The Contour of Luxury Spring/Summer 2018 | Page 199
quickly destroyed whatever equity the owner had
in their home, and as a result, many families found
themselves facing foreclosure. When I started
“Walter Wayne” named after my late father, I did so
with the purpose of helping families stay in their
homes. I had a conscientious team alongside me
during that time, and we helped many property
owners get back on track. I always believed that by
putting people first, success and opportunity would
naturally follow as a byproduct of doing the “right
thing.”
AD: You are currently working in the luxury mar-
ket in the position of sales manager at Mercedes
Benz South Bay. Although real estate and auto sales
are both sales related, what shifts in your approach
to managing, if any, did you find were needed go-
ing from real estate to luxury brand auto
sales, being that you are accommo-
dating a completely different
clientele base in this role?
GS: While in real estate I worked with a client base
that faced foreclosure; mostly families in distress
and in great need of someone to help them navi-
gate their way through that challenging period of
life—and I was glad I could help. However, when I
entered the luxury world of Mercedes Benz, I found
the majority of my clients were both successful and
financially independent, and this allowed me to fo-
cus my time and attention on the details of provid-
ing an excellent customer experience while getting
to know my clients better.
AD: With Mercedes being a luxury brand, as sales
manager of the South Bay location, what are some
of the ways you go above and beyond to cater to
your clientele?