When it comes to luxury estates and vineyard properties in the Napa Valley, Jill Levy is top-of-mind and the “who’s who” in real estate. With over 24 years in the business, Levy serves an impressive book of established clients and savvy buyers seeking the ultimate Wine Country lifestyle. A vineyard estate owner herself, Levy’s depth of knowledge and familiarity with living the dream serves as a major value add for her clients. Couple that with her in-depth market knowledge, marketing strength, and unrivaled service, and the results for her clients are exceptional. In 2020, Levy facilitated over 36 transactions and closed $92,600,000 in sales volume, making her the number one agent in Wine County at Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, and named one of the top agents nationally by Wall Street Journal’s “Leading 1000”. In 2021, Levy is set to break her own records, with 29 transactions closed and $83,00,000 in sales volume year-to-date. We sit down with Levy at one of her currently for sale vineyard estates, 245 Kreuzer Lane in Napa, to learn more about her passion for real estate, how she serves her clients, and the state of the Wine Country market.

“Delivering to my clients is what I value most.”

Jill, you’ve had an incredible past few years of being Napa Valley’s top real estate agent for luxury properties. How did you get to this moment in your career?

A lot of old fashioned hard work. I built a business based on my track record of closing sales, referrals from my clients, and procuring new business through extensive marketing. This business is all about relationships, and that requires relentless follow up and communication. When all these factors combine, I deliver. Delivering to my clients is what I value most, and that’s what sets me apart from others in this highly competitive market.

It also helps that you live the lifestyle you are helping to steward, right?

Absolutely. I actually own a vineyard estate with an 11-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and live the Napa Valley lifestyle. I am very experienced with all things “country property,” and have a lot of personal and professional experience dealing with things such as wells, septic systems, vineyard management, etc. You really have to know what you’re getting into when you make this type of a lifestyle purchase, and my first-hand knowledge translates to informing my clients.

Tell us about the areas you serve in Wine Country.

I am lucky to serve and work throughout the entire Napa Valley. I love selling Napa Valley real estate as it’s the perfect combination of luxury and an agrarian lifestyle. The entire valley is in demand, however, the town of Napa seems to be extremely popular with a current buyer demographic ranging in age from 30 to 50 years old, from the SF Bay Area, very affluent, and working in technology. Napa now offers more and more amazing restaurants, music, and events, in addition to its natural beauty and draw, so that has helped with urban-based buyers relocating or looking for a second home here. Of course, Yountville and the Upper Valley market where I live—especially St Helena—are still extremely desirable as these locations have always been the heart of the Wine Country.

When did you get your first breakthrough in the business?

Probably my first record sale. I was asked to partner with a realtor who had been in the business for over 25 years at the time. He felt he needed my marketing and sales experience to get the property over the finish line. The property closed above $12 million and was a very successful transaction. After this transaction, I was able to retain relationships with both the buyer and the seller, which have resulted in many more transactions with each over the past several years.

Tell us more about your clientele and why they want to work with you.

I love working with people, and this business allows me to connect with amazing people every day. I take pride in that. From my clients’ perspective, they are seeking my services because they feel I offer the best in marketing, and my sales track record speaks for itself. When it comes to luxury properties, I have an excellent referral base and reputation for setting record sales. I think my clients are drawn to this, and the results are exceptional.

How do you deliver exceptional results? What’s your ultimate value add to clients?

I cannot express enough how important—especially in this market—it is to be represented by a realtor with a wealth of experience and an exemplary track record. After 24 years in the business, I’ve seen it all and know how to handle most situations that arise. One of the keys to a successful transaction is to anticipate and prepare for the likely problems. I usually know going into a transaction where the weak parts are. By identifying these issues and talking about them in advance, we can either avoid the problem or handle it better when it occurs. It’s all about experience, foresight, and negotiation.

What advice do you have for buyers and sellers right now?

For sellers, I always recommend they prepare their property thoroughly for sale including decluttering which we call “editing,” painting, refreshing landscaping, staging, and, of course, completing all required inspection reports upfront. All properties have repair issues… If sellers know what the repair issues are in advance and have inspection reports on file for the buyers, they can negotiate from the start rather than waiting until the property is under contract. Buyers will sign off on known repair issues up front, but do not like surprises along the way.

As for buyers, they need to have proof of their cash on hand, as well as the ability to obtain any required financing. Because inventory is so low, I am trying to get out in front of inventory for my buyers and find properties before they hit the open market. Having the financials pre-approved and ready is critical in this market.

NapaHomesAndEstates.com

Jill Levy
707.479.9612
j.levy@ggsir.com
Lic.# 01230055

Featured property:
245 Kreuzer Lane, Napa
$5,995,000

Life in the Vines - Jill Levy

This material is based upon information which we consider reliable, but cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions and changes including price or withdrawal without notice.