Andrew Cheney and Matt Hagan LEE & ASSOCIATES
Mentor & Mentee
In 2018, Andrew Cheney, principal, and Matt Hagan, associate, of Lee & Associates, met on a tennis court for a friendly match. While neither will disclose the winner, the experience proved memorable. “I was looking for a position in commercial real estate in Phoenix, and on a Friday morning. I sent my resume to all the top firms in the state,” Hagan says. “I received Matt’s resume from a friend in the business, I saw he was a top 75 Division One collegiate tennis player and called him right away,” Cheney says. “We hit that afternoon, as I needed practice for an upcoming tournament. I could tell right away he was a good guy and would be a natural for real estate.”
STARTING POINTS
That contest, occurring right before Wimbledon, led to Hagan joining the Coppola Cheney Group. “We ended up playing tennis in the middle of summer around 115 degrees. I have never been so tired in my life, but I got the job. Working for the Coppola Cheney team was a no-brainier especially with their impeccable reputation in the Phoenix area,” he says. “Matt has been a terrific addition to the Lee & Associates family. He brings the mental toughness from his time as an elite athlete to the highly competitive sphere of CRE,” Cheney says.
BACKGROUND
For sure, Hagan is learning from one of the best in the business. Cheney and his partner Craig Coppola, have created one of the top recognized office brokerage teams in the Valley, and across Lee & Associates 69 offices in the U.S. They
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conduct a comprehensive business of representing Class A office landlords as well as advising tenants both locally and nationally. “Matt and I both put tremendous work into playing college athletics at a high level and trying it out on the world stage.” That is certainly a reason why our mentor/ mentee relationship works so well. I see the common traits of determination and effort we share.” Prior to his relocation to Greater Phoenix, Hagan was coaching tennis at the University of Iowa. “My wife asked me if I would be interested in moving to Arizona for her job, it was snowing in April, so that made for an easy decision to move,” he says. “At the time, I thought I would stay in tennis, but I always had CRE on my mind. This is because growing up, my grandfather owned a construction company in the Midwest and was involved in the development of flex industrial properties. The more I spoke with him about real estate, the more my interest grew.”
LEE & ASSOCIATES
Since joining the firm, Hagan has negotiated a host of transactions with Cheney, while learning a complex business under the tutelage of an expert. “We worked together a lot; © MPmedia, LLC 2021