Hidden Gems: Meet Igal Bakshandeh of Rodeo Realty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Igal Bakshandeh.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Iran in 1971, fast forward to 1985 Iran went through a revolution and was in war with Iraq & Sadam Hussein. I was 14 years old at the time and it wasn’t unusual for teenagers to go to war. One night my school got bombed and my parents decided that it’s time for me to leave the country so save my life. My parents paid a smuggler and I was on my way. I escaped through the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan (Taliban Country). It took days and we almost died of thirst and hunger, got shot at, got robbed while walking the borders trying to make it alive to other side. Finally, we made it to the other side which was not much safer than Iran. Facing dangerous situations, I stayed in Pakistan for two more months, then flew to Vienna and spent two more years in Austria.

Finally, it was my turn to board the plane to United States in July of 1988. I attended Santa Monica High school, University High school and Santa Monica College while working nights to support myself. As mentioned, I have been working various jobs and owned multiple businesses since I was 17 to support myself. In 1995 I met my wife at a party. She introduced me to the Real Estate world as she was a special assistant for top producing loan officers in a Bank in Santa Monica. It’s noteworthy to mention that my wife and her family went through the same rout at the same time to escape Iran and coincidently, we were in the same Hotel in Pakistan, same building in Vienna and in the same High School in United States but we did not know each other and never met before that party. So, I started my Real Estate career in Hollywood with a fantastic Broker who is also an amazing teacher. After 14 years in Hollywood, I moved to Rodeo Realty In Brentwood. I have been an award-winning agent for the past six years, brokering Residential and Commercial Real Estate and Investment opportunities throughout Los Angeles County.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being in Real Estate is just like being an entrepreneur and road is a bumpy one. Personally, not having my family here, I needed the steady income to pay rent and my expenses, so for the first few years, I had to keep a second job while I was learning the Real estate business. Not knowing many people at the beginning made it a bit more challenging but running different businesses before I knew that I had to put in the time. The main objective in Real Estate is to get to know people build relationships and could take time just like any meaningful friendship or relationship.

As you know, we’re big fans of Rodeo Realty. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our firm is an independent Real Estate firm with over $5 Billion of annual sales volume. Although we have ten offices and over 1200 agents, it still feels like coming home everyday, as everyone knows everyone, all clients are treated individually with outmost respect with attention to details and their needs. My job is to listen to clients and serve their needs to the best of my ability. It could be a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned investor buying an office building. My strong suits are my ability to value a property correctly and I am known for my math skills and analyzing both the mathematical and emotional sides of any transaction. Having said all of that, what I am most proud of is our ethics and transparency. If you walk into my office for a consultation, our goal is for you to understand the facts, see it visually on a paper or screen and feel good about the hour you’ve just spent at my office. That’s how we help clients make the absolute best decision for their future as this could be the biggest transaction of most of anyone’s life.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I have lost my father in law to Covod-19 and it became so clear to my family that we take the most important things in life for granted. The simplest things in life are generally the most important. We learned that life is about Love, Freedom and being thankful for what we have. We promised each other that love will never takes the second place in our lives.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: CallIgal.com
• Instagram: @Igalrealtor