How to Break Into Luxury Real Estate Without Luxury Listings
- Colby Casoria
- Jul 10
- 9 min read
EMC Monday Mastermind Recap with Joseph Trujillo
Breaking into luxury real estate can feel intimidating, especially if you do not already have luxury listings, high-end clients, or a long track record in the space. But according to Joseph Trujillo, the path into luxury is more accessible than many agents realize.
In this Every Move Collective Mastermind, Joseph shared his playbook for agents who want to break into higher price points, stand out in competitive markets, and create opportunities through branding, storytelling, new development, and strategic relationships.
Joseph is a 25-year industry veteran, five-time eXp ICON agent, leader of more than 1,400 agents through his Dream Chasers organization, and a strong voice in luxury, sports and entertainment, and new development real estate.
Here are the key takeaways from the conversation.
1. You Do Not Have to Start in Luxury to Break Into Luxury
Joseph opened by sharing that he did not begin his real estate career selling luxury homes.
After serving in the Marine Corps, working as a U.S. Marshal, and later working in government service, Joseph entered real estate almost accidentally when he decided to sell his own home. That first transaction led to more business, and within a few years, he had tripled his income and retired from government service.
His early sales were not luxury properties. Many were mid-priced homes in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and Orange County. His move into luxury came later, through intentional positioning, learning, relationships, and visibility.
The lesson: agents do not need to wait until they already have luxury listings to start building a luxury brand. They need to start showing up with a luxury mindset, luxury-level service, and a clear point of view.
2. Stop Being a Generalist: Build a Specialized Brand
One of Joseph’s biggest points was the importance of branding yourself differently.
He used his own “Mr. LA” brand as an example of becoming known for a specific market and identity. In his words, if you look and sound like every other agent, it is going to be difficult to break into a new space.
Luxury clients, developers, and high-end buyers are looking for confidence, clarity, and authority. That means agents should think like specialists, not generalists.
Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, ask:
What market do I want to be known for?
What type of client do I want to attract?
What niche can I own?
How can I communicate my value differently than other agents?
Joseph compared this to doctors. General practitioners can do well, but specialists are often the ones who command the highest level of trust and income.
3. New Development Is a Powerful Entry Point Into Luxury
A major theme of the Mastermind was new development.
Joseph explained that luxury real estate is not only about resale mansions or celebrity homes. In many metro markets, luxury opportunities are showing up through smaller-scale new development projects.
These may include:
Small residential developments
Townhome communities
Condo rehabs
Mixed-use projects
Infill development in high-density areas
Revitalized neighborhoods
Projects with as few as one, four, twenty, or fifty units
Joseph emphasized that new development is a different game than resale. Developers think differently than traditional sellers, and agents need to use different language, bring different value, and understand what matters most to them.
4. Developers Want Proof, Not a Pitch
Joseph made this point very clear: walking up to a developer and simply asking to be the listing agent is not enough.
Developers often already have relationships. They may already have listing agents, internal sales teams, marketing vendors, or brokers they have worked with for years. To get their attention, agents need to lead with value.
Joseph recommended showing up with proof instead of a pitch.
That proof might include:
A video concept for their project
A YouTube tour
A broker open idea
Buyer leads
Social media visibility
A marketing plan
Access to a network of agents
A storytelling strategy
A way to reach buyers their current team is missing
Joseph’s Malibu opportunity began with a simple request: he asked permission to film a YouTube video at the property. He had done his research, understood the project, and saw that there was no meaningful video content promoting it yet.
That conversation opened the door to a much bigger relationship.
5. Use Media as Your Door Opener
One of the most actionable takeaways was this: every agent has access to media.
You may not have a TV show, a major platform, or a large following yet, but you can still create content. Joseph encouraged agents to think of YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, newsletters, community videos, and local market content as media outlets.
He shared that when he started his focused YouTube strategy, he had only a small subscriber base. But what mattered was not the size of the audience at the beginning. What mattered was the vision.
He committed to filming one Los Angeles city or micro-community each week for 90 weeks.
His advice: cast the vision. Show developers and potential clients what you are building, what audience you are serving, and how your content can bring visibility to their project.
6. Research Before You Reach Out
Joseph stressed that agents should never approach developers cold without doing their homework.
Before reaching out, learn:
What the project is
How many units are involved
Who the developer is
Who is currently representing the project
What marketing is already being done
What gaps exist in visibility or storytelling
What buyers may find attractive about the project
He also suggested using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to research developers in your area. Agents can search for residential developers building fewer than 20 or 50 units in their market and gather contact information, websites, and business pages.
One practical tip Joseph shared: use the contact form on the developer’s website. Emails and calls can get missed, but website contact forms often get routed more directly.
7. Understand How Developers Think
Developers are not thinking the same way a traditional homeowner thinks.
According to Joseph, their biggest concern is not necessarily commission. Their biggest concern is speed.
They want to know:
How quickly can this inventory move?
What is the absorption rate?
How much are holding costs eating into profit?
How can they attract qualified buyers?
How can they protect and elevate their brand?
How can they make their project stand out?
Joseph explained that many developers are already spending significant money on marketing, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars per month. But much of that marketing can be generic or ineffective.
An agent who can bring fresh ideas, qualified leads, content, storytelling, and boots-on-the-ground visibility can quickly become valuable.
8. Bring Qualified Buyers and You Become Hard to Ignore
One of the fastest ways to get attention from a developer is to bring buyers.
Joseph shared that developers often receive plenty of leads, but many are not qualified. If an agent can bring even a handful of real buyer prospects, that agent immediately stands out.
This was part of Joseph’s strategy in his Malibu project. By bringing activity, qualified prospects, and visibility, he made the developer question why his team was producing opportunities that others were not.
The lesson: you may not get the listing on day one, but if you bring buyers, host open houses, create content, and keep showing up, you can earn a seat at the table.
9. Storytelling Is a Luxury Strategy
Joseph called storytelling one of the biggest takeaways of the entire call.
Every developer has a story. Every project has a story. Every community has a story. But many developers are not telling that story well.
Today’s buyers want more than square footage and finishes. They want context, connection, lifestyle, and trust.
They want to know:
Who built this?
Why was it built?
What makes this community special?
What is happening in the neighborhood?
What makes this opportunity scarce or unique?
What lifestyle does this property represent?
Joseph compared brands that simply display their product with brands that create emotion and connection. His point was simple: agents should not just market homes. They should tell stories.
10. Luxury Is Relative to Your Market
Joseph offered a helpful definition of luxury for agents who may feel intimidated by the term.
Luxury does not always mean $10 million homes.
In his view, if a property is in the top 10% of the local market, agents should approach it with a luxury mindset.
That means luxury could look different in Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Houston, Las Vegas, Florida, or a smaller suburban market. The opportunity is not limited to traditionally famous luxury zip codes.
Agents should look for areas where higher-end product is beginning to emerge, especially in revitalizing or under-supplied markets.
11. Look for Buyer Advantages in New Development
Joseph encouraged agents to think like buyers when evaluating new development.
What makes the project compelling?
In one Paramount project, he noticed key buyer advantages: no HOA, no Mello-Roos, and paid solar panels. Those features created a strong buyer story and gave him a reason to promote the opportunity.
In Malibu, scarcity was the major story. Joseph explained that the development represented a rare opportunity in a market where new product had not been available in the same way for many years.
The agent’s job is to identify what buyers are escaping, what they are gaining, and why the opportunity matters now.
12. International Buyers Can Expand the Opportunity
Eva asked Joseph about international opportunities, and Joseph shared how important international outreach can be, especially in luxury new development.
For the Malibu project, his team began reaching out to international agents and exploring targeted international marketing opportunities.
Joseph emphasized that social media can travel anywhere. With the right content, relationships, and targeting, agents can create conversations with buyers and agents outside their local market and even outside the country.
For luxury agents, this opens a larger pool of opportunity.
13. Relationships Can Lead to Co-Listing Opportunities
Joseph’s Paramount project was a great example of relationship-based growth.
He did not start with the listing contract. He first brought a buyer to one of the developer’s units. Then, while that transaction was in escrow, he offered to host open houses for the other available units.
He brought value. He brought buyers. He built trust.
Eventually, the existing listing agent, who had worked with the developer for years, wanted to co-list the next 17 units with Joseph.
The takeaway: collaboration can open doors faster than competition.
14. You May Not Need to Be the Primary Listing Agent
Joseph also explained that some developers may not want to commit to one exclusive agent. That does not mean there is no opportunity.
In some cases, multiple brokers can represent or market the same development. Joseph stepped into a Malibu opportunity where he could market and sell the homes without being the primary listing agent.
For agents trying to break into luxury, this is an important mindset shift. The first opportunity may not look like a traditional listing appointment, but it can still build proof, relationships, and future business.
15. New Agents Should Collaborate Their Way Into Luxury
During Q&A, Joseph was asked how newer agents can break into existing luxury.
His answer was clear: partner with people already in the space.
Newer agents should:
Attend luxury open houses
Host open houses for experienced agents
Join calls and masterminds
Get around agents already doing luxury business
Create home tour videos
Build visibility consistently
Learn the language of higher-end real estate
Develop proof through activity
Eva added that even visiting luxury properties and listening to experienced listing agents can be educational. Being in the room matters.
16. Video Builds Authority Faster
Joseph closed with a strong push toward YouTube and video content.
He encouraged agents to create consistent community and property videos, even without hiring a videographer. His own approach is simple: self-record vlog-style content, then hire an editing team to polish the video.
He challenged agents to think about whether they could create one video a week for 50 weeks.
Consistency builds authority. When buyers and sellers repeatedly see you showcasing homes, neighborhoods, and market opportunities, they begin to associate you with that space.
Final Takeaway: Luxury Is an Open Space
Joseph’s biggest message was that luxury is not as closed off as many agents believe.
Many agents assume the opportunities are already taken. Joseph challenged that belief.
There are developers who need better marketing. There are luxury properties that need better storytelling. There are agents who need collaborative partners. There are buyers looking for guidance. There are emerging luxury markets waiting to be understood.
You do not need to start with a luxury listing.
You need to start with value, visibility, relationships, and action.
For agents looking to grow into luxury real estate, new development, or higher-end clients, this Mastermind was a powerful reminder: the opportunity is there for the agents willing to show up differently.
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