Vice President and Director of Matthews Real Estate Investment Services
Years with company/firm: 2
Years in field: 9
Years in real estate industry: 6
Real estate organizations/affiliations: New Jersey Real Estate Commission, New York Real Estate Commission
What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
Starting off my career in brokerage, I joined a team with two mentors who taught me the fundamentals of the business. After two years, they switched to an institutional firm with no notice, and I was left at the firm with no support, data, and two years of work gone. My wife and I decided instead of the easy solution to join another team, I would give it a shot on my own. It turned out to be the biggest opportunity and blessing in disguise, which at the time felt like it could have been the biggest mistake of my career. Two years later, after making a company switch to Matthews, I was the top agent for the first five months of 2024 and hit a quarter of a billion dollars of real estate sold.
What is your most notable project, deal, or transaction?
The sale of 6305 Boulevard East presented several challenges, primarily due to the complexity of the transaction and the strict timeline involved. The long-term owner, having held the property for over 25 years, sought to maximize the sale while ensuring a seamless transition. During the marketing phase, 17 offers were generated, with one standout buyer proposing a 1031 exchange that involved selling two of his properties as a package. The critical challenge was to close the deal without any delays. This required putting together a marketing package, generating offers, and signing a contract with a 60-day closing period and no contingencies within just three weeks.
Link to the case study: https://tinyurl.com/6305-Blvd
LinkedIn Post of Deal: https://tinyurl.com/6305-Boulevard-east
Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career?
I am grateful and lucky to have many incredible mentors in the industry and influences over the years who have made a major difference. Early on, a top 5 agent at the company, Adam Abushagur, agreed to coach me for a few months in 30-minute sessions, teaching me some of the fundamentals of his business. The biggest takeaway is creating a perfect “money-making” calendar and time blocking the right way. I still use that calendar for the most part to this day. My next mentor was my real estate business coach, who I have had weekly sessions with for the last 2.5 years. Tabatha Adams, one of the top coaches of the Mike Ferry organization, has been one of the key reasons for my success, and I have never missed a single session. The lessons, advice, and principles she has taught me have been invaluable. Next up, Kyle Matthews, CEO of Matthews, has brought me back to crushing the fundamentals of the brokerage business. In my opinion, no other broker in the industry has mastered the fundamentals and the art of the brokerage business as he has. The lessons, ideas, and fundamentals he taught me have been a defining piece of my business. Last but not least, Cory Rosenthal Market Leader & Director of Multifamily & DeWitt Goss, associate market leaders, has been coaching and working with me weekly since joining the company. They are both another perfect example of mastering the fundamentals and brokering correctly.
Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position, and why you chose the field/profession you are in today.
My career started off as a CPA at Ernst & Young in the real estate tax department. After working there for 2.5 years, I got a peek into the real estate transaction world and how exciting that side of the business could be. Knowing my skills were on the people side, sitting behind a computer in tax returns & k-1s for billion-dollar REITs wasn’t going to do it. Having real estate experience and wanting to take a career risk, I made a move to brokerage and picked multifamily as my product type in NJ. I was given a specific market to focus on – Hudson County, and become an expert in that area. Being on the phone all day, working on deals, negotiating contracts, and winning deals was the thrill and excitement I was missing in the tax industry.
Who do you feel was most influential in your life when choosing this profession?
My wife gave me all the confidence & support in the world to leave a salaried job for 100% commission with the bet that after 12-24 months of 12-hour days, 300 cold calls a week, and following the training, it could work out. Without her support, commitment to taking care of the kids (so I can 100% focus on the work), building up enough savings, and being my cheerleader, I would have never been able to pull this off. There are some dark times in the beginning, as we call “valleys of despair”; those were tough times. I had about three of them in my first three years, and without someone there to push me through it, I don’t know if I would have still been in the industry. MAREJ
What outside activities do you enjoy during your free time?
I have four kids under the age of 5. All my free time is spent with my wife & kids on the weekends. I enjoy traveling with my wife and kids a few times a year (yes, we take our four kids wherever we go). Occasionally, if I have any time left over, I enjoy snowboarding, and I’m excited to start teaching my kids to snowboard/ski.
What inspiring advice would you give to a young executive graduating from college?
Be coachable, find someone to mentor you, be a sponge, and do everything they tell you to do with no exception.