Marc Sorrentino | Leaders In Real Estate | Exeleon Magazine by Exeleon Magazine

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Marc Sorrentino CHASING THE PEAK

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CONTENTS

12 MARC SORRENTINO

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24 JENNIFER MYERS

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42 PERCI PIETRO

C O V E R S T O R Y

Chasing

THE PEAK M A R C S O R R E N T I N O REAL ESTATE BROKER

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C O V E R S T O R Y

Every

SUCCESSFUL leader who reached the top of the pyramid has built a strong foundation rooted in years of discipline, hard work, and courage.

As applauding as such achievements are, they are a result of constant grinding and hustling to achieve everything on the platter.

When talking about leaders, one often counts the privileges the role oﬀers. However, on the contrary, we tend to forget that these privileges come with a price. Few leaders who stand the test of their times, win the race, and stay in the long run ultimately enjoy the fruits of their labor.

One such prominent leader, Marc Sorrentino is an example of honest leadership, adept mindset, and dedicated professionalism. Marc is an innovative leader, focused on achieving exceptional results in 14

highly competitive environments.

In his career path, he holds a rich experience in driving product, process, and customer service improvements and specializes in building partnerships with key business decision-makers.

On his academic forefront, he has completed a Master of Science in Real Estate Construction, Development, & Finance from New York University. Marc has been working for two decades as a licensed Associate Real Estate broker at VRI Homes, a leading marketing agency.

JOURNEY OF THE LEADER

Real Estate is a pro itable industry that has shown constant upgradation with time, lifestyle, and choice.

Marc describes real estate investing as the best way to create wealth and inancial freedom. With his impeccable industry knowledge, he has been able to mark his long-standing presence. His sheer interest in the ield has helped him overcome many challenges and shore to the harbor of success.

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As a leader, Marc is strong-willed. He is action-oriented and driven by performance.

He believes in setting examples by doing his work and inspiring others to do the same. A true leader is focused more on actions rather than just reciting the know-how of leadership. By overcoming all the real-life

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speed-breakers and hurdles along the way, the leader learns leadership more than ever.

With such experiences, the leader can navigate the long route forward with all his qualities and capabilities. COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Miscommunication can lead to

disasters. Especially in the business forefront, communication is a vital aspect of team performance and company growth.

As a leader, Marc is a irm believer in the same. He de ines communication as an essential resource to thrive and be successful in real estate. He reckons communication to be

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‘‘

What may seem impossible at ﬁrst is possible through taking action to work through each obstacle and problem.

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one of the most important traits to be successful in life too. One has to develop communication skills and learn their application for the best personal and professional use.

Marc supports by saying this, "To develop communication skills you have to go after your goal and be relentless in achieving it. There will be issues. There will be roadblocks. There will be delays. You have to continually practice communication by getting out there and doing; essentially taking action. Only then can you continually re ine your eﬀorts and continually re ine your communication."

In real estate, Marc states one has to always be ready to solve issues and communicate clearly to get things done.

‘‘

When you can convey yourself well, you become con ident, and ultimately power echoes in your voice. With such a strong stand, you learn the act of negotiating which is a necessity in real estate. Communication blended with negotiation can help you overcome every issue to complete real estate projects and close real estate transactions. MAINTAINING WORK ETHIC

An experienced professional always follows a system that includes ideation, invention, management, execution, and more. Similarly, Marc follows a process before taking on any real estate project.

He always looks at the entry point

(purchase price) and the exit point (after renovation sale price).

There is always a lot of due diligence done before. Research plays an integral part and hence thorough research of the past, present, and future of each particular market.

Marc also tries to take into account current macro and micro-economic conditions. It is similar to putting a puzzle together. With a lot of moving parts and one has to piece it together and complete it to be successful.

When taking on real estate brokerage clients, the most essential matter of business is setting clear expectations and results. And then delivering those results as expediently as possible.

Each and every day is another decision that must be made correctly because everything is building upon one another.

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Marc aims to over-deliver with every single client and always strives to accomplish their goals; no matter the dif iculty of property or task. EFFECTIVELY TACKLING HURDLES

Challenges are a part and parcel of every journey. A leader who learns to overcome these challenges ef iciently will succeed at all times.

Marc believes every day there will be a new challenge and one has to ind a solution on a real-time basis. Moreover, every project and every client is challenging and diﬀerent with their set of expectations and visions. He quotes, "What may seem impossible at irst is possible through taking action to work

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through each obstacle and problem."

He understands that obstacles come in all shapes and sizes. It could arrive at all stages including rescheduling issues of various trades, unexpected costs, failing municipal inspections, delays of materials, cost overruns, market changes, or weather problems. Being the leader Marc is, he states that he is blessed to have a lot of dif icult or impossible real estate transactions.

Completing and achieving success on all of them has given him the con idence to take on even more challenging and demanding real estate transactions and projects.

With his wealth of experience and applying his self-made strategies,

his journey in real estate has been worthwhile and inspirational. MARKETING DONE RIGHT

Marketing is a focal point of every business. If a leader can master the skill of marketing, they will be growing multifold.

Marc asserts that marketing plays a very important role in real estate success. As success always leads to more success in real estate.

According to him, marketing becomes an easy walk if everything is done step-by-step and every step is successfully planned, managed, and executed.

He states, “Each and every day is another decision that must be made correctly because everything is building upon one another.”

C O V E R S T O R Y At VRI Homes, Marc's role is to enable his clients at every step of their journey and help them achieve desired goals. CLIENT-CENTRIC APPROACH

For Marc, every client on his premise is an asset.

He always puts his clients irst and foremost and keeps his word no matter what. His top priority is to create value for his clients, partners, and investors.

He aims to attain inancial freedom for his clients by developing feasible solutions, recreating advanced systems, and oﬀering best-in-class services. With his wide-ranging knowledge, excellent skillset, and in inite passion, Marc is on a mission to do the absolute best for his clients.

Another secret that Marc stated is the three Ds of value addition i.e. dedication, determination, and discipline. He believes when one focuses on work, every goal and vision can be accomplished.

“You don't break your word and you don't change your mind. That is how I built my reputation and that is how I ensure optimal client satisfaction,” Marc concludes. FINDING INSPIRATION

Many times, when we look for inspiration, we ind diﬀerent ways to reach it. However, sometimes, it's just around us, next to us, and we are blinded by the vision of it being far away.

For Marc, it's the same case. He never had to look outside for inspiration. He found it inside, within his family, who have been a driving force for him since the beginning.

THE WAY

Ahead

Marc's journey up until here has traversed many destinations that once seemed impossible to reach. However, Marc made it possible every single time and will continue to do so in the future too. He aims to spread his wings and become "the highestgrossing real estate broker in the Northeast; then the country.” Marc is currently working on several projects for clients that are extremely challenging in the real estate markets. He is working tirelessly to complete and deliver on his promises. Also, in the upcoming times, Marc has set a target for himself to renovate three to ﬁve properties per month. This will help him in his expansion plans. Marc concludes by informing, "Personally, I'm looking forward to my wedding coming up at the end of the year. Deﬁnitely will be a great ending to this year. A lot of work but certainly worth it.”

He cherishes his inspiration as it helped him lourish in his career path and allowed him to be the best version of himself.

The other constant factor in his life is his trust in God which has helped him ind the right path, follow it, shape it, and turn all his dreams into realities.

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r e f i n n s e r J My e

THE POWER OF BEING YOU F

or Jennifer Myers, a powerful woman is willing to admit what they really want their life to look like and is willing to go the distance to achieve it.

A prime example of a powerful woman herself, Jennifer Myers started out on her entrepreneurial journey with a similar mindset.

Once she realized the residential real estate market was the container for her to do just that, she was determined to make her own name within that space while subsequently aiming to impact the lives of others in a positive way.

Today, Jennifer Myers is one of the most in luential names in the industry and the founder of Agent Grad School, the online business school for real estate agents who want to make six igures per year while also making a positive impact in their communities. EXTRA THINGS

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fortunate and inancially stable, they didn't spend on the “extra” things in life.

“We always had what we needed and I feel very grateful for that, but we weren't the type to splurge on any of the “extras,” especially after my parents got divorced and we had two households instead of one.”

This instilled within her the idea of being a business owner as that would enable her to work harder for those 'extra things' that she always wanted.

Following her graduation in Finance and Marketing, Jennifer stumbled across Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the international bestseller written by Robert Kiyosaki.

She mentions, “I don't agree with everything in that book, but growing up the daughter of two government workers, I was fascinated by the fact that the “Poor Dad” was a government worker and the “Rich Dad” was an entrepreneur and real estate investor.”

And without realizing, this book suddenly became the catalyst behind her entrepreneurial journey.

“A lip switched for me, and I couldn't stop thinking that real estate and being an entrepreneur was the path to wealth and being able to have the extra time, money, and freedom that I desired.”

A few months later, she bought her irst home. In her own words, it 26

wasn't her dream home, but it was a step forward in the right direction.” It was that experience that launched her real estate career in 2003. THE SURPRISE

However, starting a career in real estate was not at all what Jennifer thought it would be.

“I thought I'd have clients coming to me, and make more than I had in my 9-5 while working less or at least have more control over my days. The exact opposite happened.”

She says, “I struggled for years not having any clients, doing everything I saw every other agent doing and had to take a job bartending just to pay my mortgage.” THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED

Two years after becoming a fulltime real estate agent and not selling even one house, she realized that if she kept doing what she was doing, she'd never have the life she dreamed of having when she became a real estate agent.

So, she decided to make the best investment she could ever make. She invested in herself.

“I decided to stop doing what everyone else was doing and ind my own voice. But I needed help iguring out how do to that. I

re inanced my house, opened another credit card and took every last penny I had and even pennies I didn't have, and I signed up for as many classes, courses and coaches I could.” The investment paid oﬀ.

GRABBING OPPORTUNITIES Following the 2008 market crash, the real estate market was at its worst. Unsurprisingly, between the period of 2008-2010, many agents started getting out of business. Ironically, for Jennifer, business was lourishing. “I had so many clients and even more coming in; wanting to work with me.” she remembers.

She won every top proper award there was both locally and nationally. Even becoming named one of the top 50 agents in the U.S. and featured in the Wall Street Journal.

This prompted Jennifer to start her own brokerage irm - Dwell Residential Brokerage. It was one of the irst women-owned brokerages in Washington, DC and more notably, she was one of the youngest – among men or women – to do so. This garnered her notable attention, and “agents quite literally came knocking on my door asking me if I would tell them what I was doing to be so successful.” She would respond saying, “Sure, join my brokerage and I'll teach you everything I learned that worked for me.”

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“I’VE FAILED MORE TIMES THAN I’VE SUCCEEDED AND I’M WILLING TO GET BACK UP, DUST MYSELF OFF, TAKE A TIME OUT IF I NEED IT, AND KEEP GOING.” W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

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BE WILLING TO BE YOU Looking at her journey, Jennifer mentions she would have been much more discerning about who she asked and took advice from.

“I wasted a ton of time, energy, and money listening to people who didn't have the life or business I wanted. I wasted a lot of time doing things I thought I “should” be doing and not trusting my own inner wisdom and instincts. I wasted a lot of time trying to be like everyone else,” she mentions passionately.

“Don't look around and do what everyone else is doing. Be willing to be diﬀerent. Be willing to stand out. Be willing to show us who YOU are. Be proud of the uniqueness YOU bring to this industry and shine THAT brightly for us all to see—us agents and your potential clients.”

For Jennifer, her journey hasn't been a smooth sailing; it hasn't been easy. However, she says she wouldn't trade any of it.

“I've failed more times than I've succeeded but I'm willing to get back up, dust myself oﬀ, take a time out if I need it, and keep going.”

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That was the moment Agent Grad School was born. AGENT GRAD SCHOOL

“I took what worked for me and developed a very speci ic, very unique step-by-step process to carve out your own unique slice of your local real estate market.”

Following this, she taught the agents at her brokerage how to apply this strategy in ways that no other agents were doing. These irst students became top producers too.

She now teaches this same process to agents throughout the US and Canada so they too can use her process as the roadmap to earn six or even seven igures per year, while having time for a life outside the business too, and without needing to manage a big team of agents to do it all.

“Selling more houses for the sake of selling more houses isn't the end goal, but if we can create the real estate business that supports the life we want outside of our businesses, whatever that looks like for each of us—THAT is the goal.”

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RUDY LIRA KUSUMA CEO | Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - California

Defying the Conventional Odds of the Real Estate Industry

Some leaders enter an industry, get an understanding, identify a gap in it, and then by illing up that gap, they climb the ladder of success. On the other hand, some just immediately upset the existing order, reject conventional approaches, and wait for success to arrive on their own. They continue to monitor existing techniques that may be at odds with industry needs, and raise the toughest questions, ultimately providing a solution and disrupting the industry.

Rudy Lira Kusuma very certainly became a part of the latter company when he irst entered the real estate sector and uprooted its traditional practices. Rudy revolutionized the way real estate procedures were handled and created new standards that not only bene ited the customers, but also the company's salespeople. CHANGING THE NORMS

Rudy began his career in the real estate business back in 2007. While working for his irst broker, he was urged to grow the company by using conventional techniques of cold calling and door knocking. As a sole agent, he grew dissatis ied with the existing structure, which he saw as restricting both clients' and agents' abilities. Rudy, as well as many other agents before and after him, eventually concluded that it was a fruitless eﬀort in the end.

Rudy founded Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty in response to such a traditional, inadequate method of business operations in the industry. He wanted to cover the overwhelming demand for both customers and brokers. Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty did exactly that and made a signi icant break from conventional real estate models by assembling a big team in which each member had a particular role to play.

Each person at the business had a singular emphasis, regardless of their position or department. They were asked to focus only on one element of their work - to improve their ability to perform their tasks more eﬀectively, which directly will help their buyers and sellers.

Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty de initely lived up to this promise, implementing a business strategy that places customers at the heart of its operations and encourages the success of its agents and brokers. Its clients gain success signi icantly by working with brokers who are completely focused on them, as well as having access to any houses that match their requirements, even those that are not posted on the internet. A DIRE NEED OF CHANGE

Rudy came to the conclusion that being a member of a team is the best approach to succeed in today's E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

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professional market. Agents may go solo, but there is a possibility that things will not turn out well for them. The way conventional solo agents operate, he contends, makes it impossible for them to remain competitive in a market that is always evolving.

Over 70% of real estate brokers spend their time prospecting, door knocking, and cold calling, according to Rudy, who speaks via statistics. In contrast, just 30% of the agents get to spend their time providing real service to the customer. These agents are always juggling a variety of duties, which results in a poor connection with their customers, and eventually, the loss of clients in the process.

While the aforementioned agents strive to provide a high-quality service, they are also unable to earn a suf icient income. Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty was established to address this issue as well. Rudy's agents, in addition to providing great service, were also able to reap substantial inancial bene its, which eventually helped the business achieve its objective of keeping agents and clients happy. THE DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR

There are two reasons that Rudy and his irm distinguish themselves from their conventional real estate rivals. The irst and most important is the area in which Rudy allows his agents to develop as a team. He places a strong emphasis on building and expanding real estate sales teams rather than working them on their own in the business. Rudy does not, in essence, develop good leaders; rather, he develops excellent business owners.

The second element that distinguishes the business is the length of time it has been in operation - 15 years. Moreover, it is important, in Rudy's opinion, to be trained by a strong leader in the real estate business. In contrast to the other organizations, Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty does not teach the same traditional methods This industry expertise unquestionably distinguishes the irm from its competitors. INDUSTRY-WIDE RECOGNITION

Rudy has extensive expertise in pre-foreclosure sales, short sales, and divorce sales, as well as trust and probate transactions. His dedication to the real estate 32

business has resulted in him being awarded many industry awards, some of which are as follows:

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2013 & 2014 Five Star Real Estate Agent Award, Los Angeles Magazine

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2014 RE/MAX International Chairman's Club

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2013 January - Current, RE/MAX Elite Realty Top Producer Agent of The Month

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2014 RE/MAX International Hall of Fame

2013 RE/MAX International Top 100 California Region

Rudy and his company are well-known for their business, but they are also well-known in the community for their charitable contributions. One of the main bene iciaries of their charity is the Los Angeles Children's Hospital, which provides care to children of all ages, including those who do not have health insurance coverage.

Rudy's fundamental business philosophy of putting customers irst is embodied in the company's actual name. He will maintain the prominence of this designation in the future and will continue to serve as the leader of his irm. With the launch of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty's of ices in California, he hopes to expose other real estate agents to his groundbreaking approach of selling homes in the Golden State. GUIDING OTHERS TO SUCCESS

Rudy oﬀers some straightforward, but dif icult advice for aspiring and rising leaders in the real estate industry. He urges aspirants to work hard to develop their abilities. If they are now contacting 20 people each day, they should increase that number to 200. According to him, the sector is evolving at a fast pace, and in order to continue and remain competitive in it, they must take a proactive approach. www.YourHomeSoldGuaranteed.com

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JIM ALLEN

A STALWART IN NORTH AMERICAN REAL ESTATE

n the real estate industry, clients are the central stakeholders around which the fortune of everyone else pivots. Thus, every individual, team, and organization operating in real estate must put their clients' interest at the top.

For entrepreneurial leaders in the industry, inding the right professional teams that are dedicated towards ensuring optimal client satisfaction is of critical importance. No one knows this better than Jim Allen, whose client-devoted group of real estate experts have been dominating the industry in the past few years. Leaping from one successful project to another, Jim Allen Group is now considered as the #1 real estate team in North America! TWO ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

Is there a secret recipe behind Jim's amazing business success? He claims that his real estate achievements have two sources that are seamlessly interrelated. The irst factor is Jim's special focus on each of his clients. In his professional world, the client is the most important person. Indeed, he has facilitated the success of his venture on this very premise.

Additionally, Jim takes extra care of his professional teams as well as the individuals in them. He has immense passion, commitment, and dedication towards his company and his employees. A hands-on leader, Jim constantly encourages them to thrive amidst the most challenging real estate environments.

RACING TO THE TOP

During his initial days in the industry, Jim's degree in Engineering turned out to be quite bene icial to his success story. His irst job in the industry was in a irm 36

which specialized in new construction as well as resale homes.

Working with the inest custom home builders in the Triangle, Jim acquired deep knowledge and experience about the real estate industry. His rapid rise in the irm attests to the quality of knowledge he gathered: striding through his irst year, he soon became a sales leader therein.

When that irm was sold several years later, Jim decided to join Prudential Carolinas Realty. Prudential was a prestigious organization with a nationwide reputation and a revered relocation department.

While he shifted, Jim's former clients remained very loyal; to his delight, far from severing contact, they showered their approval by quickly starting to refer their co-workers and friends.

In the course of his enriching tryst with Prudential, Jim's career continued its upward surge. In no time, his own team became a frontrunner in the arena of real estate sales. Since then, it has remained the #1 ranked Real Estate Team in the Triangle since 1998, as per the Triangle Business Journal. Be it a new or a resale property, Jim uses his trademark talent to delight each customer, by quickly inding the best and most unique solutions. SAILING TO NEW HORIZONS

In January 2009, Jim transitioned his business to Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston. Thereafter, one milestone succeeded another: during his irst few months in the company, Jim won numerous awards, among which was the coveted International President's Premier Award. For him, it was an honor to receive this E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

President The Jim Allen Group

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prestigious award, as it is the greatest accolade a Coldwell Banker agent can receive and is presented to less than one percent of sales associates globally.

Furthermore, Jim has received many other awards and established his reputation as a leading entrepreneur in the industry during his time at Coldwell Banker. These include the Mega Listing Team of the Year, the Mega Volume Leader Team of the Year, the Mega Sales Team of the Year, and the Mega Team of the Year.

THE JIM ALLEN GROUP

Foregrounding his golden rule of real estate—customers are the #1 priority—Jim formed his own enterprise, The Jim Allen Group. With abundant domain experience, an ef icient and innovative professional team, and an un linching commitment to client satisfaction, The Jim Allen Group soon caught the limelight and since then has bagged innumerable awards.

Today, Jim Allen Group is nationally recognized and, more importantly, a client favorite in North America. Jim showers deserved praise on his fantastic team, by taking pride in his powerful team of agents, appraisers, closing managers, listing managers, and marketing staﬀ supporting his expert agents. Each member of Jim's team delivers exceptional customer service with the intention of putting all of their clients irst.

As the President of The Jim Allen Group, he knows that his team members are as dedicated to their customers as he is. Therefore, he considers it his duty to ensure the 38

well-being of his group by cultivating a highly driven work culture. Jim personally selects and trains all his team members, gradually earning their respect, their dedication, and their lasting commitment to the marketing and selling of new construction.

CLOSING THE BEST REAL ESTATE DEALS

Going forward, Jim assures customers across the region that his group will never compromise on its clientcentered approach, while taking their marketing to the digital realm. Just as Jim and his company are easily accessible online, so are the properties and innovative deals they oﬀer. One can eﬀortlessly browse through the virtual catalogs of new and resale properties while Jim and his team remain just a call/text/email away! Jim con idently states that with his highly capable group, clients can be assured of professionalism, quick call backs, and an overall willingness to go above and beyond.

Most recently, Jim Allen and his team have set multiple Coldwell Banker records nationally in terms of yearly sales. Furthermore, in 2020, the REAL Trends “Thousand Sales,” advertised in The Wall Street Journal, ranked Jim at #8 in Volume and #5 in Sales. Still, he is hungry and raring for more success.

Inviting more clients throughout the region to avail The Jim Allen Group's outstanding services, Jim guarantees that he will overcome any and every challenge that the real estate business throws at him. He assures that by choosing Jim Allen Group, one will de initely get the most out of the Triangle's blooming real estate market!

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Perci Piétro

Inspiring Seamless Expansion in Real Estate and Business Consulting

hen Herbert Spencer coined the phrase 'survival of the ﬁttest' to draw parallels between his understanding of economics and Charles Darwin's idea of 'natural selection', he probably never realized how apt the phrase would become as a basic description of all the ﬁelds with cut-throat competition at its core. The phrase has now perfectly amalgamated with almost every sphere of life. From human psychology, to

politics, from biology to entrepreneurial ventures, it has emerged as one constant truth. Perci Piétro, the Founder and Chief Executive Oﬃcer of OWN Realty, learned it the hard way. Perci had come from an aristocratic, Persian and Italian cultural heritage and an aﬄuent immediate family, with both parents as physicians. His future was sealed as the ambience nurtured

him to follow his parents' footsteps in healthcare. In fact, since his childhood days, that is what he wanted to do. But things changed once he entered college. He had an opportunity to come out of his family's legacy and ponder what he would like to do with his life. He realized that he had an entrepreneurial spirit and, like an explorer, he wanted to chase it and build a life around it, to experience something unprecedented, something

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he never imagined doing while safely nestled at his ancestral home. Of course, this decision was diﬃcult for his family to accept. They tried to dissuade him by giving him a tough choice - either follow what the family has decided for him i.e., attend medical school and complete the curriculum, or he would need to go on his own. It was a catch-22 situation since he had no savings and no prior experience of running a business. But it could not bog him down and with a visionary spirit 'to seek, to strive, and not to yield' he ventured out. The going was tough and yet he was happy to embrace it as he wanted to realize his dream. The Beginning

Piloting the Passion The driving factor, as time goes by, changes. Perci is no diﬀerent. In his early days, his family was his guiding force, as he wanted to make them feel proud of him. Then, it was the money he was getting out of the ventures that steered him forward for a brief moment. But he was quick to realize the ephemeral nature of it.

“People who wonder if the glass is half empty, or half full, are missing the point, the glass is reﬁllable.”

The decision to move out and start the entrepreneurial journey was not a wellchalked out one for Perci. It was a gut feeling that drove him on. He had no financial backing, so he had chosen to work hard and earn his way out, and that is when Perci joined a friend's construction company where he labored to make around $400. He used those funds to move to Florida, where his dream started taking shape. Although the amount was not much, it gave him a base. From there, he worked three jobs and got his real estate license to launch his entrepreneurial aspirations. For some, this is a simple story of hard work and then success. But it is not always that straight forward. The equation also includes several pitfalls, clogging of ways, relentless thrust to create opportunity, and then, not giving up. If 'survival of the fittest' is true, then one has to emerge as the 'fittest.' That is what Perci did to get the foothold he always wanted to have.

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believes drives entrepreneurs all around the world. He took a long time to grasp that “nothing in this world builds character more than empty pockets and failure. In the end, it will help you rise higher than before. Once you learn to face your darkest fears, anything is possible if you just believe.” Owning OWN Perci's current venture, “OWN Realty is an International Real Estate and Business Consulting Firm.” OWN stands for One World Network bringing a myriad of “real estate industry brokerage brands from around the world under one umbrella, for referrals in business and creating synergy, despite varying customs.” This creates a platform which “allows collaboration between OWN and dozens of real estate firms, on a global level.” This concept is the first-of-its-kind, as the alliance it creates, does not confine it by factors such as firm size or brand. It helps build an all-inclusive, nondiscriminatory platform, with a massive reach, for all participating firms to explore for opportunities.

Then his zeal to do better got governed by his urge to prove something to himself. Although it was a close enough possibility, it was still not what kept him awake at night or got him involved in brainstorming sessions. “It is the idea and the positive impact on society that inspires us. The ability to face adversity and impossible odds, then turn it around and rise from the ashes, without quitting and then do it again if needed, ultimately bringing an idea to fruition.” It is what Perci

In 2007, Perci started the company without any business partners, on his OWN and then witnessed his idea's astonishing unfurling. His firm always puts a particular emphasis on “accurate information, education, and strong business ethics, while sharing new ideas, through thought, creativity and service,” Perci believes, that it is these values, which ultimately gives OWN clientele confidence, while working with the firm. It has earned and is still earning accolades for him.

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leader should always have an aura that would make others comfortable enough to share their ideas and goals without the fear of a catastrophic blunder or a debacle. When it comes to discussing let-downs, Perci's metaphoric representation is quite simple and encouraging. He opines, “people who wonder if the glass is half empty, or half full, are missing the point, the glass is refillable.” What he does is elementary. He takes life one day at a time, to live the fleeting moments to their fullest. He does not want to waste the minutes he has chasing after fortune, when he can lure success, by creating value. That is his interpretation of the evolution theory. Putting On Boots And Moving On The journey is never about dwelling in the past. It is about how to accept the past, learn from it, and then move ahead to shape the future. This little trick has always forged Perci's belief. In his heart, he knows that jumping on the entrepreneurial wagon without any prior knowledge of a particular industry, could prove to be fatal at times and in his case, caused numerous failures, which led him to the verge of bankruptcy. But he never lingered there for long. His hard times taught him that investment and hard work are not the only pillars of success; it requires knowledge about the field. That is where adaptability comes in and helps businesses flourish. It is all about being agile enough to transform as per market needs. The recent COVID-19 crisis is going to be a big lesson for many companies as it is already exposing industries with rusty infrastructure. As a countermeasure for this crisis, before things got out of the hand, Perci and his associates “adjusted protocols, based on CDC

guidelines,” for their Licensed Consultants, which would protect all parties while maintaining relationships. Perci always challenges himself. He draws inspiration from where he fell short, which helped him in learning. After all, one can only learn from circumstances and failures, then continue to grow. Perci does not have any regrets and draws strength from his failures. His aspirations, center around disappointments and chances he missed while growing up while always moving forward. It is those beliefs, which drive him ahead and inspire him, not to hold back on anything, after setting his sights on a goal. His Take On Leadership A leader should lead by example and for that, he needs a proper, tangible vision of the future. He has to inspire people, so that they are excited to join him in innovation. A

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Leading with Innovation and Philanthropy I

nvesting in real estate is a popular choice for many reasons. But the real advantage is when one unearths oﬀ-market opportunities and realizes value where others cannot see. For this, you need a team that brings an unmatched entrepreneurial approach to the ultra-competitive and sophisticated commercial real estate investment and development industry.

Since 2008, AJ Klenk, along with his companies, Capstone Apartment Partners and Catalyst Capital Partners have been known for their high attention to detail, strong performance, integrity, and ability to produce above market returns for clients and investors. They have been involved in over $4B worth of real estate developments, acquisitions, and transactions across varying asset classes, but speci ically the multifamily space.

Owner of Capstone Apartment Partners, the country's largest privately owned multi-family investment sales brokerage (currently a board member) and now Catalyst Capital Partners, AJ understands the value of building team's led by individuals with diverse and complementary backgrounds in commercial real estate development, operations, principal investing, property and asset management, capital markets, and brokerage; creating a wellrounded team that brings an entrepreneurial approach to sophisticated investing. 46

AN EXCEPTIONAL FRONTRUNNER AJ grew up on 20 acres in the woods in rural Michigan working with his hands daily, both as a hobby and as a job when asked to blaze trails, grade the driveway, maintain the property, etc. This is what irst created his entrepreneurial aptitude. “I naturally enjoyed leading my friends and always enjoyed taking command of situations in life, school and work,” recalls AJ.

He was the Vice President of his High School's Student Council and led multiple sports teams and clubs, including building schools in South America with BuildOn, a NGO he now sits on the Global Board of. His entrance into Commercial Real Estate was through the founding of Capstone Apartment Partners, now the nation's largest privately-owned multi-housing investment sales brokerage.

AJ now has grown his portfolio to real estate ownership, a restaurant company and now the development company Catalyst Capital Partners. “In all we do, our vision is to put the team before self, have relentless passion for improvement, be driven self-starters, check our ego at the door and embrace the chaos of day-to-day business,” shares this transformational leader.

Over the last 10+ years with Capstone, AJ has led the company's business development growth from one of ice and four employees in Charlotte,

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AJ Klenk

MANAGING PARTNER | CATALYST CAPITA

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to fourteen of ices and over 100 employees across the country. He is responsible for both Capstone, Catalyst and Built on Hospitality's (restaurant group) strategic growth plans, new business expansion opportunities, hiring and cultural priorities.

Capstone is now widely recognized and respected as one of the foremost leaders in the multi-family space. Capstone's family-like culture and “team before self” credo is the source of an immense amount of pride for AJ and indicative of his overall philosophy on life and business. 48

JOURNEY TO SUCCESS While talking about his journey, AJ shared that it was a lot of exciting uncomfortable situations, a lot of challenges, a lot of new experiences, hard work and bonding amongst colleagues and clients. “I have no large regrets in life or work and try to live every day like it's my last -with the mindset of if today was my last day on earth, would I be proud of my accomplishments and what would I want to focus on today, knowing it was my last,” he adds. AJ graduated from The University of Michigan in 2007 with a Master of Science in Biopsychology and

Cognitive Science. He is a member of the National Multi-Housing Council and the Urban Land Institute and is active in various other professional and philanthropic roles across the region. He enjoys Michigan sports, volunteering, mentoring, professional development, the outdoors, world travel, overseeing the growth of his hospitality industry businesses in Charlotte, and spending time with his wife Caitlin and two boys. Throughout his real estate career, AJ has been active in various roles and capacities, including entitlement, acquisitions, development, investment, asset management,

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WORDS OF ADVICE “Simple rules. Treat others as they would want to be treated. Never act or believe you are bigger than the Team. Give, give, give…and then you shall receive. Be humble, be forgiving, be open-minded, outwork and outthink the person next to you,” he advises.

AJ believes that a transformational leader is someone who looks at the status quo and attempts to improve upon that creatively and productively. Create ef iciencies, infuse technology, improve productivity, improve the industry or the subject matter with creative thinking. “Being open minded to new, creative ideas from my team and to not pretend I have all the answers,” adds AJ.

Talking about his journey, AJ shares that his young age has been a hurdle when he was starting out in industries with seasoned older professionals. He expressed what a joy it is to grow and inspire leaders. He has also learned how rewarding it is to help improve the lives of those around him both in their lives and work.

property management, brokerage, and project capitalization. His industry experience includes a variety of real estate assignments, development projects, owned assets, investments, and asset transactions totalling over $4B of value and including over 35,000 multi-family units. REALIZING VALUE WHERE OTHERS CANNOT

AJ 's vast industry experience, an extensive professional network, and an unyielding entrepreneurial approach, along with colleagues from Catalyst Capital helps in identifying attractive investment W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

opportunities that few others can. They seek to identify well located, high-quality development opportunities that present attractive future opportunities to create value through entitling, developing, renovating, or repositioning by leveraging the unique attributes and advantages of their irm structure and resources.

With over ive decades of residential, multi-family, and commercial real estate experience, his team has ownership interests in 1,900+ residential units and over 400,000 SF of of ice/retail with an aggregate value of $400MM.

Catalyst Capital Partners specializes in the acquisition, entitlement, repositioning, and development of opportunistic residential, of ice, mixed-use, and retail projects and properties. They target investment opportunities in the Southeast region's leading high-growth markets, where many of the country's most compelling population and economic growth dynamics exist. Catalyst's Principals have a combined experience in the acquisition and disposition of 50,000+ multi-family units, totalling $6B+ in value across the primary, secondary, and tertiary markets of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.. LOOKING FORWARD

Catalyst will start 3-5 new, $40-60M development projects per year and do so opportunistically and with purpose. They will continue to seek opportunities to give back to the local communities in which they develop and to those on their team.

On a personal front, AJ plans to do even more on the philanthropic side – whether that be building additonal schools in remote 3rd world villages like they are in Nicaragua in Q1 2022, growing their 3 separate 501(c)(3)'s or investing in developing communities in Honduras or South Africa through impact investing opportunities. AJ anticipates doing more in the technology and Prop/Fintech and expanding his horizons there to bene it all of his businesses and more.

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