Real Estate REality Check | Real Estate & Business Career Success Education and Training

Introduction:

Today we have with us Al Eskanazy, one of the most inspirational men I have ever had the pleasure of sitting on the same side of the negotiating table with. In addition to being the former Co-CEO of one of the nation’s larger insurance intermediaries and now a partner in the award-winning Del Valle Productions Inc., Al is the voluntary CEO for The Ascent School for Autism and a Long Island Volunteer Hall of Fame inductee, whose life mantra is in line with the Muhammad Ali quote “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Episode Notes:

At 2:17, Al Eskanazy advises that one must always keep track of his or her economic reality. At 3:06, Al touches upon leadership and teamwork. At 3:50, Eskanazy speaks about taking responsibility at a young age, goal setting, as well as starting from the bottom. At 5:02, he refers to “can’t” and “won’t” as being despicable words. At 6:17, Al dives into the art of listening and the importance of listening more than you speak. At 7:07, Eskanazy believes that one should not approach a negotiation as a war. At 7:37, he discusses patience and creating a sane time table for reaching your goals. At 9:32, Al visits the topic of failure, and using it as a tool in moving forward in your career. At 10:15, Eskanazy points out that muscle is not a tool - people must want to and enjoy following you. At 11:57, he talks about employers wanting its employees to succeed, and on diligence and responsibility. At 13:54, Al notes the impact of hard work, fairness and honesty. At 15:39, Eskanazy touches upon “speaking the facts” and leaving the door cracked open in a negotiation. At 16:54, he speaks about “solving problems” and “looking for problems.” At 17:37, Al recommends the use of “fear” as a positive tool. At 18:08, Eskanazy mentions being a positive confronter that challenges people. At 19:02, he shares taking risks and making a difference in the community. At 20:36, Al Eskanazy closes the podcast with a message on being passionate about family and being a participator, not merely an observer.

Introduction:

Today we have with us the multi-skilled and trendsetting Elaine Del Valle, whose talents extend to that of being a writer, director, producer, actress and founder of Del Valle Productions, Inc., a full service bilingual film production and casting company whose mission is to infuse entertainment with original programming using diverse talent in front of and behind the camera. In addition to her films appearing at over 50 festivals, and developing and starring in her multiple award-winning, autobiographical one-woman stage play, “Brownsville Bred,” I am proud to say that Elaine is a champion when it comes to advocating for those with special needs. I witnessed first-hand back in 2002 how she created the most unbelievable charitable bike ride across Long Island on the heels of being the driving force in getting local contractors, suppliers and vendors to donate labor and materials to make the dream of twenty-four families to build a state-of-the-art school for children with autism a reality.

Episode Notes:

At 2:30, Elaine Del Valle reflects on her first job at 12-years-old working at Bargain Mania in Bushwick, Brooklyn. At 3:59, Elaine believes having a work ethic is everything, and notes her love and passion for working. At 5:27, Del Valle touches upon technology, and the pros and cons that exist. At 6:37, she talks about doubt and preparation. At 8:52, Elaine dives into her process of research in writing and creating stories, as well as casting. At 12:10, Del Valle dishes on her having grown up in Section 8 Housing in Brownsville, Brooklyn, as well as making a difference in the community. At 14:43, she shares her love for building films, stories, teams and people. At 16:21, Elaine explains how her award-winning “Brownsville Bred” play changed her career. At 21:07, Del Valle speaks of the impact her optimistic mother and dreamer of a father had on her. At 22:49, she points out what she is truly shameless about. At 25:30, Elaine wholeheartedly believes that optimism is the key to happiness. At 27:31, Del Valle advises that if you’re listening to music, let it affect you, as well as to not let your past hold you back. At 32:15, she notes that she enjoys nothing more than sitting on her balcony overlooking the beach working with her husband by her side. At 33:33, Elaine Del Valle closes the podcast discussing what makes her proud and makes her want to take a bow.

Introduction:

Today we have with us Jared Epstein, someone who for today’s podcast at least I am nicknaming “The Great Transformer,” given how he first transformed himself from being a Meatpacking District club promoter back in 2001 to becoming - over the following 6-year period - a commercial real estate broker with Newmark and a part of Bobby Cayre’s Aurora Capital Associates in 2007. Jared’s transforming and visionary ways at that juncture had only just begun, as he truly felt that Meatpacking’s vibe, pulse, architecture and landscape were ripe for a myriad of high-end hospitality, retail, office and residential uses. It wasn’t easy at first for “The Great Transformer,” but all one needs to do is to make like Lou Reed and take a “Walk on the Wild Side” down to Ninth (and Tenth) Avenue for that matter to witness the starring role that Jared played in Meatpacking’s transformation.

Episode Notes:

At 2:29, Jared Epstein believes that real estate is all about magic, connecting with people and speculating about the future. At 3:23, Jared discusses his mantra of never giving up and linking up with Bobby Cayre at Aurora Capital. At 5:41, Epstein shares working as a club promoter prior to his career in real estate, giving up late nights partying to advance his career, and his love for his role as “the wingman” at Aurora. At 7:25, he talks about his father and mother instilling the drive for success within him, as well as the importance of education. At 9:05, Jared touches upon being recognized in 2018 by Crain's as one of its 40 Under 40 recipients. At 14:10, Epstein speaks about The Rolling Stones and his son Jagger. At 15:50, he informs on the pros and cons of development and provides insight on the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. At 17:18, Jared highlights what Pastis means to the Meatpacking District neighborhood and discusses working with Restoration Hardware and Modell’s Sporting Goods as well. At 21:39, Epstein shares his thoughts on the discrepancy between what landlords perceive as market rent and what tenants are willing to pay, and how brands are positioning themselves on the most desirable streets. At 24:25, he notes the effect of the “fun police” and how real estate taxes play a major role when structuring a deal. At 26:10, Jared wholeheartedly subscribes to the adage of knowledge is power. He advises that as a developer you must know the DOB code and zoning. At 28:53, Jared stresses the need of putting yourself second behind your community, neighbors, partners, and also going to bat for tenants. At 31:22, Epstein speaks on congestion pricing and the value untapped in NYCHA. At 33:41, he dishes on there being a reason why you only have two ears and one mouth. At 34:45, Jared reflects on how he has stayed (and continues to stay) current and connected to the younger generation. At 35:53, Epstein advises that all things are best done in moderation. At 36:47, he talks about emails, texting, and keeping up with news and current events. At 38:36, Jared believes that the convenient truth in real estate is that there is a winner and a loser in every trade. At 40:25, Epstein dives into Opportunity Zones spurring economic development, Long Island City, and Amazon. At 42:24, he shares his thoughts on the trade war, retail, and brick and mortar. At 43:42, Jared answers the question of how he finds the balance in life. At 44:50, Epstein reveals his good luck charm which he purchased with $400 in his checking account with the help of his then girlfriend and now wife. At 46:35, Jared Epstein closes the podcast with a message on evolution and the circle of life in the real estate industry.

Introduction:

At initial blush, today it may appear that we are going a bit off of the real estate grid with our guest Chris Meade, the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of SportsRecruits, but given his talent for helping clients navigate the challenges of the recruiting landscape as well as the importance of education, technology and video in finding the right fit for a student athlete - aside from the fact that earlier in his career he was in fact a CRE broker - there are many similarities between SportsRecruits’ business model and that of a landlord’s leasing agent or tenant representative. Chris, who will later tell us why his Twitter bio includes that of “Living the dream,” is not only an innovator in using a video platform to help his clients showcase their talents, but also someone who listened to what the marketplace was telling him, and as a consequence, used that feedback to take SportsRecruits’ platform to a whole new level.

Episode Notes:

At 2:33, Chris Meade discusses resume building, self-reflection, and the qualities of importance to him. At 4:41, Chris touches upon building the SportsRecruits technology platform and how it empowers their client base. At 6:18, Meade dives into the topic of rejection and putting the situation into perspective. At 9:24, he shares the evolution in SportsRecruits solving of new problems which did not exist when the business first started, and how they adapted and listened to the marketplace. At 12:34, Chris speaks about long term “stickiness,” understanding customer values, and SportsRecruits focus on Net Promoter Score (NPS). At 14:48, Meade reveals what “class” means to him. At 17:31, he talks about self-perception and the sacrifices one’s willing to make. At 21:51, Chris shares his thoughts on management, breaking down goals, as well as coaching and mentorship. At 25:31, Meade highlights his 2005 conversation with Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines. At 29:11, he notes why giving back is necessary, and SportsRecruits’ model of building its business around helping families. At 31:19, Chris discusses being a “glass half full” type of guy, and his general sentiment that people will do the right thing. At 33:03, Meade stresses that being nice is an essential piece of business. At 36:49, he dives into his “truth,” and the routines that force him to think about this truth. At 39:44, Chris touches upon technology, picking up the phone to communicate, and why face-to-face meetings cannot be beat. At 42:32, Meade notes his love of connecting with others and understanding what drives other people. At 44:29, Chris Meade closes out the podcast with a Scarface reference - “The world is yours.”

Introduction:

Hard work. Relentless passion. Adding value. Following up. Time management. Considering failures and mistakes as opportunities to grow and thereafter succeed. Likeability. Family ... and oh yeah, the desire to sell like there is no tomorrow. These are but a few of the mantras that have played an integral part in the meteoric rise of the former broke actor just a bit more than a decade ago – to that of the very top of the residential real estate and salesmanship world. I give to you my real estate brethren the one and only Ryan Serhant. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on business, life, sales, and, playing off of the title of an afternoon soap opera you were on back in 2008, how to survive and succeed “As the [Real Estate] World Turns.”

Episode Notes:

At 2:31, Ryan Serhant makes known that he would much rather regret the things he did than regret the things he never tried. At 3:54, Ryan dives into how he measures success, as well as the pertinence in setting consistent goals. At 5:28, Serhant discusses the “FKD” system he created, and how he goes about structuring his day. At 9:43, he talks about his mantra in “following up until you die” along with an example of how it helped back in 2009. At 11:21, Ryan receives a FaceTime from his daughter Zena (her first podcast!) and wife Emilia. At 13:10, Serhant picks up where he left off as he defines following up (with value), following through, and following back in being the crux of his business. At 14:30, he advises that one controls his or her reputation by merely controlling his or her actions. At 16:35, Ryan tells Larry Haber: “You have the best questions,” and notes that one will get through both bad and good markets by simply taking care of “the work” and being disciplined. At 18:32, Serhant gives his thoughts on virtual brokerage versus that of the element of the human touch. At 23:00, he discusses how he differentiates with all the inventory on the market, and shares an example in his branding of “SoHY” (South of Hudson Yards). At 26:31, Larry Haber asks Ryan what he would rewind in his career. At 28:29, Serhant touches upon target marketing and thinking outside of the box when marketing properties. At 28:47, he recommends the productivity hack in practicing “inbox zero.” At 32:26, Ryan proclaims his real estate sales team is modeled after the structure of his beloved New England Patriots. At 34:19, Serhant plays a “song/lyrics” word association game with Larry Haber. At 38:39, Ryan Serhant closes out the podcast discussing the one great thing he would like to have to opportunity to do in his lifetime.