David is one of the most successful individuals I have encountered in my life, and probably one of the top serial entrepreneurs in NYC in the last 10 years. Success can be defined in various ways, both subjectively and objectively. But to rattle off a few facts, David's completed his undergrad at Duke, attended HBS, & worked in the corporate field at Bain for a few years, published a book "Money Makers", (available on Amazon), all before turning 30.   We met around 8 years ago at Urban Compass, at a small loft office in Soho with just a few brokers and a dozen engineers.  He started there as the COO, then eventually became the CFO & handled the financial operations of Compass until it became a $2B company.  Fast forward to today, David is the founder & CEO of Harness Wealth, an early-stage consumer wealth tech company dedicated to helping clients unlock financial opportunities to achieve their best financial future through their customized approach.  Find out how: -To pick the right team after a liquidity event  -Securing your financial future by picking you the right financial advisory team -Tax structures that small business owners may not be aware of that is to the benefit of a business owner   Follow David on IG at @harnesswealth or his website www.harnesswealth.com.   

Real Takk Podcast

Episode 54: David Snider with Harness Wealth, & Ex-COO / CFO of Compass. How Money is Raised, Securing a Lead Investor, On Softbank, Securing Your Financial Future After Liquidity Event

Levi Meyer, the Founding Agent in Miami is a natural connector.  Born into 1 or 9 siblings in a very conservative Jewish family, Levi grew up dealing, negotiating, loving, fighting, & relating with his diverse & large family.  Fast forward to modern times, Levi has taken in & produced more than $500K in GCI just from referrals from getting to know, & befriending Compass agents throughout the nation.  Listen to his tips, tricks, and what he does on the side to ensure that agents across the country recognize that Levi is the 'go-to Miami real estate specialist' for our team's clients across the nation. Follow Levi at @levimeyerre on IG, or email him at Levi@Compass.com 

Episode 53: The Power of Networking Within & Amongst Agents At Compass

I had the pleasure of getting James Nelson on the show.  James is a top commercial broker in NYC with over $6B transacted in sales to date. (rough internet math!). James currently serves as Principal and Head of Avison Young’s Tri-State Investment Sales group where he leads a group of three dozen professionals in the sale of multi-family, office, development, and retail properties throughout the country.  His client list includes the Archdiocese of New York, Breaking Ground, Brookfield, The Carlyle Group, JP Morgan Chase, Related, Salvation Army, 60 Guilders JUST to name a few.   Throughout his over 20-year career, James has been involved in the sale of approximately 500 property and loan sales for an aggregate value of over $5 billion dollars. Prior to joining Avison Young, James served as Vice Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield & prior to that, he was the youngest partner and top producer for legendary firm Massey Knakal for six of their last eight years.  For those of you looking for opportunities in NY or outside of NY (Avison Young has 120 offices around the world), you can visit his profile on Instagram at @jamesnelsonnyc and look for the link in his bio, or find him on his website at jamesnelson.com  You may also find out how you can get on the Investors List through his website, along with future educational materials on how to get into real estate investing.  (more on that in this episode)     

Episode 52: James Nelson, Over $6B in Sales, Discusses State of the 2020-2021 NYC Commercial Market & Where Future Opportunities May Lay

We catch up with my guy David Graff who heads our Compass Commercial division in NYC.  David has seen the ups and down of our NYC market during COVID, with staggering rents, a ballooning inventory of sublease spaces, and a pin-drop quiet commercial market last year.  We chat about the recovery we are seeing in NYC, his future outlook, the state of his current team, what he looks for in a hire, and the risks & rewards of being in this challenging business.  David is a friend, mentor, and a professional I look up to from close & afar.  Please follow him at @compasscommercial_thegraffteam on IG, and his website:    https://www.compass.com/agents/david-graff/   Thanks always for listening!     

Episode 51: David Graff, Compass Commercial NYC. The Ins & Outs of The Graff Team NYC Commercial Deals

Andrew Jorges is back on the Real Takk Pod discussing the most recent events of 2021:  Being a business owner:  Andrew is now on his own.  After many years at Adam Leitman Bailey RE, Andrew has decided to start his own business, with the name "The Jorges Law Firm"  New Bill on NYC Co-Op Boards Having to Explain Why They Deny Buyers Rental Laws: What options do you have as a LL in NYC given the current dynamics surrounding landlord & tenant law?  Follow Andrew at @JorgesLawfirm on IG, as well as his website www.thejorgeslawfirm.com.     Follow me on IG @Takkyamaguchi Twitter: @takkyamaguchi The Takk Team Compass: http://bit.ly/TakkTeamCompass The Takk Team Page: http://bit.ly/TakkTeamPage The Takk Team Facebook: http://bit.ly/TakkTeamFacebook Instagram: http://bit.ly/TakkInstagram Linkedin: http://bit.ly/TakkLinkedin  

Episode 50: Andrew Jorges, Esq, Starting Up Own Shop in NYC, Coop Disclosure Laws, Rental Laws & Being a Landlord

Today I have the pleasure of bringing on my friend & colleague James Petrie.  James & I first met at a downtown club in NYC around 6 years ago.  (Wow great memories!).  A club owned Ori Allon back in the day.  In any event, fast track to today I wanted to share with you all, James’s path to success & where he is now, where he was in the past, and where he’s going in to the future.  We discuss the insanity of what is the rental market in the Hamptons, the sales market, invaluable data for any investors out there looking to acquire or build in the Hamptons, and the legacy that he intends to make & the footprint he wants to mark in the high stakes real estate market of the Hamptons.   James & his family are the founding agents of Compass in the Hamptons, and they’ve played an integral role in building our presence out in Long Island. Through James & his family, we’ve become a top brokerage in the Hamptons market within five years.   James has experience transacting at all price points from Southampton to Montauk and has built his own business while playing a key role in some of the biggest deals along the ocean and coveted estate sections.  James earned a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on sustainable design from the University of Colorado before returning to the Hamptons to build his real estate career and resume his life in East Hampton. James is an avid sportsman, former East Hampton lifeguard, and surfing enthusiast. When James is not guiding clients through the home buying and selling process, he can be found enjoying the world-class breaks of the East End, snowboarding in Colorado, & raising his chickens.  You may follow James’s personal IG at @grindedpeach and his real estate IG at @petrieteam along with his website www.petrieteam.com

Episode 49: Hamptons Real Estate James Petrie of the Petrie Team

​As many may know, we (Compass) ​have​ set up shop in Vail CO!  This week I got Tom Dunn of the Stockton Group, the founders of our Vail flagship office on the Real Takk Pod.  We catch up about the Vail CO real estate market, how he got into the business of real estate, the missteps second home buyers make, and a few secrets that locals may reluctantly share with visitors :). Give this one a listen if you love the mountain life!  Tom Dunn is a genuine person and he’ll be your resource for all things Colorado! A few of his stats:    -$500M+ in sales  -Repped the most expensive home sale in Vail CO  -Specializes in Lionshead, Vail Village, & Beaver Creek  -Vail experienced almost $1B in gross sales in the third quarter of 2020    Follow them at:  @tdinvail  @thestocktongroup_vail @compasscolorado 

Episode 48: Compass Opening in Vail CO Feat. Founder Tom Dunn. Big Deals Living the Big Mountain Life!

Here's a quick solo pod discussing the following:  1. Compass IPO Day: Behind the scene, the story leading up to IPO day.  The financial twists & turns which affected the markets.   2. Rental problems in NYC: As a consumer, why it can be so frustrating to secure housing in NYC  3. Coop Board Rejection: NYC Co-Op Boards Would Have to Explain Why They Deny Buyers, Under New Bill Follow me on IG @Takkyamaguchi Twitter: @takkyamaguchi 

Episode 47: Compass IPO Story, Problems with the NYC Rental Market, WSJ Article on NYC Co-Op Boards Explaining Why They Deny Buyers

Pleased to have my friend & Ex-industry colleague Jared Kleinstein on the pod.  Jared is the Founder & CEO of Denver-based agency Fresh Tape Media, a Denver Based creative agency that makes videos, photos, & experiences for brands, sports properties, and media companies.  His team runs a network of over 150+ of the top creators: shooters, editors, designers, writers, & social media influencers to help create media for his clients, some of them includes the Washington Capitals, Denver Broncos, NASCAR, Formula 1, the Arizona Cardinals, the CO Rockies, NFL, NBA, NCAA Basketball, MLB, Facebook & Twitter, just to name a few.   Fresh Tape has done videos on Zion Williamson when he entered the NBA draft,  took on the NCAA College football playoffs content during Media Day and Game Day, providing their social media platform with unique content to post during the finals to drive social conversation, produced the MLB 1 on 1 series with the Mariners Dee Gordon & Nelson Cruz where they vlog behind the scenes in the locker room and produced content for the CAPS as Ovechkin became the 8th player in NHL history to record 700 career goals.     So WHY on earth would Jared come on my real estate podcast?  I’d say the answer is two folds:  1st, Jared was one of the original members of Streeteaasy, where he spent more than 7 years with the founding team to help build out the aggregator BEFORE Zillow purchased them for $50M back in 2013.  2nd: His knowledge of video content creation & social media is more important than ever for all small & large businesses, including real estate.  We’ll delve more into that later.     A few more fun facts about Jared:  Worked as the head of sports & International content strategy at Twitter  Was the Founder & CEO of Tebowing.com which was the worlds largest database for tebowing photos  He was a Vail ski instructor for 7 years  You can follow Jared on IG & twitter at @jarzod & @frestapemedia  

Episode 46: Jared Kleinstein of Streeteasy 1.0, How It All Started, The Beginnings, Up to The Acquisition

Greg Hart joins The Real Takk Podcast.  Greg is the Chief Product Officer of Compass.  Prior to joining our team, Greg led a 23 year career at Amazon, and most recently headed the e-commerce giant’s video streaming service.  Greg has been at the forefront of Amazon's transformation since 1997. During his tenure, he led the development and launch of their cutting edge tech of the past 20 years. He began his Amazon career in books, then moved on to product management roles including the VP of amazon video, VP of amazon echo & speech, VP & technical advisor to Jeff Bezos, & Director of videos games & software.  Now at Compass, Greg will be responsible for driving all aspects of our integrated product offering, overseeing the company's growing team of Product Managers, User Researchers and Product Marketers.  LETS GO ENJOY THIS EPISODE!  

Episode 45: Greg Hart, Chief Product Officer of Compass & Ex-Amazon VP Of Alexa, Echo, Speech, and Advisor to Jeff Bezos

I welcome Brittanie Rockhill to The Real Takk Podcast.  Brittanie is a consummate professional who quickly rose to the ranks of being the #1 agent in GCI (Gross Commission Income) for Douglas Elliman in the State of Colorado for two years in a row.  Born into one of 5 children in Colorado Springs, she learned the value of hard work through her father who still runs his own business to date.  Brittanie graduated college with a double major through qualifying for two scholarships while juggling multiple jobs at night & on weekends.  Upon entering the real estate world, she honed her skills through a mentor, then quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in the real estate brokerage industry.  (But this is no overnight success story!). Please follow her journey here.  Enjoy this episode! You may follow Brittanie on Instagram at @brittanie.rockhill.aspen or find her on FB at Brittanie Rockhill.  

Episode 44: Brittanie Rockhill, Top Broker of Aspen Colorado

Mike is the Chief Sales & Strategy Officer at Compass. Growing up in Long Island, Mike started his sales career as a Cut Co knives salesman, going door to door selling knives & eventually rising to the division manager position, responsible for the entire NYC metro & surrounding areas.   After working as the VP of sales & marketing for Structured Web, mike moved to SF to join Square, a company founded by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, where he advanced to become the Global Head of Sales, responsible for growing the sales and business development organization from 40 to 200+ people across 5 major countries, accounting for $1 billion in annual revenue.  At present day, Mike works with us at Compass, with his primary goal is the growth of brokers' revenue throughout the nation.   

Episode 43: Mike Coscetta, Chief Sales & Strategy Officer at Compass, Ex-Cutco Knives Regional Manager, Ex-Global Head of Sales @ SQUARE

Levi Meyer is back on The Real Takk Pod to catch up on all things Florida real estate.  Why are so many New Yorkers buying real estate there?  What's selling? What's not?  Where's the demand?  Who are the buyers?  How does he find $85K/month rental in a market where no rental inventory?  Levi reveals his secrets & shares his thoughts on where things are headed.  We also delve into his recent trip to Aspen Colorado where he stayed at the iconic 2 Mile Ranch, a 244 acre property at consists of 7 custom homes, 22 bedrooms, 3 developable home sites, and 2 miles of Woody Creek frontage. (+ some furry animals that roam through every now & then!)  Levi is a native Floridian that understands & appreciates the diverse & ever-changing landscape of South Florida.  Throughout his dynamic real estate career, Levi has received numerous accolades including annual ‘Top Producer’, and ‘‘Most Innovative Marketing’ as well as media recognition for several record-breaking sales.  He’s 1 of 10 siblings, (he has 4 sisters & 5 brothers) grew up in his younger years in Virginia, and prior to real estate had stint as a Defense Contracting Manager working alongside the Department of Defense, sourcing $50M in goods to the US DOD in Iraq & Afghanistan. Check out Levi on his personal IG at @levimeyerre and his business IG at: @themeyergroupRE  Please follow us on Social! The Takk Team Compass: http://bit.ly/TakkTeamCompassThe Takk Team Page: http://bit.ly/TakkTeamPageThe Takk Team Facebook: http://bit.ly/TakkTeamFacebookInstagram: http://bit.ly/TakkInstagramLinkedin: http://bit.ly/TakkLinkedin     

Episode 42: The Miami Real Estate Market is Hot! How & Why? Top Miami Broker Levi Meyer Reveals His Business

Gordon is the Senior Managing Director of Compass.  He comes on the Real Takk Podcast to discuss his early days at Citi Habitats, old NYC, early days of Urban Compass, lessons he's learned in life, & what the future may hold for Compass.  He is my manager, mentor, colleague, friend, & truly a salt of the earth type person.  As a veteran broker myself, I can say with confidence that I am happy to have him in my corner during the ups & downs of operating our real estate business in NYC.  Follow Gordon on IG @golubgordon & on Linkedin. 

Episode 41: Gordon Golub, Senior Managing Director of Compass, Ex-Citi Habitats Executive, Manager, Mentor, & Friend

Pleased to have my good friend Will Geeslin, CPA of the Geeslin Group on the 40th Episode of The Real Takk Podcast.  Will was our first corporate accountant at Compass, formally known as Urban Compass. Will & I connected in the summer of 2014 back at our Union Square West office when there were only 25/30 brokers, and just a few dozen staff members.  Prior to joining forces, Will worked at E&Y for 2 years honing his skills as a number cruncher.  Hailing form Atlanta Georgia Will was an ex-resident of the warren house condo in Murray Hill, has ran the NYC Marathon, & is a proud alumnus of Auburn & the Auburn Tigers Football program.  (Go Jason Campbell)  FWIW:  This is not a Pro-Trump or Pro Biden pod. We’re here to discuss the birds-eye view of accounting practices that are common for real estate developers, owners, & operators as well as common misconceptions that people who earn a salary may NOT be aware of when media blasts companies like Amazon for “not paying federal taxes” (subjective look vs objective look)  The Topics We Cover:  Trump's Taxes -“As a RE Developer, Trump paying $750 shown on his income tax? There is a reasonable explanation of how he got there” -Why does Trump have one of the more complicated tax returns of any President? -The beautify of real estate is that you get a huge non-cash deduction for what is called “depreciation” - What is the media not talking about when it comes to Trump paying just $750 in taxes? -If a business owner doesn’t want to sell a business, the goal is to show as little income as possible. -Bulk of developers & landlords earns schedule E, real estate related income, but taxable income for developers does not correlate to wealth.  Tax evasion is bad, Tax avoidance is good: Amazon & Other Successful Tech Giants Amazon pays no federal income tax. Many politicians blast the fact that it’s not fair that a multi-billion dollar company pays “NO TAXES”.  It’s easy for media outlets to blast any company in tech that they ‘pay no taxes” in 280 characters via Twitter or on social, but if you think about it, does amazon really pay no taxes?  AOC & other politicians blasted them for planning hq2 in NYC b/c they don’t pay any taxes, but do these politicians really understand corporate accounting laws? So what’s really happening here? (Talking points) -Amazon never made money. If you spend more money than you make, you won’t have taxable income. -In short summary: “People get hung up on MNC's / Conglomerates. These organizations do not live & die by our rules. “ Real Estate Brokers & How They Should Pay / Manage Taxes #1 thing, no matter what stage you are in your career, the challenge is recording keeping. You get to the EOY and you run your biz, you get that big fat 1099 at the EOY, you spent all this money in marketing, transport, meals, etc. IC people get in trouble at EOY trying to find their expenses. You are going to make really aggressive and take deductions that you didn’t take deductions, or you don’t have enough records and you PAY MORE TAXES than you need to.  It’s that first year you owe taxes, everybody has that one year you get punched in the face. Good CPA is part of your team.  They need to be there to help brokers with tax planning. Taxes are like healthcare, you can be reactive, or be proactive.  Part 5: Startup Equity: Startup equity: We talk briefly about equity that is given out by tech firms. (public or private) Qualified VS  Non-qualified stock options, their tax implications, exercising your equity, and what you should know as far as your tax obligations may be based on your strike price, etc.  You may follow will on IG at @Wgeeslin & his company website at https://www.geeslingroup.com/ 

Episode 40:Trump Taxes, Why Amazon Pays No Fed Tax, Need to Know if You Have Startup Equity / Shares

A look into the cast of characters that help build Compass's business & technology. From software engineers, product designers, real estate agents from across the united states, and executives of Compass, learn how we tick & operate our business!

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Real Takk Podcast

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