Competing with the Big Guys

Did you ever wonder how small real estate firms can compete with the big ones? They do it by cooperating nationwide. If Joe in Fresno wants to buy a house in Cleveland, a small realtor in California will refer him to another one in Ohio, and the two realtors will split the commission. Half of something is much better than all of nothing.

On a smaller basis, we do the same thing in our niche in the travel industry through a careful vetting system. Our own companies offer budget and luxury tours of San Francisco, Yosemite National Park and the California coast, as well as other areas of California—and virtually anywhere in the U.S.—upon request; and corporate excursions and retreats. We also book (or lead customers to) other retreats through reciprocal agreements with a few leading providers.

Bin 415 offers luxury tours and corporate events from San Francisco to California Wine Country. Led by a certified sommelier, the company’s custom tours of Napa and Sonoma wineries have clients raving.

Vintage Surfari Wagons provides adventurous travelers with a blast from the past—a chance to rent a vintage VW bus and take it on the road, with as many as nine other classic VW buses filled with family, friends, co-workers or employees, on the ultimate California road trip.

Offering a different, but equally fun type of road trip, Two Lane America leads tours across all or parts of the 2,400 miles of storied Route 66, the quintessential driving experience of days gone by and a great way to see our beautiful country.

The travel industry took a big hit during the worst of the recent pandemic. By working together, cooperating, recognizing stellar travel companies, we all benefit. And it’s not just about making money. It’s about sharing our parts of the world with others, trying to give them the best time of their lives.