructive with my money,” hesays with thanks to his mom for instilling in hima work ethic and a financial outlook that hasserved him well. “Anything I ever got involvedwith, I looked at as a business.”His decade-long stint as a model briefly tookhim away from his entrepreneurial pursuits, butwhat it gave him in their place was the ability totravel the globe, live abroad, and earn Richard aliving which enabled him to purchase his mostprized possession to date: a 19 th century horsebarn in his hometown.Resting on 2.5 acres, Richard wasn’t deterred bythe overgrown surroundings, the sun comingthrough the gaping holes in the roof, the lack ofwater or electricity, or the fact that 80 percent ofthe structure was in need of repair. He had agrand vision for the property.That’s how it is with most things in Richard’slife. He thinks bigger than the average person,living by a “design your life” motto. When hewas younger, his visions regarding successrevolved around his friends’ fathers (Richardwas raised by his mother) which helped himenvision what he wanted for his own life.Consider the Cifarelli Group which he foundedin 2006. Richard and his highly talented team aredeveloping intelligent, internal communicationsystems. “There’s all different ways of handlingreal estate. My vision is just bigger,” he says.The model Richard has set forth for the CifarelliGroup is to divide, conquer and communicate.Every team member has his/her own specializedniche, yet everyone is kept informed via weeklymeetings and via each team member’s iPadwhere they review their buyers and sellers goals.The brand may be him but the reason clientswant to be represented by the Cifarelli Group isbecause of the collective expertise of its teammembers.As an entrepreneur, Richard is drawn to both thethrill and the creativity of it.The thrill for Richard is the social aspect of theindustry. He doesn’t miss an opportunity tonetwork whether in person or through the myriadof social networking sites. Thanks to the expertisehe acquired while in the glamour mecca, Richardhas a talent for the good life, which his clientsappreciate.The creativity, meanwhile, is developing his idealoffice that with its proven internal communicationssystems and savvy external marketing makes everyCopyright Top Agent Magazine

Richard thinks bigger thanthe average person, living by a“design your life” motto.client feel like he or she is the brokerage’s toppriority, not to mention continually honing hisestate. That 19 th century barn that he acquired backin 1996 now features 4,000 square feet OF SPACEthat he describes as a French and Tuscan mix. Thislabor of love is a work in progress, but likeeverything else in his life thus far, when one projectcomes to an end he’ll be off looking for his next.As Richard sums it up, “It’s all about experiences.If you don’t have that, you don’t have much of aneducation.”To learn more about Richard Cifarelliand the Cifarelli Group, call (631) 298-6153or visit www.cifarelligroupnorth.comCopyright Top Agent Magazine