What happens when a developer goes head-to-head with California’s most powerful cities, unions, and politicians?

In this episode of The Group CRE, Taylor Avakian sits down with Leo Pustilnikov — one of the most controversial and influential developers in California’s housing landscape. Leo has become a central figure in the statewide housing reform battle, pushing projects forward using tools like the Builder’s Remedy, SB 9, SB 35, Density Bonus Law, and other pro-housing policies that force cities to comply with state law.

Leo breaks down the political fights behind the scenes, how cities illegally block projects, what developers must understand about CEQA and entitlement strategy, and why California’s housing shortage is by design. This episode dives deep into corruption, NIMBY power, union pressure, lawsuits, and the future of LA housing — straight from someone who has been in the center of it.

You’ll learn:

- Why California cities block housing and how state law overrides them

- How the Builder’s Remedy actually works (and why it’s so powerful)

- The truth behind local corruption, CEQA abuse, and political retaliation

- Why small and mid-sized developers abandon California

- How Leo navigates union pressure, lawsuits, and city pushback

- What it will take for California to ever meet housing demand

- How to survive entitlement warfare and regulatory resistance

Sponsor — Loan Titan

Upscale your experience with

https://loantitan.com/

Connect with Taylor

Newsletter: https://www.thegroupcre.com/newsletter-signup

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tayloravakian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tayloravakian

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

Connect with Leo Pustilnikov

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

#TheGroupCRE #LeoPustilnikov #CaliforniaHousingCrisis #BuildersRemedy #CEQA #RealEstateDevelopment #NIMBY #HousingReform #CommercialRealEstate #TaylorAvakian #MultifamilyDevelopment #PolicyReform

In this episode of The Group CRE, Taylor Avakian sits down with Luke Morris — Co-Founder of CREXi and Founder of Capitalize.io — to break down how AI is transforming commercial real estate from the inside out. Luke shares the early days of CREXi, how he helped reshape CRE workflow at scale, and why he’s now focused on the next evolution of AI-powered tools for brokers, operators, and investors.

From automating research to accelerating deal flow, Luke explains the problems he saw firsthand while building CREXi — and the AI solutions modern CRE professionals will rely on in the next decade.

If you want to understand the future of real estate tech, the next wave of automation, and the mindset of a founder who helped build one of the most impactful CRE platforms ever created, this episode is a must-watch.

You’ll learn:

- How Luke co-founded CREXi and changed CRE deal flow forever

- The biggest inefficiencies he discovered while building a marketplace

- Where AI is already outperforming traditional CRE workflows

- How automation supports brokers, researchers, and analysts

- Why PropTech adoption is accelerating faster than ever

- What the next generation of CRE software will look like

- How founders think about scaling tools for a legacy industry

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🔗 Links

Sponsor — Loan Titan

Upscale your experience with

https://loantitan.com/

Connect with Taylor

Newsletter: https://www.thegroupcre.com/newsletter-signup

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tayloravakian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tayloravakian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

Connect with Luke Morris

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

#LukeMorris #CREXi #TheGroupCRE #PropTech #LoanTitan #CommercialRealEstate #RealEstateTech #CREBrokerage #AutomationTools #AIInBusiness #CREMarketplace #TaylorAvakian

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Nagel — CIO & CFO of Decron Properties — to unpack how a multigenerational real estate family built a 10,000-unit empire over 70+ years and why they’re now pivoting billions OUT of California into growth markets like Phoenix & Austin.

Daniel shares his grandfather’s Holocaust-to-developer story, the philosophy behind surviving every market cycle since 1956, what institutional investors really look for, and how to build an investment platform that lasts generations.

If you're serious about multifamily investing, family offices, long-term real estate strategy, and institutional-grade deal thinking — this episode is a masterclass.

🎯 Key Takeaways

- Immigrant perseverance → building a $B real estate legacy

- Why Decron shifted from homebuilding to multifamily

- Surviving recessions & maintaining lender relationships

- California exit strategy: regulation, taxes, and rent control impact

- Why core & core-plus outperform value-add in today’s market

- The pivot to institutional capital & what IRR really means

- How to scale across markets without losing your edge

- Tech, AI, and modern CRE skill-sets for the next 10 years

🔗 Links

Sponsor: AI for CRE Collective – transforming real-estate workflows with AI

https://www.aiforcrecollective.com

Connect With Daniel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nageldaniel/ (Decron Properties)

Connect With Taylor

📩 Newsletter: https://www.thegroupcre.com

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tayloravakian

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/tayloravakian

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

#RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #InstitutionalRealEstate #FamilyOffice #CaliforniaRealEstate #SunbeltInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #RealEstateStrategy #HousingMarket #Development #WealthBuilding #AIinRealEstate

From small beginnings to billion-dollar portfolios — Paul Julian has seen it all.

In this episode of The Group CRE, Taylor Avakian sits down with Paul Julian, a multifamily investor and operator who built success through persistence, partnership, and purpose. Paul shares how he scaled from early real estate deals to managing large multifamily assets, breaking down the strategies, risks, and mindset behind long-term success in a volatile market.

You’ll learn:

- How Paul got started in real estate and built early traction

- The secrets behind scaling a multifamily portfolio sustainably

- How partnerships and investor trust drive long-term growth

- Lessons from navigating interest rates, market cycles, and risk

- The mindset and systems that separate top operators from the rest

- Why consistency, humility, and patience are the keys to real wealth

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🔗 Connect & Resources

🎙️ Hosted by: Taylor Avakian — The Group CRE

🌐 Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com

💼 Connect with Paul Julian (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

📧 Business Inquiries: info@thegroupcre.com

🎧 Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube

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Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

#TheGroupCRE #PaulJulian #MultifamilyRealEstate #RealEstatePodcast #TaylorAvakian #WealthBuilding #PropertyManagement #CRE #RealEstateInvesting #InvestmentStrategy #Entrepreneurship #FinancialFreedom

Brandon Hance did 180+ real estate deals in Los Angeles in just 7 years. Sounds incredible, right?

But here's the truth: he wishes he'd done fewer deals and made MORE money.

In this episode, Brandon opens up about his journey from tech startup founder to one of LA's most prolific developers - and why the "hustle harder" mentality almost destroyed him. He shares the brutal lessons he learned scaling too fast, the health crisis that nearly killed him, and how he's completely rebuilt his approach with his new company, Angelino Development.

If you're thinking about scaling your real estate business, this conversation will change how you think about growth.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why doing MORE deals often means LESS profit

✅ The hidden costs of high-volume development in LA

✅ How to systemize your development business for scale

✅ Navigating LA's complex zoning and permitting process

✅ The importance of quality of life in building wealth

✅ When to say no to deals (even good ones)

Whether you’re chasing big goals or recovering from setbacks, this conversation is a raw, honest look at what success really costs — and what matters most after it’s gone.

CONNECT WITH ME:

EMAIL: taylor@thegroupcre.com

WEBSITE: www.thegroupcre.com

This episode is sponsored by AI for CRE Collective - an exclusive community built for real estate professionals using AI to close more deals, manage properties smarter, and scale faster.

Whether you’re a broker, investor, or property manager, join over 400 members already transforming their business with AI tools and strategies.

🔗 Learn more at [www.aiforcrecollective.com](https://www.aiforcrecollective.com/)

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: taylor@thegroupcre.com

X: https://x.com/TAYVAY_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

#TheGroupCRE #BrandonHance #Entrepreneurship #TaylorAvakian #FaithAndBusiness #WealthBuilding #Resilience #Leadership #StartupJourney #BusinessMindset

How do you build affordable housing in a city known for red tape, high costs, and endless delays?

In this episode of The Group CRE, Taylor Avakian sits down with Mott Smith, co-founder of Amped Kitchens and the Los Angeles Small Developer Collective, to discuss how smart policy, modular design, and process innovation can transform housing development in California.

You’ll learn:

- Why LA’s housing and permit systems are fundamentally broken

- How Mott Smith helps small developers build smarter and faster

- The impact of modular kitchens, ADUs, and adaptive reuse projects

- What cities can learn from entrepreneurs and private sector innovation

- How policy reform could unlock LA’s next housing boom

Whether you’re a developer, policymaker, or housing advocate, this episode unpacks the complex relationship between regulation, creativity, and real-world solutions.

Sponsor: https://aiforcrecollective.com/

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: taylor@thegroupcre.com

X: https://x.com/TAYVAY_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

#TheGroupCRE #MottSmith #HousingCrisis #UrbanDevelopment #RealEstatePodcast #TaylorAvakian #AffordableHousing #PolicyReform #UrbanPlanning #CRE

How does someone go from fixing copy machines to owning and operating over 6,000 multifamily units?

In this episode of The Group CRE, Taylor Avakian sits down with Steve Ludwig, a multifamily investor who turned humble beginnings into a billion-dollar portfolio. Steve shares his path from blue-collar work into real estate, breaking down the strategies, discipline, and mindset that helped him scale in one of the toughest industries.

You’ll learn:

- How Steve transitioned from fixing copiers into real estate

- The mindset shifts that fueled his long-term growth

- Lessons from managing and scaling 6,000 multifamily units

- How to balance risk, debt, and investor relationships

- Why patience and discipline matter more than timing

Whether you’re starting small or aiming to scale big, Steve’s story is a masterclass in persistence, resilience, and wealth building.

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: taylor@thegroupcre.com

X: https://x.com/TAYVAY_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

#TheGroupCRE #SteveLudwig #MultifamilyInvesting #RealEstatePodcast #TaylorAvakian #ApartmentInvesting #WealthBuilding #PropertyManagement #CRE #RealEstateInvesting

In this episode of The Group CRE, Taylor Avakian sits down with Chris Gray, President of Moss & Company, which manages over 15,000 multifamily units and 3 million sq. ft. of commercial space. Chris shares how Moss scaled its operations, built a strong company culture, and leveraged technology to tackle today’s toughest challenges — from fraud prevention to AI-driven leasing.

You’ll learn:

- How Moss and Company scaled from 4,000 to 15,000 units

- The leadership changes that transformed company culture

- Why most owners struggle with property management

- How AI and machine learning are reshaping leasing and fraud prevention

- The biggest threats — and opportunities — facing LA’s rental market

Whether you’re an owner, investor, or operator, this episode offers powerful insights on growth, resilience, and the future of property management.

CONNECT WITH ME:

EMAIL: taylor@thegroupcre.com

WEBSITE: www.thegroupcre.com

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

#RealEstatePodcast #PropertyManagement #MultifamilyInvesting #LosAngelesRealEstate #RealEstateInvesting #CRE #ApartmentInvesting #AIinRealEstate #MarsAndCompany #TheGroupCRE