Episode 047: Ash Zandieh

11/06/19 • 52 min

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

Introduction:

Today we have with us Ash Zandieh, the CREtech and PropTech visionary and guru, who seemingly made it his mission to channel the song by hip-hop heartthrob Drake, namely that of “Started from the Bottom” as to the acquisition of his real estate knowledge base. Ash continues that mission in a myriad of ways, including that of helping the commercial real estate tech sector grow into a thriving ecosystem by helping startups grow their businesses by connecting them to the funding sector.

Episode Notes:

At 2:30, Ash Zandieh discusses his strength in “narrowing the margin of vulnerability” not just for himself, but for others as well. At 4:08, Ash notes that a great deal of entrepreneurs today are coming from the real estate scene. At 5:56, Zandieh states that the notion of technology changing people is a little foreign to him. At 7:16, he talks about innovation, “borrowed money,” and defines PropTech for the layperson. At 11:06, Ash touches upon Airbnb and the impact CompStak had on him while he was a broker. At 14:33, Zandieh provides his thoughts on venture capital in New York and non-New York based start-ups solving a “New York problem.” At 16:59, he dishes on “the old school model of profitability and scale” when launching a business. At 18:44, Ash dives into PropTech unicorns and borrowing power in today’s market. At 21:56, Zandieh makes note of his dislike for the word “disruption,” and tell us why he believes that AI will not kill off the broker. At 24:56, he points out that he is in the knowledge business and that “attention is the only asset that matters.” At 28:12, Ash discusses the commodities of time and knowledge. At 29:52, Zandieh advises on auditing your skillset and “contextualizing tech.” At 33:20, he informs that AI technology is moving at a faster speed compared to that of government. At 36:38, Ash dives into his love for sharing knowledge, in addition to playing a role in the growth of other entrepreneurs. At 40:27, Zandieh talks about utilizing both old school and tech methods. At 43:04, he speaks on WeWork and the built world sector. At 46:04, Ash touches upon agility, as well as being comfortable with discomfort. At 48:08, Zandieh stresses in believing in oneself and its ability to execute. At 50:50, Ash Zandieh closes the podcast with a message on the affect fatherhood has had on him.

Introduction:

Episode Notes:

Previous Episode

Episode 046: Gary Malin

Introduction:

Today we have with us none other than Gary Malin, the always charming, engaging, insightful and giving President of Citi Habitats, a New York City based real estate brokerage firm specializing in sales and the leasing of over 10,000 apartments annually. Crazy as this may sound to you, given Gary’s positive spirit and mindset, when I speak to him, the classic songs by Jamaican reggae legend Jimmy Cliff come to mind, namely that of “No Problems Only Solutions” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want.”

Episode Notes:

At 1:50, Gary Malin discusses his father providing him with a foundation of honesty and integrity, and shares how his legal training and background helps him in business. At 3:30, Gary touches upon the negative implications of the Housing Stability Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (“HSTPA 2019”). At 6:47, Malin notes the effect of the HSTPA 2019 on owners, and how tenant advocates did a better job advocating in Albany. At 10:19, he speaks on the difficulty of balancing the interests of agents and the interests of the business, and informs that he works for the agents of Citi Habitats, not the other way around. At 12:08, Gary informs that he infuses the message to agents that “We are in the hospitality business.” At 13:43, Malin highlights Citi Habitats’ embracing of change and never being complacent. At 15:40, he talks about flexibility and how renting offers tenants the “ability to test drive the car without buying the car.” At 18:14, Gary notes that he doesn’t look at buying a home as an investment. At 21:36, Malin discusses Citi Habitats culture and being able to relate to agents no matter of age. At 23:05, he touches upon branding Citi Habitats on social media, as well as conducting digital audits with Citi Habitats’ top agents. At 25:45, Gary points out the necessity of agents putting in the time, effort and commitment to earn access to a clients sphere of influence. At 28:00, Malin provides his thoughts on the impact of technology and iBuying. At 30:53, he speaks on being honest, constructive and having the best interest of clients at heart. At 32:39, Gary stresses that brokers must realize the importance of communication and responsiveness when representing clients. At 35:06, Malin shares some of his passions. At 36:38, Gary Malin closes out the podcast with a message on being truthful in your everyday dealings and mindful as to the imprint you’re leaving.

Next Episode

Episode 048: Lance Leighton

Introduction:

Integral components to being a successful real estate broker include that of having a relentless passion to make a difference for one’s clients, an unquenchable thirst for knowledge (and the ability to use it properly and to your advantage), to be cognizant of when you don’t have all of the answers, and to be smart enough to not only know it (while making like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire by finding someone to complete you). Given my experiences on a number of deals I have worked on with him, that is what the never shy and always entertaining Lance Leighton, Senior Managing Director at Savills, brings to the table ... along with the ability to channel Paul McCartney during a difficult negotiation by conveying the message “there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friends, we can work it out!”

Episode Notes:

At 2:12, Lance Leighton shares who he is and notes that “extra” is the best word to describe him. At 2:58, Lance dishes on how technology will continue to change how to market oneself and his or her brand. At 6:00, Leighton talks about leveraging video content. At 7:57, he discusses how technology has impacted him. At 9:50, Leighton shares Savills occupier technology platform in Knowledge3, as well as his thoughts on workplace efficiency. At 11:34, he touches upon landlords adapting to change, and the commercial real estate industry being slow to adapt to change. At 14:38, Lance speaks about commutation for employees, and how landlords are using creative methods in order to attract tenants. At 16:39, Leighton informs that he is “all-in” or “all-out” in anything he does. At 18:16, he points out that his role as a broker is to help clients solve significant problems, while also anticipating those problems before they happen. At 21:30, Lance highlights being a consultant, a trusted advisor and building relationships. At 22:41, Leighton discusses the evolution of his canvassing style, and running the broker training program at Savills. At 25:45, he dives into experiential, interactive, and “Instagram worthy” retail. At 28:28, Lance believes that the introduction of new technology will not kill off brokers, and instead will simplify the role of a broker. At 32:00, Leighton talks about hedgefundspaces.com, techofficespaces.com, as well as his mentor in Evan Margolin. At 35:33, he makes note that he wears his heart on his sleeve and “you see what you get.” At 36:43, Lance shares his thoughts on “positivity,” “excitement,” and the brutal amount of rejection in the commercial real estate industry. At 39:35, Leighton points out the importance of authenticity and passion in work. At 41:43, Lance Leighton closes out the podcast with advice he received from his mentor Evan Margolin in imagining that every call that you make or email that you send is going to get back to the CEO.