M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — 40 Under 40 — August 20 - September 16, 2021 — 13D
www.marej.com
40 U nder 40 Eric Zahniser, Lee & Associates of Eastern Pennsylvania “It’s about passion and integrity”
hat is yourmost no- table project, deal or transaction? 600K+ square foot warehouse investment sale. How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry? I have a diverse background in real estate and finance, hav - ing been a senior manager at both Bimbo Bakeries USA and Siemens Healthineers. I think that has given me a differenti- ated perspective as a corporate real estate services provider. I understand how users consider and model transactions and how they fit into the overall business case analysis. This has enabled me to deliver out- sized results in a short amount of time. Other than that, it’s about passion and integrity. I think you have to be passion- ate about the industry to be a successful broker. And you have to have integrity to stay successful. Warren Buffet says it can take twenty years to build a reputation and one day to ruin it. Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career? The principle of modeling. If you want to be very success- ful in a particular field, pick someone who is very successful in that field and then do what they do. What impact has social media/networking had on your career? My older brother is in tech and convinced me to be an early adopter of LinkedIn. I got on LinkedIn in 2007. I have over 20,000 connections, which helps amplify my messaging and exposure. It has been a significant source of business and rewarding connections. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you choose the field/ profession you are in today? When I was in undergrad, I worked part-time as a credit analyst. I worked on commer- cial and industrial loans as well as real estate loans. In this process, I realized that the most significant source of wealth of most of the wealthy people in my community was real estate. I had wanted to be a broker for over ten years until I was com- fortable enough with my skill set and savings to do it. Since it is commission oriented, it can be very difficult to get into W
was really my first exposure to goal setting. That book really transformed my thinking and ultimately my circumstances. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? I am really interested in peo- ple. I like to get to know them and understand how they think and what experiences in their life or aspects of their position lead them to think or act a cer- tain way. If you can put yourself in somebody else’s shoes, then you can be successful. What inspiring word of
advice would you give to a young executive graduating from college today? Do something that you are passionate about. Passion breeds success, because you will be doing what appears to extremely strenuous work to other people, but it will feel like a joyful game to you, be- cause you find it interesting. Don’t worry about what your peers are doing and don’t try to optimize for salary right out of school. Optimize for interest and learning and play the long game. The rewards will be much bigger in the end. MAREJ
Eric Zahniser Vice President Years with company/firm: 3 Years in field: 3 Years in real estate industry: 13 Real estate organizations/affiliations: IAMC, Chester County Industrial Investment Council
if you don’t have family money to support you starting out. I always had my eye on the prize, but wanted to make the leap at the right time. What were some of your early goals and did any-
thing happen to change them? I was very fortunate when I was in my late teens to buy a self-help book by Brian Tracy that talked about the importance and process of goal setting. This
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