Three and a half years of calls, texts, lunch invitations — that’s how lengthy it took Ryan Serhant to get Peter Zaitzeff to even take a gathering. Lastly, Zaitzeff agreed to fulfill up, however he made it clear that he was completely satisfied at Corcoran and wasn’t trying to make a transfer.
Quick ahead six months, and viewers of Owning Manhattan see the outcomes of Serhant’s persistence repay. In a gathering at 200 Amsterdam, with “a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of {dollars} of stock to promote in a single constructing,” Serhant provided Zaitzeff the place of gross sales director of your complete constructing, thus sealing the deal.
“He satisfied me that the chance I might have at SERHANT. — with quite a lot of laborious work — was a greater alternative than what I at present had. And he did a very, actually, actually good job of doing that,” Zaitzeff mentioned.
With greater than $4.8 billion in gross sales and 500-plus transactions, it’s not laborious to see why Ryan Serhant wished Zaitzeff on the group at his then-4-year-old brokerage. However how did Zaitzeff construct the kind of profession that made him such a sought-after goal?
Humble beginnings
“I at all times wished to be an funding banker my complete life. The primary woman I dated, her dad was an enormous funding banker. And I noticed him, and I used to be like, ‘That man is tremendous profitable. I need to be like that man,’” Zaitzeff mentioned.
Regardless of not having nice grades, he obtained a job at Merrill Lynch within the personal wealth division out of faculty. Nonetheless, on the time, his mom and brother had simply began a restaurant, Zaitzeff Burgers, which ultimately expanded to a number of areas in New York Metropolis, earlier than closing in 2018. Out of “obligation,” Zaitzeff postpone his monetary profession and labored within the household restaurant enterprise for about 5 years earlier than getting married.
On the time, he lived in a walk-up on Bond Road. Via mates, he met profitable residential dealer Dennis Mangone, who lived at 40 Bond, Ian Traeger’s inexperienced constructing.
“I used to be like, ‘That man’s fancy. That man’s profitable. I need to be like that man,’” Zaitzeff mentioned. “So I principally pursued Dennis (Mangone) … Six months down the highway, I used to be like, ‘Dennis, it’s the summer season. I’m 28 years previous. I’ll give you the results you want free of charge as an unpaid intern.’ And so, I finally satisfied him to present me an internship.”
A foot within the door
He lastly obtained the three-month internship he had persistently pursued.
“Throughout that point, I discovered so much in regards to the enterprise as a result of Dennis Mangone (was) kind of a rainmaker in new improvement … He labored with Ian Traeger. He knew him from Studio 54. He labored with Steve Witkoff, who ultimately principally made my profession. And a variety of different very, you already know, fancy individuals,” Zaitzeff mentioned.
On the finish of the internship, Zaitzeff drove Mangone’s automobile all the way down to Florida, and en route, Mangone, who Zaitzeff describes as “a personality,” hit the cellphone out of his hand and mentioned, “I’m not hiring you. You’re not targeted sufficient. Speak to Susan de França.” She was the pinnacle of latest improvement at Douglas Elliman on the time.
Alternative knocks
She knew sufficient about Zaitzeff to rent him at $50,000 a 12 months with the promise of some nice new developments arising. From there, he was placed on 150 Charles, the constructing that made his profession.
“150 Charles was the quickest sellout, in all probability ever within the historical past of New York Metropolis, at three months. On the time, we bought for $3,300 a sq. foot, which was a report for the West Village,” Zaitzeff mentioned.
How? He memorized the offering planthe bible of what the developer has to ship to their shoppers, from entrance to again. Not solely that, however ground plans, views, and so forth., as a result of the constructing is complicated with 80 completely different ground plans over 91 models.
“Leonard SteinbergRaphael De Niro, Darren Sukenik and Madeline Hult Elghanayan have been the salespeople on it. So I principally obtained an Ivy League MBA in the middle of three months. As a result of I knew all the pieces, they introduced me onto showings,” he mentioned. “And so I used to be assembly with the Jon Bon Jovis of the world. The Ben Stillers of the world. The captains of business that we bought to at the moment, and never simply that, however these guys, these 4 brokers from their era, I see as in all probability the most effective brokers of their era.”
All 4 introduced distinctly completely different experience to the desk. He describes Madeline Hult Elghanayan as very “uptown,” Raphael De Niro as “numbers-driven,” Leonard Steinberg as “polished” and Darren Sukenik as an “old-school, pitbull Lengthy Island dealer.”
The career-maker
Then, Steve Witkoff, now the assistant to President Trump and Particular Envoy for Peace Missions, observed Zaitzeff and put him on 10 Madison Sq. West. After which 111 Murray. After which a constructing in LA.
After commuting to LA for a 12 months, Zaitzeff determined it was an excessive amount of and made the transfer to Corcoran.
“I entered right into a luxurious market from Day 1 as a result of I used to be at 150 Charles and since I used to be surrounded by these kind of rainmakers … sure, I labored actually, actually laborious, however I used to be additionally fortunate,” he mentioned.
Classes for brokers
Be persistent.
“It took me six months to even get my foot within the door,” he mentioned. “So if it takes you six months to get your foot within the door, how lengthy is it going to take you to get your foot into luxurious?”
The largest lesson of all: Know extra and be higher than everybody else.
“I used to be fortunate to be put onto this challenge, however I additionally knew so much in regards to the challenge to place myself in a very fortunate place to be on showings. As a result of as an assistant … you’re not happening showings more often than not with the promoting brokers. The one purpose I used to be there may be as a result of I knew greater than these guys. They usually knew it. In order that they have been like, ‘We want him on right here as a result of he is aware of all the pieces. He is aware of in regards to the numbers.’ And that’s solely as a result of I memorized the providing plan.”
“I inform everyone that works for me now, I’ve been doing this for 15 years nearly, ‘So as so that you can be good, it’s worthwhile to know extra and be higher than me, proper? Know extra; be higher than me. As a result of then, you’re a worth add.’”
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