Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Glaser
Hi Jake, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a Brooklyn native who followed a girl out to LA, I was feeling lost in my mid 20s and was in search of a new career that would allow me to build something for myself. This was just a few years ago, and I was lucky to stumble into the world of commercial real estate brokerage. I sent my resume to a few of the well known firms in town, and within a matter of two weeks I had a desk, and phone and a list of multifamily landlords in LA. With no salary, no benefits and nothing to lose, it was time to start dialing.
Just three and a half years later, I have formed a great team around myself & I’ve amassed over $150MM of multifamily and commercial real estate sales across LA County. Plus, things worked out with the girl I followed out to LA – we’re getting married in a couple of months!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Getting into a commission-only career like real estate is rarely a smooth journey. The early days were a struggle, with no connections in the local market, no income, and a constant fear of failure. It takes a certain type of mentality to wake up every day with no guaranteed outcome while your savings slowly drain away. Any entrepreneur can relate to these early struggles… And as a 26 year old with no experience, trying to earn the opportunity to sell multi-million dollar real estate assets is an especially daunting task.
Luckily, things have worked out well so far, even despite a sharp spike in interest rates and drop-off in real estate transactions in the past 24 months.
We’ve been impressed with The Glaser Group, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Glaser Group of Lyon Stahl is a highly specialized multifamily advisory group based in Century City in LA. We have a unique focus in helping private clients buy and sell apartment buildings in LA County. While people hear “commercial real estate” and immediately think of large & soulless corporations, the majority of our clients are regular everyday people who take pride in providing housing to the LA community. With our average deal size ranging from $1MM – $20MM in value, our niche specialization in smaller apartment buildings has allowed us to become experts in everything LA multifamily. We consider ourselves not just agents, but more so advisors & a resource to our clients. Our bi-weekly newsletter reaches thousands of local apartment owners, and has become a staple knowledge source to many in the local real estate community.
We pride ourselves on a providing a very high level of service to our clients, especially to those who are not necessarily proffessional operators. We are also local advocates for fair, equal and affordable housing, and we make sure to balance our clients’ business goals with the rights & needs of their tenants.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Yes, I would not be where I am today without my incredible mentor Daniel Withers. Dan is a 20+ year industry vet, and he took me under his wing when I first got into the business. Commercial real estate brokerage is a notoriously difficult industry to break into, and there’s no handbook on how to build a successful, long-term brokerage business.
Dan was a caring and patient mentor who taught me the ins & outs of how to structure my business, what to do each day, how to advise my clients, and most importantly how to be an ethical broker.
I owe much of my success to date to Dan and his mentorship.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lamultifamilybroker.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglasergroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Glaser-Group/61558476525967/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LAMultiBroker
