2019 Ones to Watch: Chris Varjan, Lee & Associates NYC

Name: Chris Varjan

Title: Senior Managing Director

Company Name: Lee & Associates NYC

Address: 845 Third Avenue, 4th floor

Real estate organizations: REBNY, Urban Land Institute

What do you consider to be your greatest success in the past 12 months?
It has only been about 12 months since I moved my team to Lee & Associates to open up the investment sales business. That being said, getting the platform up and running with a couple of closed transactions under our belt has already been a success in itself. We recently closed a portfolio of approximately 95 units in Brooklyn Heights and put another 49 units in contract uptown. The success is truly not mine to own. There is an office full of tremendously talented people working around me that make it all run smoothly. 

What advice can you offer to someone who is just getting started in your industry?
Work hard and be honest. As an advisor and service provider, people need to be able to trust you and have confidence in your knowledge of the market. The learning curve is steep and the best way to overcome it is to put in the time. It’s also important to recognize how small the industry seems to become as time goes on. Always treat people right and give them the highest level of service possible because a referral will generally be the best client you will have.

Who are some leaders that you admire and why? ?
Over the past year, this has become a very easy answer. The leader that I most admire is undoubtedly our CEO, Jim Wacht. His passion for the business and building this company is incredible. His drive to build a great company is unrelenting and it shows in the growth and success of our office. For too many reasons, he is an inspiration to us all. 

What was your favorite thing to do when you were a kid?
I have always had many hobbies that I’m incredibly passionate about. Many of the activities that I enjoyed when I was a kid are ones that I still love today. I suppose it’s a three-way tie between fishing, building cars and skiing. Most every minute of my free time is spent on one of these three activities. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember.