Realtor and best-selling author Cheryl Crane, daughter of Hollywood icon Lana Turner, recently chatted with Albany Lofts and Condos about the current real estate market, her own secrets of success, and her new coffee table book, Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies.   As a highly respected realtor for nearly thirty years, Cheryl chose to forge her career away from the celebrity spotlight and prove herself on her own merits with her mother's blessing.  While grateful for her privileged childhood memories as a member of the "star baby" network of classic Hollywood, Cheryl has long been focused on her professional path as a star realtor...

AL&C:  As a successful realtor for over thirty years, you bring experience from many markets.  What advice can you offer to both new and seasoned agents alike in this competitive field?
C.C.:  I've had a very good year so I really can't complain.  Agents and buyers should always remember that they have to roll with the market.  Even when we have decreases in prices, they're never as low as the last drop.  Attitude & luck are the two biggest things in the real estate game.   Negativism only defeats.  The market is what it is, and realtors have to adapt to whatever the market is at any given time.  The market will come back - it always has.   The horrendous up kick from a few years ago was very unhealthy.  People need to remember that the good times are not going to last forever, and the same goes for the bad times.

AL&C:  With the state of the current real estate market, have you found it necessary to market yourself in new and creative ways?
C.C.:  (laughing) Yes!  I've written a book!  Seriously, I think the internet is the way to go with marketing and getting your name out there, but some realtors still find print advertising to be very effective.

AL&C:  In your opinion, what are the advantages to owning a loft, town home or condo?
C.C.:  I always tell my clients that home ownership is most important.  It is a great convenience to live in a community where the maintenance is taken care of for the homeowner.   There is also a huge market for these residences as second homes.  Personally, I live in a gated condo community where there is one shared common wall, but each unit has a private backyard with a pool. 

AL&C:  In retrospect, do you feel that frequent moves during your childhood planted an appreciation for different styles of homes and architecture?
C.C.:  I have always been interested in homes and architecture.  I believe it's a love taught from grandmother.  My tastes have matured since my first home, which was kind of country cottage and cluttered.  My décor has evolved in a sophisticated direction to a more eclectic feel, which I find to be most comfortable.  My mother also had great style, and I'm sure that I learned some things from her.

AL&C:  If you were to give your buyers one key piece of advice, what would that be?
C.C.:  I most definitely have two pieces of advice and they go together.  First, find a realtor you can trust and feel comfortable with.   Next, be loyal to them.  It's as simple as that.  We all have stories of spending hours with clients viewing properties, only to have them find another realtor who they met over the weekend in a bar or someplace.  I am very thankful to have built up a loyal following over the years.  Past clients are the key to referrals and future business.

We can all benefit from this candid advice from an exceptional real estate veteran!  For more information about Cheryl and her celebrated mother, turn to Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies by Cheryl Crane with Cindy De La Hoz, Running Press, November 2008.