Selling The Dream

INTRODUCTION

If you have ever walked past a gleaming “For Sale” sign on a grand estate and wondered what really goes on behind the gates — or behind the scenes of the agency that put it there — this book is for you.
Real estate is often painted as a game of numbers, commissions, and flashy listings. It is spoken of in square footage, acreage, price per square foot, and return on investment. We measure homes by how much they cost, how fast they sell, and how high they rise in value. But what the spreadsheets and valuation reports never quite capture is the truth at the very heart of this business: it is not about the buildings. It is about the people who live in them, the memories they build within them, and the trust they place in the hands of those who guide them through one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
This story began with a simple idea: what happens when rivals who have spent years fighting one another are forced to stand side by side? What happens when the man who set them against each other leaves behind a final wish that changes everything they thought they knew about winning, losing, and what it truly means to succeed?
The characters you are about to meet are drawn from the very best — and occasionally the most frustrating — of the real estate world I have known. Arthur Cohen carries the quiet dignity, deep history, and unshakeable integrity that defines the very best of the old guard. Chloe Jacobs brings the flair, the passion, the eye for beauty, and the showmanship that turns a viewing into an experience. Eli Goldsmith and Zara Bernstein represent the precision, the analysis, the careful calculation that ensures every deal stands firm. Brad Goldberg and Arnold Vane bring the sparkle, the boldness, and the reminder that life — and business — should never be taken too seriously. Isaac Hebrew brings the glamour, the warmth, and the truth that style without heart is just empty noise. And Barry Einstein arrives with all the confidence, resources, and blind spots of anyone who has yet to learn that money opens doors — but only character keeps them open.
Above them all stands Julian Thorne: a man who knew better than anyone that you cannot truly understand the value of something until you have fought for it — and that you cannot truly know your rivals until you have stood alongside them.
When I first began writing these pages, I wanted to explore the difference between competition and rivalry. Competition pushes you to be better. Rivalry can blind you to the fact that you are all playing the same game. I wanted to ask: what does it mean to win if you have to leave your integrity behind? What does it mean to sell a dream if you cannot deliver the truth? And what happens when the loudest voice in the room is not the one worth listening to?
Over the course of this story, you will see agents who once sabotaged each other’s billboards, pranked one another with terrible accents, and raced to outbid each other at every turn. You will see spectacular mansions, floating palaces, historic homes, and hidden gems. You will see Oscar nights, fashion battles, cigar rooms, and open houses that feel like royal premieres. You will see tricks exposed, mistakes corrected, and lessons learned the hard way.
But beneath all the glamour, the humour, and the drama, this book carries one simple message: the most valuable asset you will ever have is your word.
In a world that often shouts louder than it speaks, that promises more than it can deliver, and that measures success only in figures on a cheque — there is something timeless and priceless about doing what you said you would do, treating people with respect, and remembering that every property you handle is someone’s home, someone’s history, someone’s future.

Welcome to Selling the Dream.
Jacob Lazard
London, July 2026