Robert Darrow’s official title is “New Internet Sales,” but you will typically find him in Lipton Toyota’s newly-remodeled showroom, located at 1700 West Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. “One of the things that impressed me when I started is that 80 percent of all Toyotas sold in the past 20 years are still on the road. I think that speaks volumes about the quality of this worldwide brand. And Lipton is one of the top five Toyota dealers in the United States,” says Darrow.
“There is a reason that Toyota is number one,” Darrow explains. “The Camry is number one in the U.S., and the Corolla is number one worldwide, with over 4 million units per year.” Closer to home, Darrow says, “One thing that I have to say about Lipton Toyota is they are reaching out to the LGBT community, and they are sensitive to our issues.”
In addition, “Toyota has a special nationwide program called ‘Celebrating Volunteers,’ which has a goal of maintaining our natural, cultural, and historical sites. All of the teams at every location across the country are encouraged to participate.”
The master salesman, and Chicago native, says that his odyssey from the Land of Lincoln to the Land of Lipton wasn’t a straight line. “I had a solid career in real estate in Chicago, and then, of course, the market collapsed,” he recalls. “My partner, Steve, had an offer on South Beach—he’s a property manager for a 700 unit complex—and we both loved to be near the ocean.” (This may help explain his Facebook-posted motto: “I’d rather be sailing.”)
“We were tired of cold and snow, and so we located a home and packed up last April 11—and here we are,” he adds. “I first took a position with Keller-Williams real estate in Fort Lauderdale, and then one day I received a phone call from a head hunter. I took a drive to Lipton Toyota, and I was taken around the entire facility. I was very impressed, and when they made me an offer, I accepted. ‘Sales’ is ‘sales,’” says Darrow, “whether you are selling cars, appliances, or whatever. If you have a passion for sales, you can sell ice to Native Alaskans, it just doesn’t matter,” he offers, while noting that the sales cycle in car sales is much quicker than it is in real estate.
The car answer man has some suggestions for people considering a new—or “pre-loved”—automobile purchase. “Come out Tuesday through Thursday, because those are less busy days, and you will get much more individual attention. Treat the salesperson as a source of information—we have so many specialized programs to help people get into a car and drive away,” he offers.
Like the cars he sells, Darrow comes fully-loaded with great advice on leasing and buying, and invites you to take advantage of his expertise and experience. To set an appointment, call Robert Darrow at Lipton Toyota at 954-446-9001, and tell him you read about him in Guy Magazine.
