We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeff Grant. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeff below.

Hi Jeff, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I grew up in Arizona (‘Sand’) and then moved to San Diego (‘Sea’) right out of college. The word ‘investments’ is included because for most people, their home is their biggest investment.

Jeff, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I founded Sand & Sea Investments in 2008 after resigning as a Manager of Operations for the PGA Tour. That career offered lifetime memories and experiences though I wanted more. I wanted a family, and I wanted full control of my personal and professional life. Traveling 280 days of the year would not allow that, so I made the difficult decision to move on and I still remember my boss at the PGA Tour saying, “are you sure you want to do this?” My coworkers were surprised because few people move on from that career voluntarily!

The next two years were very difficult. I made a total of $10k in that time and lost a few houses to short sale along the way. I had no option but to move into my best friend’s house for a few months and I distinctly remember not even being able to pay him the $400/mo rent. Thank God for his support and grace!

I was brand new to the industry when I started Sand & Sea Investments so to get on my feet, I simply identified problems and then created the best strategies, resources, and platforms to solve them. Back then an obvious problem was sellers losing their homes to banks via deed in lieu’s, foreclosures and short sales. I went through the latter and after a tumultuous six-month process, I committed to helping others and created a short sale negotiating platform called ShhortSale.com to do so (the two h’s in the name were to suggest it being a secret since many people were embarrassed to talk about it!). Soon after I was negotiating in 42 states and up to 50 active short sale files at a time and in the end, closed nearly 800 short sales in total.

ShhortSale.com was a DBA under Sand & Sea Investments and in 2012, I had to pivot back to the primary brand and focus on local, traditional sales. Since then, we have sold over $500,000,000 in local real estate are known for stellar customer service and a commitment to excellence; for the positive connections and successful outcomes generated for clients by creating an atmosphere of warmth, approachability and trust.

I give back to my community as a member of the SD Police Foundation, on the Grievance Committee for the SD Association of Realtors, and as a Board Member and 2024 Chairman of the Century Club – host of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines which is San Diego’s PGA Tour event. The Century Club donates millions of dollars annually to local youth-based charities and is one of SD’s most-potent charity groups.

I strive to lead through service and keep my edge by living the aphorism, ‘good is the enemy of great’. The world isn’t about me. It’s about my faith, family and loving and helping others.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

By giving, and by helping others! I’m shocked how many people will ask for something without offering value first. Raising others up passively creates trust to do the same for their clients or friends and to this day, I invest in premium experiences and gifts for my clients and lead sources. Examples of this are front-row tickets to the Padres, hospitality at major events, 5-star hotel gift cards, electric bikes and more!

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I co-purchased a drone in 2014 to take photos of my listings which was well-before they became a standard option in real estate photography. At that time they were controversial and an invasion of privacy to some so after landing a listing in Crown Point, I called two local news stations to share that I would be flying the drone for photos. Both came out to film and interview neighbors and sure enough, both stories made it on the news…passively promoting my listing! One of those stories even syndicated to the national news (CNN) and friends from Hawaii to New York called to tell me they saw me on the news!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SandandSeaInvestments.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandSeaInvestments/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgrantre/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXf99IfmWEn8qK0EfkU0XTQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sand-and-sea-investments-san-diego-3