Meet Tim Durkovic

We recently connected with Tim Durkovic and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Tim with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

From a young age, I always wanted to be a concert pianist. I started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and threw myself into it. Having this creative outlet taught me SO much about discipline. I was one of those kids that didn’t have to be told to practice. I DID go through a stage at one point, where my mom would put a timer on the piano, but that didn’t last long. Deep down, I knew that I had to do it. Then, when my mom died when I was 14, it became the outlet for me to also deal with my grief. I eventually went on to study at the Juilliard School in NY and USC and got undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano performance, competed internationally, and taught at the college and university level of 20 years. It was a natural segue into the world of real estate – I stopped teaching, but NEVER stopped performing – I still do – and translated the work ethic of learning to be an internationally recognized pianist to the world of real estate. I hired a spectacular business coach that has taught me the world of business. Deep down, that work ethic that I learned as a kid naturally transitioned to the world of real estate and I have been able to meld the two worlds together!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Well, I work very hard to marry two worlds together – the world of classical music performance, specifically the piano, and the world of luxury real estate sales. I run a team, The Durkovic Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, in Los Angeles, and at the same time keep an active performing career, playing 20-30 concerts annually. I am also an official Steinway Artist. Having the background in the arts I believe enables me to bring a unique perspective to the world of real estate. Selling a home is like playing a concert – you are telling a story. In a concert, it is through the emotions I communicate in the music I am playing and when selling a house, it is through the imagery, video, narrative we communicate that gives an emotional connection to the home. When homes have pianos in them, I have even done house concert events as part of the launch of the properties. I find it is the emotional connection to the home that ultimately sells it – assuming, of course, it is priced right, etc! My team’s real estate services cover the greater LA area, and my concert performances span the country and the globe. I am at the beginning of what is going to be a quite busy 2024-2025 performance season!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would say 1. Adaptability 2. Discipline/Consistency 3. Self-care. My advice for people early in their journey is to be adaptable to the world they are in. Things change on a dime and you have to be able to change with them. It is important to set your plan and follow it, even when you don’t feel like it, and to be always consistent in your quest for excellence. I have also found, that if you don’t take care of yourself, you can burn out VERY easily – it is super important to have balance, eat well, do exercise, and most importantly have fun! My coaches and piano teachers always would say, “Life is 2/3 work on 1/3 fun.” It is important to work hard, but it is also important to play hard!

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My mom died when I was 14, and my dad, God bless him, did not handle it well. He sort of disappeared on us. I was actually born and raised in Guatemala, and was living there when this happened. I was a freshman in high school, went on to complete high school and then left home and went straight to the US to study at the Juilliard School. On my 18th birthday, my dad cut me off entirely. No more financial help or emotional support. Needless to say, this was devastating at the time – BUT, looking back, it is what really taught me to be self sufficient. The universe put some AMAZING people in my path that helped me and taught me to adapt and keep going. I would NOT be the man I am today, had that not happened.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thedurkovicgroup.com / www.timothydurkovic.com
• Instagram: @timdurkovic @thedurkovicgroup
• Facebook: @timdurkovic
• Linkedin: @timdurkovic
• Youtube: @thedurkovicgroup