Pay It Forward: "I’m A Deal Junkie"
"For the next generation, my advice would be to make a list of where you want to be in the next three, five or 10 years, and start backwards with what you will do to get there," says Keyvan Ghaytanchi, COO of BEB Capital.
Keyvan Ghaytanchi, COO of BEB Capital and president of BEB Lending/Port Washington, NY
As COO and president, Ghaytanchi oversees and manages the firm’s day-to-day business activities. Previously, Ghaytanchi served as general counsel.
What has been the biggest challenge in your particular role/? How have you overcome those obstacles? One of the biggest challenges in my role is creating and outlining processes and structures that we can use to scale our business and increase our transaction volume. When I first joined the BEB Capital team, we did about one transaction per year. Over the past few years, we’ve been in a hyper-growth phase, and have ramped up so much—especially with the recent announcement of our joint venture partnership with Rockpoint Group— that we’ve had to incorporate so many new processes and protocols to keep up with the volume. As we’re rapidly growing, we’re moving quickly and what used to be a lean team is now a well-oiled machine that is set up for continued success.
What about your current role/position at the company are you most happy with? At the end of the day, I’m a deal junkie. I love structuring transactions and making deals happen and have a true passion for the work that I do each day. We’re a dynamic firm and we’re always looking for new and creative ways to go about things. I’m also lucky in that I have tremendous support from ownership and the board to venture out and secure deals which I am very grateful for.
What is the best piece of advice you have received that has helped you succeed in your industry? Also, do you have any advice specifically for the next generation? The best piece of advice I got was from my father when I was 15. When I was starting my first job, he told me that, “Even if you work for someone else, treat the company like your own because some day you’ll own one too.” I’ve taken that advice to heart and it’s something I remember vividly all these years later. For the next generation, my advice would be to make a list of where you want to be in the next three, five, or 10 years, and start backwards with what you will do to get there. Create a plan of actionable items and see them through, so you can get to where you want to be in the bigger picture.
Would you advise any younger person to begin a career in CRE? If someone has an interest in CRE, I would recommend that they get involved—there are numerous opportunities for growth. When getting started, I would advise someone starting out to look past the short-term and to focus on working with a company that values your career development, as opposed to just monetary value. Look for mentorship in leaders that you work with, and absorb as much as you can from them, it will pay dividends in the long run. I’m lucky to have found mentorship within BEB Capital that has led me to the path I’m on today.
Please share with us the best lessons learned or a surprising component of your unique journey. I never had plans to have a career in the real estate industry. In fact, I went to law school and was set on becoming a patent attorney, which was always what I envisioned myself doing. When I was studying for the patent Bar exam, I ended up taking a position from a real estate law firm and fell in love with the pace of the industry and the structure behind dealmaking, that by the time I passed the patent Bar I was no longer interested in pursuing patents or trademarks. As for initiatives I am most proud throughout my career, spearheading the start of our lending arm, BEB Lending, which launched at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 is at the top of my list. I have always been passionate about expanding our business and wrote the business plan and pitched the board and was able to secure approval and we’ve really hit the ground running, expanding into new markets nationwide.
In your opinion, what takeaways did we learn from the COVID-19 crisis? The biggest takeaway from the impact of the pandemic is that things can change in the blink of an eye. I remember sitting down with our CEO, Lee Brodsky, on a Monday in early March of 2020 discussing if we should shut down the office even though no one else was quite at that point yet. By that Thursday, we were fully remote, and it was a massive shift that we (like many others!) never anticipated. It’s taught the importance of embracing change and being agile, and that you can never be too prepared for what’s next.
What three terms would you use to describe your work mindset?
- Teamwork – Teamwork is the key to getting anything done. There is no person in the world that can do everything entirely by themselves and realizing that is essential in growing your career.
- Empowering team members – The only way to scale is to trust your team members and give them the power to help the organization grow.
- Focus – This is the most challenging yet important part of my job because there is the constant struggle of prioritizing so many different things at once.
