March 22-24 at the fabulous Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Luxury Portfolio International will be hosting its annual SUMMIT for top sales associates and luxury marketing professionals. The exclusive event for Luxury Portfolio members provides insights on luxury homes, lifestyles and trends to help professionals better serve their elite clientele.

The program will feature prominent speakers including keynote speaker Robert Frank, one of the country's leading authorities on wealth and philanthropy, Dr. Jim Taylor, vice chairman of Harrison Group, who will share insights and sales opportunities for those serving the affluent, word-of-mouth marketing expert Spike Jones, as well as many of the top brokers and agents from around the world.

There’s still time for Luxury Portfolio agents and brokers to register and join us for this MEMBERS ONLY EVENT to network, learn and enjoy an elegant luxury resort. The early bird deadline is quickly approaching (February 10) - see more details and register at summit2012.luxuryportfolio.com.

Our latest edition of the Luxury Portfolio Magazine is now online! Click on the cover to the right for the latest in luxury living, design trends, architecture and high-end travel.

And, enjoy nearly 150 pages of content, photos and information about the most extraordinary luxury properties in the world.

Be sure to look for the Luxury Portfolio Magazine in the U.S. at Barnes & Noble and on international newsstands in 50+ countries around the globe.

Read the press release to learn more.

Take a look at some of the latest updates and news from Luxury Portfolio International™, including website updates, informative blog posts and news from our members:

Monumental July Sales: Encouraging news this past month as two remarkable properties listed by Luxury Portfolio members sold. The Spelling Mansion in Holmby Hills, California sold to 22 year old Formula 1 heiress Petra Ecclestone. It was last listed at $150,000,000 by Hilton & Hyland. Across the country in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC, the Evermay estate – last listed at $25,900,000 by Long and Foster® Real Estate Inc. – also sold this month. And the buyer came from within the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World network too. Read more about these remarkable luxury home sales.

Find a Broker in Your Market Faster: We recently updated our Luxury Portfolio Broker search by location, making it easier to find a broker in your area – consumers can and find a Broker quickly by country, state/province, and/or city.

See Video Content on our New LPTV Channel: Video is an exceptional way to tell a story; and now neighborhood features, Luxury Portfolio member updates, LuxeTour™ property video tours and more can be seen on LuxuryPortfolio TV at LuxuryPortfolio.com/video. Also on the channel are the wonderful architectural style videos which we have partnered with HGTV’s Frontdoor.com to create. Check out more on the different architectural styles on our blog.

Secrets of Staging: One of our most popular blog posts! Read Martha Webb’s expertise on home staging in this recent post: Staging Helps Buyers Evaluate - Not Eliminate.

MEMBERS ONLY EVENTS: There’s still time for Luxury Portfolio agents and brokers to register and join us for the International Symposium in beautiful Madrid, Spain! Being held October 19-21, the symposium is a great opportunity to network, learn and enjoy an amazing city. See more details and register at symposium.LeadingRE.com.

Also be sure to save to date our 2012 Luxury Portfolio SUMMIT in Orlando – March 22-24 and the 2012 Annual LeadingRE Conference in Orlando – March 24-26. We look forward to seeing you there!

Recently we announced our upcoming International Symposium in beautiful Madrid, Spain on October 19-21.

At the event Luxury Portfolio agents and brokers (members only) have the chance to network, learn AND have fun! This is a great way to gain valuable insight into the global real estate market, strengthen your cross-border relationships, and learn about international real estate nuances and the plethora of business opportunities it presents. If you recognize our world is getting smaller and that your next buyer could be from anywhere, this is a “can’t miss” event!

Oh, and did we mention this is a great chance to experience the vibrant, sophisticated and international destination that is Madrid? History. Culture. Terrific shopping. Charming cafes. The luxury of the Westin Palace. We’ll see you there!

For details and to register, please visit symposium.LeadingRE.com.

Luxury Portfolio International™ has released a White Paper entitled “How Today’s Highly Affluent U.S. Consumer Selects Luxury Real Estate Associates and Brokerages.” The paper focuses on affluent American consumer’s wants and needs in today’s economic environment. Findings specifically show that performance and reputation are more critical than ever to earning the trust of the consumer.

In late 2010 we engaged the Harrison Group (the research company that authors the Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America) to conduct primary research on behalf of Luxury Portfolio with affluent US consumers. The purpose was to gauge their priorities, likes and dislikes related to the selection of an agent to buy or sell a $1M plus home.

Some key conclusions:  
• Reputation remains paramount
• Elegant websites are important, but equally important is 1) that websites popularity, 2) the number of luxury properties represented, and 3) a proven online presence and tracking statistics
• A top priority for today’s luxury consumers when selecting an agent is market knowledge and experience (no surprise) but also, global reach
• While the Internet is paramount, printed material is still vital for advertising purposes and must be elegant
• Magazine advertising is still considered appropriate, where the affluent and wealthy expect to find real estate tips and home design trends

The paper also identifies changes brought about by the recession and how consumers have become more fiscally responsible, but expectations have risen. For luxury real estate, this means consumers are seeking fair-priced homes that still provide superb quality of amenities and features that fit the needs and lifestyle for a family setting. They are more focused than ever on “bargains.” Luxury Portfolio continues to tap into the minds of the luxury real estate consumer and market trends through studies and reporting on the luxury market. Read the entire White Paper here.

Unique Homes Magazine ULTIMATE Issue is on sale NOW at most major bookstores so be sure to pick up a copy! The Luxury Portfolio pages are, as usual, in the very front of the book!

Luxury Portfolio would like to congratulate our 18 Luxury Portfolio members whose incredible properties qualified them for inclusion on the 2011 Ultimate Homes list.
They are:

- Alain Pinel Realtors (San Francisco Bay Area, CA)
- Chase International (Lake Tahoe, NV)
- Choi International (Honolulu, HI)
- Disher, Hamrick & Myers Residential, Inc. (Charlotte, NC)
- Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors (Miami, FL)
- Greenwich Fine Properties (Greenwich, CT)
- Harry Norman, Realtors (Atlanta, GA)
- Houlihan Lawrence (Westchester County, NY)
- Illustrated Properties Real Estate (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
- Joshua & Co. (Aspen, CO)
- Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. (Chantilly, VA)
- McGuire Real Estate (San Francisco, CA)
- Premier Estate Properties, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL)
- Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate (Vail, CO)
- Village Properties (Montecito, CA)
- William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance (Shelton, CT)
- Willis Allen Real Estate (San Diego, CA)
- Windermere Real Estate (Seattle, WA)

This week, LuxuryPortfolio.com added a 3D aerial mapping feature that allows visitors of the site to view all Luxury Portfolio properties in a new way at the individual property level and through a new map search. Property maps give you a bird’s-eye view of the listing, while the new 3D mapping search allows you to “fly” from property to property within your desired search and tour the surrounding area.

The informative and fun interactive search is designed to provide a truer sense of property locations in relation to other available properties, as well as surrounding topography, amenities and more. Start here by downloading the software and begin your aerial tour of amazing luxury properties!

Have you seen these strange looking square barcodes in print ads, on signage and other places? The QR codes (“quick response” codes) allow smartphone users to scan the code image to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network or open a browser page.

This method of accessing information on the go has been used heavily in Asia and is growing in popularity in Europe and the US. Luxury Portfolio debuted a QR initiative in a full page ad in today’s Wall Street Journal European edition - the code in the ad drives consumers to a video describing our program and network in more detail. See more at LuxuryPortfolio.com/QR.

Luxury Portfolio members are also smartly using QR codes. Peabody & Smith Realty is utilizing the codes in print ads and on signage, enabling consumers to instantly access property information. Read the full release.

We think this is an interesting and fun way to promote engagement and are excited about potential applications.

The brand new Luxury Portfolio lifestyle magazine is now available to view online!

Tour exceptional luxury properties from Hawaii to Washington DC, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Portugal - all with remarkable histories. See the latest in interior customization and entertaining, read about top trends in today's luxury residences, get ideas from design experts, and more.

Click here to see the full version of the magazine!

Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection is proud to have had a terrific showing in the recent Real Trends/WSJ 2009 Top 400 list - a list of the top 400 real estate agents and teams in the United States by transaction side and volume. Luxury Portfolio brokers appeared on each of the 4 lists and overall represent a spectacular group of the Best of the Best. Big congrats to the following people - we are PROUD to have you as members of Luxury Portfolio!

Congratulations to the incredible: