Name: David Khukhashvili

Title: Associate Director – Investment Sales

Company Name: Ariel Property Advisors

Year that you entered your current field? 2013. 

List up to three CRE organizations that you are currently a member of:

• Urban Land Institute,
• NYSAFAH,
• CHIP

What advice can you offer to someone who is interested in a career in your industry?

Choose a path that you are passionate about. Given the highly competitive nature of the real estate industry, it’s very important to constantly hone your skills and master your craft as a professional. Having a drive is vital and a true passion is a great catalyst. It is also important to carve out a niche and specialize in a specific segment since there are many pathways one can choose within the industry. Personally, one segment that resonated with me was affordable housing, which involves mastery in being able to read and extrapolate key provisions from a regulatory agreement.

How have your life experiences impacted who you are professionally?

At the age of 6, I came to the United States with my parents and siblings. There are many challenges that come about as a result of immigration. Along with the language barrier, we had to start a new life here. This experience taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. My father was an architect in Georgia, but after we immigrated to the U.S., he was not able to continue that career because of the immediate need to support his family. As a result, real estate is something that was always on my mind. It eventually evolved into a passion and a field that I wanted to pursue professionally.

What was your favorite thing to do as a kid?

I collected model cars, which I still own and continue to amass today. I always loved cars from a young age, and I started this hobby at the age of 10. The collection now consists of nearly 400 small-scale model cars, which I keep in pristine condition. It includes models of European, Japanese, and American cars, with a special emphasis on Corvettes.

What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months?

Earning the promotion to associate director – investment sales was a great milestone for which I am truly grateful. This promotion enabled the transition into my current role, working alongside Sean Kelly, Esq. covering the greater Downtown Brooklyn market. Starting out as an associate in Ariel Property Advisors’ Investment Sales Division, my hard work and capabilities were recognized as I helped execute our exclusive assignments. Over time, I was given the challenging and coveted opportunity to work alongside the company’s partners on larger, institutional-level assignments. Through my success in that capacity, together with the mentorship I received, I was able to achieve this career landmark.