Samuel Finkler, TrueRate Services

Name: Samuel Finkler

Title: Vice President, Investment Sales

Company Name: TrueRate Services

List 2-3 real estate associations or organizations that you are currently a member of:

• Chabad Young Professionals
• GW Real Estate Alumni

What recent project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am very proud of the sale of 4702 16^th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204. My mentors had said that traditionally, Borough Park was a very difficult market, and most agents have a hard time breaking into the very tight-knit community. Not only was I hired by a very prominent owner in the Borough Park community, but I also ended up selling his property for the above-market asking price through negotiating a seller-financed deal. I’m proud to have overcome the barrier to entry by earning the trust of this Borough Park owner providing creative solutions to help him achieve the price he wanted.

Who was/is your mentor and how did s/he influence/help you in your career?

John Horowitz and John Brennan of Marcus & Millichap were my mentors and shaped my early career. John Horowitz runs an exceptional training program that helped hone my natural relationship building skills with the knowledge of commercial real estate fundamentals. This solid foundation allowed me to achieve success early on in my career. John Brennan was very impactful as well through hands-on coaching, shadowing him in meetings, and observing him securing deals. I will forever be grateful to both Johns for helping to jumpstart my career.

How do you contribute to your community or your profession?

Since joining TrueRate Services, I have been given the opportunity to mentor cross functionally (for debt and sales brokers). I developed my own sales training program to benefit others who are striving for success in the brokerage profession.

What led you to your current profession?

Growing up in New Jersey, my family would regularly drive into New York City to visit family and friends or go out to dinner. I marveled at the sheer number of buildings in the city, and we would take turns guessing the value of the skyscrapers. My initial sights were set on becoming a developer, and on that journey learned there is a lot of different skill sets needed before being ready to embark down that path. I saw investment sales brokerage as a great place to get that exposure, build relationships, and learn what drives value in real estate assets.

Top three things on your bucket list:

As an avid hockey player and fan, I would love to witness the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup. Secondly, my personal goal is to broker the sale of a $100 million+ CRE portfolio or asset. Lastly, since I was the first TrueRate Investment Sales employee, my main goal is to help build the company into a major player in CRE industry with multi-millions in profits each year.

Favorite quote:

“Be obsessed or be average” –Grant Cardone