Above, Michael and Robin Gordon.
Robin Gordon was born and raised in the storied Philadelphia Main Line, a social and historical region named for the former main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad that stretches westward from central Philadelphia into the area’s sprawling farmlands and horse ranches.
“Name a house on almost any Main Line street and I can probably describe it,” said Gordon, the face of the highly successful Robin Gordon Group (Robin@RobinGordon.com), who, in 25 years under the banner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors®, has posted more than $2 billion in career sales volume.
With her REALTOR® husband, Michael, as chief marketing strategist, plus an administrator and more than 20 primarily buyer’s agents on her team, the Gordon group is consistently the Main Line’s top seller, according to Bright MLS, closing some 241 deals per year for the last three years in a row.
Barbara Pronin: Robin, what first drew you to the real estate industry?
Robin Gordon: My father, an accomplished attorney and my personal hero, taught me the value of serving others and encouraged me to get licensed in real estate. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I went to work for an investment bank for 10 years, mostly doing property valuation and negotiating complex corporate real estate transactions–at which point I decided that working directly with real-world buyers and sellers might be a lot more fun. So, in 1993, I walked into a Fox & Roach office and introduced myself–and the rest is history.
BP: When did Michael join you in the business?
RG: In 2001. He’s Main Line born and bred as well, so he knows the market intimately. He was already a sales and marketing strategist, and once we began raising our family here, it was just the most natural thing in the world to make this a family business. Michael is wonderful with multi-channel marketing and social media campaigns, and at getting every home we represent in front of carefully targeted buyers, not just locally but globally.
BP: There’s a lot of competition in the area you serve. How do you consistently stay on top?
RG: We’ve been here, with roots in the community, for many years, so I know a lot of people, and they know us. We have a long history of being trusted advocates–and, I think, we have proven through the years that we are knowledgeable and highly efficient–that we have the passion, the marketing and negotiation skills, and the quality of care to make every buy/sell experience we transact a smooth and typically fulfilling one.
BP: And the Gordon Group has grown exponentially. How do you stay organized as a team?
RG: We have dedicated and mostly experienced agents who specialize primarily on the buyer’s side and who enjoy being part of a busy team. I enjoy coaching, so we have monthly coaching meetings, and we have bi-monthly team meetings that keep us all on the same page. And everyone knows that Michael and I are always available when they need us.
BP: Are you open to expanding the team?
RG: Always. We invest in people, not just real estate, and our door is always open.
BP: Tell us a little about the area you serve.
RG: It’s a beautiful and diverse area encompassing everything from city condos to suburban estates and ranch properties. They vary greatly, of course, but the average sale price is about $1.1 million–and every deal is different, which is one of the things I love about this business.
BP: What else do you love? What keeps you motivated?
RG: I love meeting people from all walks of life. I love helping them achieve their goals. I love that every deal is different from the next, and that things are always changing–changing economies, new developments, always new challenges to meet.
BP: What’s your biggest challenge right now?
RG: Low inventory, mostly. But we do our best. Our team’s pending value right now is about $75 million.
BP: It’s clear that you love the community you’ve lived in all your life. In what ways do you choose to give back?
RG: We are happy to support a number of local organizations, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation, and the Trustees Council of Penn Women at the University of Pennsylvania. I’m also a member of the Board of Penn Women’s Field Hockey Team, and I regularly coordinate and host their events and fundraisers.
BP: And finally, Robin, what advice would you offer to team leaders starting out?
RG: Every team is unique, I think, and every community is different. But you will differentiate yourself–and your team–if you work with passion, stay on top of the market, provide personalized customer care, and focus on excellence at every stage of the transaction.
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