Damian Archbold survived two bouts with cancer before he was 50, wrote a book about recovery after prostate cancer (“Lucky Stiff”), and led companies for decades as a CEO, entrepreneur, and investment banker. Then he relocated with his wife Claire (CEO of Napa-based Bpi, a commercial solar company) from New Zealand to Napa Valley and quickly became one of its top real estate professionals. But faced with the phrase “top real estate professional,” he is compelled to deconstruct it.
“Different ways of measuring would rank me higher or lower. If you base it on transactions closed last year, I would be in the top 1% of agents in Napa County, but if you base it on mindshare, I would be on the lower end.”
“Mindshare” is Archbold’s way of describing who comes to mind when considering local realtors. “A handful of agents have been here for 30 or 40 years and have developed mindshare: they are well-known in the Valley. They are going to be the people you first think of.”
Still, he has made a name for himself in his eight years in Napa Valley, primarily for his financial and investment acumen. “I look at property as an investment; I always have.”
“It all comes down to fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and having the right team. I deploy a team of trusted legal, tax mitigation, valuation, and financial intermediaries to assist with each transaction depend- ing on the client’s needs. Last year, I sold a winery property for $34 million. I was one of the agents representing the seller and was chosen by the buyer, a large foreign corporate entity, to represent them exclusively. The complex nature of this transaction brought into play the skill set I attained during my ten years of managing a venture capital fund in New Zealand.”
“It all comes down to fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and having the right team.”
Yet Archbold emphasizes that he works with a wide range of clientele with varied budgets and asserts that his background is beneficial regardless of the size of the deal. “The same skills and seriousness needed in taking on a multi-million-dollar property are just as necessary, if not more important, for somebody buying a $500,000 home,” which he explained will usually be a much more significant portion of their net worth.
“My mother was a waitress supporting four children on one income. I know how important a first home purchase or sale is for families in this situation, and I will never forget where I came from. I get great satisfaction helping people from all walks of life make the right financial decision regarding property. If I achieve ‘mindshare’ in our wonderful valley community, it will be because my passion for people leads my clients to succeed.”
Reference: Napavalleylife.com
Author: Layne Randolph