No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian

In this episode of No Vacancy , Taylor Avakian sits down with James Corr , founder of Corr Group, who shares the raw, behind-the-scenes reality of building luxury homes in one of the most volatile real estate markets in recent history. From his roots in Irish construction to flipping multi-million-dollar estates in Los Angeles, James breaks down how he's navigating cost pressure, design expectatio...

How do you go from leasing broker to co-founding a firm with over $2B in real estate? In this episode of "No Vacancy", Taylor Avakian sits down with John Drachman, co-founder of Waterford Property Company, to break down how he’s leveraging tax-exempt bond financing, institutional partnerships, and entrepreneurial grit to tackle California’s housing crisis. Learn how John: - Went from bro...

What does it take to close $460M+ loans and run a high-performing debt advisory firm? In this episode, Zack Streit, founder of Priority Capital, joins Taylor Avakian to break down how he’s built his career—transitioning from the principal side to becoming a full-time debt broker. Learn how Zack: - Went from law school to capital advisory - Closed a $50M hotel conversion deal early in his career -...

How do the biggest institutional developers navigate real estate cycles and execute billion-dollar projects ? Chris Tourtellotte, Managing Director at LaTerra Development , breaks down his approach to mixed-use development, market timing, and working with institutional capital . Learn how Chris: Raised and deployed over $3B in real estate projects Structures large-scale mixed-use & multifamily...

How do you go from selling mattresses to building a massive real estate portfolio and Billion Dollar Gold Empire? In this episode, Sandi Mann shares his unexpected path—starting in sales at 15, learning the hustle in commercial brokerage, and eventually building a diversified real estate and business empire. Learn how he: - Went from broker to investor, scaling a multimillion-dollar portfolio - Bu...

How are investors adapting to California’s challenging real estate market? Daniel Mense, managing partner at KH Equities, breaks down how his firm scaled to 1,000 units and $300M in assets, why he’s shifting focus to the Carolinas, and the challenges of navigating rent control, affordability regulations, and market volatility in Los Angeles. Learn how investors are: - Expanding beyond California t...

How do investors rebuild after disaster and navigate California’s strict regulations? In this episode of No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian, Joseph Soleiman—professor, attorney, and real estate investor—shares his firsthand experience of losing his community to wildfires and the challenges of rebuilding in today’s market. Learn how investors are:- Navigating California’s strict housing policies- Adapt...

In this episode of No Vacancy, host Taylor Avakian sits down with real estate investor and thought leader Nick Halaris to discuss the shifting landscape of real estate. From LA’s housing crisis to the impact of inflation, political uncertainty, and rising insurance costs, Nick shares his expert insights on where the market is headed. He also dives into long-term investment strategies, urban develo...

How are institutional investors navigating the Los Angeles apartment market in 2024? In this episode of No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian, Trion Properties' ($1.5B AUM) heads of acquisitions, Farhan Mahmood and David Moghavem break down their strategy for finding value in today's high interest rate environment. Learn how institutional investors are: - Finding 6-cap deals in Los Angeles - Comparing LA...

Los Angeles Real Estate Development Guide: Expert Insights from 100+ Property Developer Discover why Los Angeles apartment development is uniquely challenging and profitable in 2024. Ari Kahan, a veteran Los Angeles real estate developer with California Landmark Group, shares insider knowledge about building and investing in LA apartment buildings. Key Topics in LA Real Estate Development: - Los A...

In this episode of No Vacancy, Taylor Avakian sits down with 20-year-old real estate prodigy Zihao Wang, who left MIT to build a $500 million multifamily portfolio. From navigating family influence and international supply chains to attracting Japanese investors, Zihao shares his insights into the bold decisions that set him apart in Southern California and beyond. The conversation dives into the...

Taylor Avakian takes the mic solo in this episode of No Vacancy to break down his proven process for selling multifamily properties in Los Angeles. From preparing apartment buildings to attract the right buyers to leveraging cutting-edge tools like AI and CRM systems, Taylor reveals the strategies that help properties sell faster and at top dollar – insights every apartment owner should know to ma...

Dan Tenenbaum, veteran real estate investor and former commissioner for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) discusses the complexities of affordable housing and real estate development in Los Angeles with Taylor Avakian. In this episode, we uncover the challenges facing apartment owners, developers, and real estate investors in navigating LA’s housing market. From the impact o...

Navigating Real Estate with Mark Weinstein: From Law School to a $1.5 Billion Portfolio In this episode of No Vacancy, host Taylor Avakian chats with Mark Weinstein of MJW Investments, who has been in the real estate business for over 40 years. The discussion covers Mark's journey from a law student with no real estate knowledge to managing a $1.5 billion portfolio, comprising apartment buildings...

Discover the incredible journey of Sandy Albert, a filmmaker-turned-commercial real estate developer, as he joins Taylor Avakian in this insightful podcast episode. Sandy shares how his upbringing in Los Angeles, love for urban environments, and parallels between filmmaking and real estate inspired his pivot into development. Learn about CityPads’ innovative projects in Los Angeles and Chicago, th...

Today is a special episode. My first Solo podcast. I asked my instagram what they wanted to know, and hopefully I answered all your burning questions. From Daily Schedule of a Broker who works 100 hrs per week, to 2024 mistakes, to 2025 expansion plan to gross $2M in commissions. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know if this is something you want to see more of, and we may do more of them! Happy Holidays...

From the glitz of the music industry to the grit of real estate investing, Terry Heller’s story is one of resilience, vision, and unexpected opportunity. In this episode of No Vacancy , we explore how Terry transitioned from working with music legends like Eazy E, Dr. Dre, and Will.i.am to becoming a successful real estate investor in Los Angeles—one of the toughest markets in the world. Terry sha...

There aren’t enough apartments in Los Angeles. It’s simple economics, the fewer apartments available, the more expensive they’ll be. Skyrocketing construction costs, climbing interest rates, and zoning nightmares have made LA one of the most difficult markets in the world for real estate development and make the housing crisis worse.   In this episode of No Vacancy , we talk to Paul Schon of Schon...

Los Angeles Multifamily Real Estate Strategies: Building Wealth with Apartments and Commercial Investments. In this episode of No Vacancy , Taylor Avakian sits down with Kyle Ransford, CEO of Cardinal Investments, to discuss the ins and outs of apartment syndication, tax advantages, and commercial real estate deal structuring.   As a seasoned expert in Los Angeles housing and multifamily investmen...

Welcome to another episode of No Vacancy , where we uncover powerful insights from Southern California’s multifamily market. In this episode, Taylor Avakian talks with Kamyar Shabani, co-founder of Optimus Properties, who brings over a billion in assets under management and unmatched expertise in the LA market. From pricing properties, handling high-stakes investments, and navigating complex marke...

In this episode of No Vacancy, Taylor Avakian sits down with multifamily investor James D’Argenio, head of acquasitions at the Bascom Group, who shares insights from 15 years in commercial real estate. They dive into the psychology of deal pricing, avoiding catastrophic losses, and the strategic thinking that saved James’s business when he walked away from a $10 million deal. Packed with actionabl...

In this episode of No Vacancy, host Taylor Avakian sits down with Bo Drake, principal at Drake Real Estate Group and a seasoned LA investor. Bo takes us through his journey from brokerage to owning and managing multifamily properties, sharing the lessons he's learned and the strategies he uses to build lasting success in LA's competitive apartment market.   Bo reveals why real estate is a long gam...

In this episode of No Vacancy, host Taylor Avakian sits down with Eddie Ring, founder and CEO of New Standard Equities, to dig deep into the strategies shaping the Los Angeles multifamily market. With over 25 years of real estate experience, Eddie shares his unique insights on why he’s stepping back from LA investments, the key trends impacting apartment ownership, and what investors should be pay...

In this episode of No Vacancy, host Taylor Avakian speaks with Morgan McMullin, a leading LA broker and investor, who shares how he went from relentless cold-calling to buying multi-million dollar deals, himself.   Morgan dives deep into the strategies he uses to identify valuable investment opportunities, the challenges he’s overcome in LA’s competitive market, and why he's looking to grow his pe...

LA real estate is changing fast, and in this episode of No Vacancy, multifamily expert Moses Kagan reveals how to navigate the evolving landscape of commercial real estate in Los Angeles, California. As the pandemic reshaped the market—bringing the eviction moratorium and no rent increases during hyperinflation—the rules for investing in LA’s apartment buildings have completely shifted. Learn why...