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Find out how this Hamptons agent balances a demanding business with real downtime and how that shapes his approach to his professional and personal lives.

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Adam Hofer comes by his hyperlocal expertise through a lifetime spent in The Hamptons. “Being hyperlocal gives me an added layer of context, from micro-neighborhood nuances to long-standing relationships, that ultimately helps clients make smarter decisions.”

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After starting out as a successful luxury automotive sales professional, he made the leap to real estate. Although many agents outsource their digital presence, Hofer runs everything himself: the social strategy, the content, the scheduling, the communication, the follow-ups.

“I don’t sit on my phone all day, but I do believe social media is one of the most powerful tools an agent has when used intentionally,” he said. “For me, it’s a direct extension of how I work: high-touch, consistent, responsive and rooted in building real relationships rather than just posting for the sake of it.”

Hofer spends a lot of time with his family: “Nantucket is our favorite place, one day we hope to have a home there,” he said. Find out how he balances a demanding business with real downtime and how that shapes his approach to his professional and personal lives.

Name: Adam Hofer

Title: Licensed real estate salesperson

Experience: 20+ years of luxury sales experience, with seven-plus years in real estate

Location: Hamptons

Brokerage name: Douglas Elliman

Sales volume: Hamptons sales volume consistently $100 million (what else can I say to elevate this, team as a whole?)

Rankings: No. 5 as an individual in the Hamptons and No. 22 in the country after my first full year. Now No. 3 team in the Hamptons and No. 6 team in the country.

What’s one big lesson you’ve learned in real estate?

Always be on the lookout for the lesson so that you’re learning every day. You can definitely learn from every transaction on what to look out for or how to make the next transaction better.

But the biggest lesson I learned in the beginning, and am reminded of every day, is that patience is the most important part of this whole thing. Patience in dealing with others, patience with the results you’re looking for: Every part of this business is based on patience.

I feel like that’s where a lot of agents fail. This takes time. We all want immediate results, but most of the time, it’s just not possible in this business, and it’s out of our control. However, if you’re patient, you will see all the results you had hoped for.

What’s the most important thing you learned in school or in your prelicensing classes?

Ha! One acre is 43,560 square feet.

What’s the best advice you ever got from a mentor or colleague?

Do something real estate-related every day. This is not a part-time business; however, you don’t have to work 16-hour days to be successful either.

But taking this advice and implementing it has been instrumental in my success. It’s simple. It means if you don’t have showings scheduled or meetings, you don’t just sit on your hands. You find a real estate-related activity for the day to keep you active, learning and relevant.

It’s so simple, and most people don’t do it. If I have an empty schedule for the day, I’ll call a client or colleague for coffee or hit a few open houses. You will always get something out of it, and it keeps that pipeline full.

What would you tell a new agent before they start out in the business?

This ain’t reality TV, it’s not a part-time gig and pick an area of focus. You can’t be everywhere all the time.

What do clients need to know before they begin a real estate transaction?

Let’s talk about preparation. What happens if we do get a buyer, or if we do find something we like? Preparedness is super important on both sides. Conversely, I also like my buyers or sellers to know that they are obligated to nothing until they sign a contract, which helps relieve a little pressure and ultimately leads to better decision-making.

What type of media has taught you the most?

Typically, I don’t find inspiration through other real estate-related shows or podcasts. For some reason, agents seem to believe they qualify as life coaches or motivational speakers, and they definitely are not. There is a lot of BS out there in that space.

I have found it most beneficial for myself and my business to look toward people like the Jamie Dimons and Ken Griffins of the world and listen to what they have to say, how they feel about things beyond the market, how do they network, how do they grow, how do they lead, how do they get out tough spots, listen to their war stories, etc.

Especially working in the markets I work in, it’s important to stay on top of the trends and mindsets of high-net-worth individuals; it will only make you better at what you do.

If you could do anything other than real estate, what would it be?

This may not count, but if I could, I would love to get into development, historic home renovation or new build, but really, an entire community, like a private golf club surrounded by residences. In terms of non-real estate, I’d get back into the car business if I had unlimited funds and could own or run my own dealership.

The why on both is that I think I could deliver incredible products or experiences through my experience and vision.

Email Christy Murdock

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