The in-house title of "Customer Care Coach" for Shandi DeHaven is shorthand for: "This is why the Brad Korb team gets so much referral and repeat business." DeHaven, who joined the Team in October, helps good buyers' agents become exceptional buyers' agents.

"For example, throughout our industry, many agents now rely on just the internet to preview a house," DeHaven said. "But pictures don't tell you about the surrounding area or less desirable aspects of the house. I make sure our buyers' agents personally visit a property first to determine whether it's worth showing to the client. The client's time is valuable. Buyers' agents must respect that. To do that, they must listen carefully to what their clients are telling them and communicate frequently."

DeHaven's history includes more than 20 years at a San Fernando Valley real estate firm with 175 agents, where she especially enjoyed the satisfaction of helping people find homes and investment properties that were right fits for them.

She'd probably still be at that firm if she hadn't met Brad Korb and learned of his policy of having buyers' agents who work solely with buyers, and sellers' agents who work solely with sellers, rather than having all agents do both.

"Instead of an agent being fairly good at two things, the agent can become exceptionally good at one. That concept really attracted me," she said.

Brad Korb said he was thrilled when DeHaven decided to join the team:

"I was lucky enough to meet Shandi and could see that she was a caring and compassionate person," he said. "She's a perfect fit for us because she really knows how to help our buyers' agents with their clients' needs."