In a dreadfully serious soft-core porn piece on the mission-blending of swimming pools and ultra-lounges at Las Vegas casino-resort-hotels, the New York Times coughs up this Gilded Age morality play:
Rainmaking aside, how expensive can it get for high-end customers seeking a raucous Sunday afternoon? Randy Lund, a C.P.A. who works as a branch manager for mortgage broker Meridias Capital, has been going to Rehab since Day 1. He says he spends more than $100,000 a year on cabanas, food and alcohol for him and his guests. Yet as much as Rehab is about recreation for Mr. Lund, it is also about business.
“I bring Realtors and clients and they love it at Rehab,” says Mr. Lund, trim, shirtless and wearing board shorts. “I met a guy here who was a friend of a friend, I invited him to hang out with us in my cabana, and I bought him a few drinks. He turned out to be a multimillionaire who owns shopping centers and a jet. Now he’s a mentor to me, and we’re in the process of developing our own shopping center here in Vegas.”
When you’re writing your mortgage check next week, do pause to reflect that your money is going to worthy purposes.
Technorati Tags: real estate, real estate marketing
Brian Brady says:
Mortgage origination is big business, no doubt. Successful originators have discovered that “courting” Realtors is an essential ingredient to success in that business.
Mr. Lund sounds like he gives the people what they want (in this case, Realtors); a chance to emulate the rich and famous. In return, they reward him with referrals.
Everybody wants to be one of the pretty people.
August 25, 2007 — 4:36 pm
Phil Hoover says:
Ahem ~ I am a Realtor and I ain’t getting none of that stuff 🙁
August 25, 2007 — 6:17 pm
Chuchundra says:
The rich are different than you and me. They have more money.
August 25, 2007 — 6:22 pm
Eric says:
Chuch, reminds me of a saying a friend and I had:
Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy us poor folk the things that make normal people happy 😉
August 25, 2007 — 8:31 pm
Lani Anglin says:
Think he’s chillin’ in a cabana with Mozilo? 🙂
August 25, 2007 — 9:48 pm
Chris says:
I don’t get any of this good stuff from the mortgage brokers I use, hmmm.
August 26, 2007 — 6:17 pm