Meet Zachary Khushf | Realtor and Real Estate Investor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zachary Khushf and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zachary, how do you think about risk?
I think risk taking is important. If you don’t take risks, you miss those opportunities to grow and get into great investments or careers. One thing I love about decisions that involve risk is that you can do research to mitigate those risks.

As a real estate investor I will give an example. If I am going to buy a house for an investment there are many risks. You can lose money if the area doesn’t rent well, you can have major damages occur in the home, you can have bad tenants, you can get sued, and the list goes on and on.. Almost all of these things can be mitigated!

-As a realtor I have access to data that I can look at to determine how well the area rents and what type of vacancies could be expected.

-I work with one of the best home inspectors in Houston. I always get a home inspection before I buy something. If there are issues that come up during the inspection that could cause major damage over time, I get it fixed immediately. I also get the opportunity to go back to negotiation and get the price down more whenever big issues come up.

-I get great insurance plans for all my properties, including flood insurance! There are different insurance plans and lots of optional coverage options that can be selected. I always get insurance to protect myself and my properties. I get the optional coverage for “slow leaks” that covers water damage that happens over time. My very first property I ever owned had major water damage from a leaking drain pipe. The repair wound up costing me over $11,000. Since I had picked an additional optional coverage for slow leaks, I was completely covered!

-I make sure to hire professional property management. I also know from experience and talking with other investors which one’s are good and which one’s are not.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my professional life in the oilfield as a Mechanical Engineer for a major operator. I got into real estate investing as a way to invest my money, and I found a passion for it along the way.

I think one of the major things that differentiate me from other realtors is how I got into the business. I already had a successful career going on, but I loved real estate so much I became licensed and got into other aspects of the business. I flip houses, I own rentals, I wholesale from time to time, and I represent people on standard residential transactions such as buying and selling homes. Since I am so involved in all aspects of real estate I have a deeper understanding of the market, how to negotiate, how to find good deals, and many other things.

One of the things I tell to potential clients is the following. “Would you rather have someone who became a realtor just to make money, and had to be trained on how to negotiate and help people buy/sell houses? Or would you rather have someone who chose real estate because they loved it? Someone who buys and sells houses for himself, someone who flips houses and knows the best contractors, someone who negotiates on his own deals? Real life experience on negotiating will beat classroom training any day, and real life experience is what I have that many realtors don’t!”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Depends on who is visiting and what their lifestyle is. There is something for everyone in this area.

Since I am answering these questions in March, I would say a must see is the Houston Rodeo. On a Saturday you can go around noon and see all of the stores and FFA kids with their animals. From there I would take them to the main show, and then the carnival after!

Other than seasonal activities, here are some of my other favorites

-Visit the Galleria Mall and eat at one of their many nice restaurants

-Ride bicycles around the heights buffalo bayou trail and stop along one of the bars for a drink

-Visit some of the many great breweries in town like Saint Arnolds and Karbach

-Go for a walk/run at Memorial Park

-Spend a weekend at Galveston seeing Moody Gardens, the beach, and touring
the Historic Galveston District. Maybe even go on a ghost tour!

-Go eat some of the best Mexican/Tex-Mex food in world at one of the many restaurants here (My favorite is El Tiempo)

-Go to a horse race

-Walk around the museum district and see some of the best museums.

-Visit one of the many conventions that run through town.

-See downtown nightlife

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I will dedicate my shoutout to my wife Diana. Pursuing real estate investing has involved many sacrifices from both of us. Without her unconditional support and encouragement I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Website: www.RealtorZachK.com

Instagram: @RealtorZachK

Facebook: @RealtorZachK