A couple of months ago friends at The Real Deal Magazine ran a story on NYC commercial real estate diversity (or lack thereof) and featured me as one of their subjects. In short, I was quoted as saying that because I am Asian, it sets me and my family apart and I use this advantage to do deals.
So why am I writing this today? Because we just closed a deal where our firm represented a very politically conservative non profit organization. Let's just say they fall into the realm of "let's do away with multiculturalism and political correctness". Are you getting my drift here?
They hired us on an exclusive basis to relocate their offices, and during our usual due dilligence and presentation of our services, none of us dove into the political stances or core beliefs of their organization. It was only until after we closed the deal and started drafting our deal announcement that we uncovered some very interesting things about our prestigious clients.
My first thought was, "why did they hire us? I mean we're strait up Asian?" Lol. Not only that, I was on the cover story / feature article on NYC business diversity.
My second thought was, "I guess our presentation was great!" But after all this thinking about who, what, when, where, why, and how did they choose us, I came to the simple conclusion that no... we just find the best deals. That's why anyone works with us... we find the best deals.
This simple fact is what separates us from everyone else, AND people in general want good deals. Whether a good deal on an apartment, an office, or a yacht, people want good value or perceived value. Plain and simple. This is also what's so amazing and beautiful about commerce in NYC. It's an open market and in this global economy... the only color that matters is green!
With that said, maybe we better add a section in our due dilligence called: "Are they extremists?" and maybe I shouldn't invite them to our Reggaeton themed client appreciation cocktail party. #OhWell
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About The Author
Christopher Okada is a prolific deal maker, entrepreneur, and CEO of Okada & Company, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage and investment company in New York City.
Christopher rose to notoriety during the financial crisis of 2009 and its recovery by transacting in nearly $1B commercial real estate sales and leasing transactions in Midtown and Downtown Manhattan. It was also this time that Christopher founded The Okada Acquisition Company to begin acquiring prime office, retail, and multi-family properties in the Midtown and Midtown South submarkets of Manhattan.
Christopher is an avid blogger, speaker, and thought leader relating to entrepreneurship and real estate. He has been featured numerous time in news publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Post, The Real Deal Magazine, Crain's NY, The Observer, and many other digital and print news agencies.
Keep in touch with Christopher Okada on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook @ChrisOkada