Value Added Expertise
Chasan, who holds an MBA from Pepperdine University, has been working with attorneys since the start of his career. Originally retained by clients to assist in locating, negotiating, and securing desirable commercial office space for his clients, he inadvertently began carving a niche for himself as the commercial real estate broker of choice for countless law firms and attorneys. He achieved this by becoming a true expert in a field that is indeed highly specialized. In his early years in the real estate industry, it was Chasan’s meticulous attention to detail that drew in attorney clients. He explains that while working with a small business owner, for example, the thoroughness with which he negotiated leases, to the extent that additional clauses were written into lease agreements to protect them from potential pitfalls that they didn’t even know existed, his clients’ attorneys took notice. When reviewing the final contracts for clients prior to their signing the lease, it was impossible for attorneys not to notice just how methodical and detailed Chasan had been in negotiation. Soon enough the attorneys themselves were coming to Chasan to secure new office space for their firms. As the years passed, Chasan continued to evolve as an expert. In addition to representing tenants, Chasan would ultimately become a real estate company owner, 28
Attorney Journal | Volume 102, 2012
where he then sat on the flip side of the coin from those tenants he had represented. This only served to give him an even deeper understanding of commercial real estate transactions, as he was able to clearly identify loopholes that would ultimately benefit the landlord, often at the detriment of the tenant. Yet, he still had room to grow as an expert, and that he continued to do, utilizing his expertise in other fields of specialty at no cost to the client, but to tremendous benefit. With a background in construction and design in place, Chasan was clearly becoming much more to clients than merely a tenant representative. He sat in on construction planning meetings for clients. He provided suggestions conducive to the specific needs of law firms including at times even assisting with designing reception desks for firms, always taking into consideration the firm’s budget, cost control, and growth plan. Time after time, he helped clients save money in areas that other commercial brokers just weren’t able to, because of his well-rounded background in the multi-faceted areas of commercial real estate. These additional services he provided at no additional charge to the client. In addition to offering his expertise in these areas, Chasan brought added expertise in the field of IT and telecommunications to his clients’ tables. When working with construction companies in a designated commercial space, for example, he culled from his years of experience