Glenn Shelhamer, well dressed, well equipped, and family focused, is there anything that this real estate broker can’t do?
REAL ESTATE TALK
Q: What sets The Shelhamer Real Estate Group apart from other brokerages?
A: I treat real estate like a relationship business, not a transaction business. My team and I show up, tell the truth, and guide people through one of the biggest decisions of their lives with zero ego. We’re hands-on, hyper-local with an international broker network, and we don’t disappear after the deal closes. Clients stay with us for life because they know we care about their outcome more than the commission.
Q: How do you stay positive amidst the current negative news surrounding real estate?
A: Real estate always cycles. Instead of panicking, I focus on controlling what I can: service, communication, negotiation and strategy. People will always need to move, upsize, downsize, relocate and transition. There’s stability in serving human needs.
Q: What are three things every client should consider before purchasing a home in LA? What’s the 10-year plan?
A: Understand your commute and lifestyle — LA traffic is real. Budget for improvements; most LA homes need some kind of love.
Q: What are four of your favourite parts of town and why?
Los Feliz: Creative energy, walkability, great architecture. It feels like a true neighbourhood, not just a zip code.
Highland Park: Rooted in history with a modern edge. Great food, strong culture and a real sense of community.
Venice Beach: The energy is unmatched. I love training at the original Gold’s Gym — there’s something electric about being in a room where so many icons built their bodies and their dreams. A couple blocks away is the Firehouse, the classic bodybuilder breakfast spot, and the Boardwalk is always entertaining. Venice feels alive in a way no other pocket does.
Malibu: The seclusion does it for me. I love being off the beaten path, away from the noise. The coast, the salt in the air, the sense of being outside the city — it resets you. Private clubs, like Soho House, and family-friendly areas, like Cross Creek, make it feel like a retreat without having to leave LA.
REAL TALK
Q: What inspires you to do great work each day?
A: My family. My wife, my kids — they’re my why. And I like being the guy people can count on. That inspires me to show up strong.
Q: What is the best part of being a dad and a husband?
A: Watching my kids grow into themselves. Being someone they look to for strength and love. And coming home to a partner who believes in me.
Q: How do you balance work and family?
A: I build my calendar around the non-negotiables: my kids’ sports, my training, family time. Everything else fits around that. Real estate is 24/7, but I don’t let it steal the parts of life that matter most.
time with his wife and two kids | Photo Courtesy of Glenn Shelhamer
PAST EXPERIENCES
Q: If you could change anything about your past, what would it be?
A: I would have gotten serious about long-term goals earlier. Shaping my body, shaping my mind, spirituality, discipline, delayed gratification: I wish I had leaned into all of that much earlier. Other than that, the school of hard knocks served me well. Falling on my ass over and over again shaped me into who I am. I wouldn’t trade those lessons for anything.
Q: What hard experiences from your past have shaped you in a positive way into the man you are today?
A: A lot of my early life was shaped by adversity. My parents divorced when I was three, my father was out of the picture, and my mother struggled with addiction and alcoholism. I was pretty much on my own from a young age. I had dyslexia, I was easily distracted, impulsive, afraid a lot of the time. I carried that with me and told myself some terrible things growing up, stories that weren’t true, but felt real when you’re a kid trying to make sense of chaos. Those years were hard, but they forced me to develop resilience. I had to shed the lies I told myself and the fear that came with them. Sobriety played a huge role in that. It stripped everything down and made me face who I was and who I wanted to become. Becoming a dad and building a business from nothing pushed me the rest of the way. Today, I’m the man I needed when I was young, dependable, steady, a father who shows up, a husband who leads by example. The tough parts didn’t break me, they built me. And coming out the other side of all that has been the most defining part of my life.
Q: What is the best gift you have ever received?
A: My wife and children. Nothing comes close.
Q: What is the most surprising thing you have experienced in real estate?
A: How emotional it really is. People think it’s about houses and money. It’s about identity, family, safety and new chapters.
Q: What is your favourite quote and why?
A: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Because everything meaningful in my life came from partnership, not isolation.
Q: Tell us one thing you have learned this past year.
A: Patience pays. Everything worthwhile takes longer than you expect, but the foundation becomes unshakeable.
