What I Know Now: James Huang, President of Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates
In this months’ “What I Know Now” (WIKN) Q & A, we feature James Huang, President of Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates. James brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry and currently sits on several advisory boards of both local and national industry organizations including AREAA (Asian Real Estate Association of America) of which he is President-elect of the 15,000 member organization. James successfully led a team of real estate professionals who shared the same innovative approach to commercial real estate; a belief in the power of superior market knowledge and exceptional client service including at one point running seven offices throughout Southern California and over 130 commercial brokers.
We’re excited to feature WIKN with James Huang. Enjoy!
Q: What was the biggest risk you’ve taken that has paid off?
A: Buying my first real estate property that allowed me to build equity and cash flow. It gave me a different perspective on real estate, ownership issues and being an investor. I saw both sides of the coin—and it gave me insight into more facets and dimensions of myself. P.S: I bought more properties—they didn’t all work out well. It’s part of the experience and growing your knowledge.
Q: What is the best advice that you’ve ever taken and the best advice you’ve ever given?
A: Never burn bridges. You can disagree, end a partnership or have personality issues, but you do not have to be disrespectful or rude after the fact. I’ve been in these situations and have seen this play out, and never has being polite/respectful worked against me.
Q: What’s your proudest accomplishment or most memorable deal and why?
A: In this industry, making cold calls and building relationships are the life blood. My biggest accomplishment is still being like a family member to my clients after the transactions are done. Now it’s being lifelong friends.
Q: What lessons from your parents have you carried through the years?
A: My parents always gave me a passion to learn. To this day I love to learn new things and get more experiences. Life is about learning and growing, both internally and externally, and how it applies to the world around you.
Q: What have you learned that you would want to pass on to an aspiring broker who is new to the industry?
A: What I would like to pass on to the new agents in this industry is that you must be honest with yourself to succeed. Write a plan and follow it with a mentor. Don’t make excuses but make corrections to your plan to succeed. The path to success it’s not always what you think.
