It's 'Fun First, Real Estate Second' for Top Agent Marcos G. Cohen

Don’t be fooled by Marcos G. Cohen‘s jovial nature—though, admittedly a jokester—his fun-loving personality is one of the things that has propelled him to great success in the real estate business. Marcos has been ranked as the number one selling agent in Douglas Elliman multiple times, and consistently lands at the top of the rankings. But, surprisingly, staying at the pinnacle of his industry isn’t what motivates him. His motivation is best summed up in his motto: “Fun first, real estate second.”

According to Marcos, leading with fun is something that came naturally and organically to him.

My lighter approach to life, business and real estate allows me to break the traditional way of selling, and make my relationships with my clients unique. It’s not something you can force or fake, but it works for me. I’ve found that bringing relaxation and fun to the work environment never fails to give my clients a positive experience. There’s no better validation of this than when they refer me to their friends and family. My whole career has been based on word-of-mouth business.

He first got into real estate back in 1994 because he was enamored by New York City’s architecture. Having a sales background, Marcos saw the opportunity to sell a superior product. He says the architecture still excites him to this day.

But, what he loves most about his chosen profession is helping people find their homes. In his words, there are few careers that offer such great personal fulfillment. He describes himself as part counselor, part life coach and part mentor as he helps his clients through major times in their lives. That is his greatest reward as a real estate agent.

Throughout his career, one thing Marcos has learned is that it’s not always about the product, because there are so many high-quality homes in Manhattan, but sometimes it’s more about providing your clients with certainty so they feel confident in your ability to guide them, and making the process simple and easy for them. Marcos accomplishes this through his positive, fun approach to real estate, which he believes leads to a better connection with his clients.

New York City real estate is some of the most complex in the world. I’ve found that a lighter approach to what can be a stressful situation builds the trust and confidence my customers need to feel safe in a real estate transaction. I get to sell beautiful properties in an amazing city, but the connection to my customers is where the magic is for me.

Having moved to New York City from Brazil looking for a better life and more opportunity, Marcos says that his success began with loving this city, loving his life and the people in it, being grateful for having a roof over his head, and a job he loves. The business opportunities and career success followed that love.

Charismatic and approachable, when asked what he’d be doing if he wasn’t in real estate, Marcos replied:

“Well, I love to have fun and make jokes, so I guess I would be a comedian. But, then again, I think I already am!”

—by Jacqueline Kuron