Meet the Team - RIACRE

Benjamin Hsiang

Chief Executive Officer

424.377.6001

Bhsiang@RiaCre.com

Ben Hsiang is a highly skilled, dedicated and versatile investment advisor. As an intrepid traveler, he has studied abroad, for one year, in Beijing, China and then for 3 months in Siena, Italy. As a result of his travels, in addition to gaining a global perspective on life and business, Ben is able to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese.

A graduate of UC San Diego, he majored in International Studies with a focus on Economics. Upon graduating, Ben began his real estate career at Marcus & Millichap in 2004 where his primary focus was on apartment sales. He then joined RE/MAX Commercial & Investment Realty in 2007 and received numerous company awards. Ben founded Realty Investment Advisors in order to offer his clients an elevated level of service and provide them with a larger scope of investment opportunities.

With a prove track record of over $600 Million Dollars in closings, his success in real estate can be directly attributed to his honest, hard work ethic, and excellent negotiating skills.

Ben is an avid Lakers fan and enjoys playing golf and tennis during his time off. Ben is married with three children. He and his family reside in Santa Monica.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RIA (Realty Investment Advisors) 2016 to Present

Chief Executive Officer

RE/MAX Commercial & Investment Realty 2007 to 2016

Senior Vice President of Investments

Marcus & Millichap 2004 to 2006

Senior Associate

Education

Obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies – Economics University of California, San Diego

Awards

Awarded out of 3,000+ Commercial Agents, #1 Agent at RE/MAX Nationwide in 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2015.
Awarded #1 Commercial Team at RE/MAX Worldwide in 2016
Successfully Closed Over 300 Transactions Since 2004
Over $500,000,000 Closed Since 2006
Obtained Bachelor of Arts in International Studies-Economics from University of California, San Diego

Professional Affiliations

National Association of Realtors
California Association of Realtors
Los Angeles County Association of Realtors
Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

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Don Favia

Senior Vice President

424.377.6002

Dfavia@RiaCre.com

Don Favia is a tenacious go-getter whose knack for finding solutions where others find challenges makes him a valid asset to RIA. As a born entrepreneur Don graduated from The College of Business & Economics at California State University, Northridge and went on to work as a Business Analyst at Amgen Inc.

In 2007, Don was introduced to commercial real estate. He promptly made the bold decision to change his career path and has never looked back. Don specializes in the sale of multi-family units throughout the Westside and Greater Los Angeles Area & helps clients navigate through some of the more complicated aspects of their real estate investments.

Don strives to be a valuable and professional resource for his clients before, during, and after the deal is made. He is strongly driven to help apartment owners achieve their financial goals and has faced the exciting challenge of being a top producer in the real estate industry head-on. Don attributes his success in real estate to his diligence in developing and maintaining long-standing relationships with his clients. He views the real estate business through a long-term lens where honesty and work ethic play integral roles in his own personal brokerage style. In his spare time, Don enjoys playing basketball, traveling, and working out when time permits. He is married and resides with his wife in Santa Monica.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RIA (Realty Investment Advisors)

Senior Vice President

RE/MAX Commercial & Investment Realty2007 to Present

Senior Associate

Education

Obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business – California State University, Northridge

Accolades

Successfully Closed Over 200 Transactions Since 2007
Over $300,000,000 Closed Since 2014

Professional Affiliations

National Association of Realtors
California Association of Realtors
Los Angeles County Association of Realtors
Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

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Alex Metaxas

Senior Vice President

626.313.4901

Ametaxas@RiaCre.com

Alex is a steadfast and dedicated broker with a wealth of knowledge and passion for excellence in service. Alex graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with a Bachelors in Business Administration and has continued to live and build a career in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Upon graduation, Alexander worked as a Financial Analyst for two Fortune 500 companies before going into Commercial Real Estate Sales in 2006, specializing in multi-family apartment sales. It was a favorable transition to become a Realtor because of his tireless drive, work ethic and ability to connect with clients and help them achieve their real estate goals.

Alex joined RE/MAX Commercial & Investment Realty at the beginning of 2007. He has had tremendous success and is currently a top-ranking Agent nationwide in the RE/MAX Commercial Network. Alexander is passionate about his career and work, which has resulted in providing his clients with an excellent experience.

Alex is a competitor of multiple Triathlons and the Los Angeles Full Marathon. Alex is married and he & his wife welcomed a baby daughter in 2018. He and his family reside in Santa Monica with strong ties in the San Gabriel Valley.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RIA (Realty Investment Advisors) 2018 to Present

Senior Vice President

RE/MAX Commercial & Investment Realty 2007 to 2018

Vice President of Investments

Education

Obtained a Bachelor in Business Administration – University of California, Riverside

Awards

Awarded RE/MAX Chairman’s Club Award for 2016.
Awarded RE/MAX TITAN Club Award for 2015.
Ranked in Top 10 within RE/MAX CIR Southern California offices for 2014 & 2015.
Awarded RE/MAX Hall-of-Fame Career Award in 2014.
Ranked No. 3 Agent within RE/MAX CIR Southern California offices for 2012.
Ranked as No. 8 Commercial Agent Nationwide among thousands for 2012.
Awarded RE/MAX Chairman’s Club Award for 2012 & 2013.
Achieved RE/MAX Platinum Award status for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011.
Since 2006, has successfully closed over 150 transactions with a combined value of over $285,000,000.

Professional Affiliations

National Association of Realtors
California Association of Realtors
Los Angeles County Association of Realtors
Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

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Sarah Ferraro

Office Manager

424.377.6007

Sferarro@RiaCre.com

Sarah has over 15 years experience driving strategic growth, training, and marketing for national real estate companies, independent real estate professionals, and investors.

Sarah is the office manager for the Team of RIA, and has been Ben’s right hand since November of 2013. She is highly competitive, passionate, creative, articulate and able to achieve results others believed to be impossible. Experienced in graphic design, advertising, social media, real estate coaching/training, reception, database management, system implementation and exceptional customer service.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys outdoor activities with her children, including fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RIA (Realty Investment Advisors) 2016 to Present

Office Manager

RE/MAX Commercial & Investment Realty 2013 to 2016

Office Manager

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Lucy Forbes

Marketing Manager

424.377.6005

Lforbes@RiaCre.com

Originally from London, England, with over 13 years of experience in marketing, advertising, PR, and events, Lucy has a natural talent for thinking outside the box and a hunger to achieve the unachievable! A creative spark drove Lucy towards marketing.

Upon graduation from Global Linguistics College in London, Lucy became a certified English Teacher and decided to travel the globe in order to gain some real-world experience. Her journey took her to Asia, where she settled in Tokyo, Japan for just under a decade before deciding to relocate her life to America. With a fierce drive for creativity and goal-oriented results, Lucy maintains high production numbers in lead generation, return customers, referrals and business to business sales.

Lucy is an intrepid explorer and enjoys hiking, swimming, and adventuring throughout sunny California. She resides in Santa Monica.

RIA (Realty Investment Advisors) 2018 to Present

Marketing Manager

Hawkeye Productions Limited (UK & Japan) 2010 to 2018

Marketing Manager & Events Manager

Education

Obtained an Associates Degree in Linguistics – Global Linguistics College, Oxford, UK

Professional Affiliations

Certified TEFL Teacher
Certified English Teacher
Fellowship of British Hairdressing – Licensed

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David Gilkey

Client Relations Director

424.377.6008

Dgilkey@RiaCre.com

David Gilkey launched his career in real estate in the single family residence market. Working with RDM Lending and then moving on to Quality Home Loans as both hard money/retail loan consultant.

Transitioning to Senior Market Analyst for ELS Consulting, David honed his superior research and negotiating skills. He has over 20 years of real estate experience and for the past 4 years has worked with the team of Benjamin Hsiang, helping to structure acquisitions, asset repositions and dispositions of Multi-Family assets. David specializes in applying his knowledge of property research and client relations to consistently exceed client goals.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RIA (Realty Investment Advisors) 2016 to Present

Client Relations Director

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Erik Karibas

Client Relations Manager

424.377.6010

Ekaribas@RiaCre.com

Erik Karibas, is a Boston Native with a major in Communications. In 2003, he kicked off his career in the financial industry, serving as a private banking Loan officer for 10 years.

In 2014, Erik moved to Los Angeles and obtained his position as Client Relations Manager for the team of Benjamin Hsiang. In four years, Erik has built a strong foundation as the Manager of Client Relations, overseeing multiple associates acting as communication liaisons between potential clients, brokers and investment firms. Erik and his team work to provide valuable intel to property owners and investors, backed by thorough research and consistent communication.

Erik is a man of many talents and has a true passion for Music. In his spare time, you can find him mixing-up beats, strumming the guitar or playing the piano.

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Jeff Rogish

VP of Development | RIA Development

424.377.6003

Jrogish@RiaDevelop.com

With a wide-ranging background in construction, Jeff’s hands-on skills are coupled with a keen eye for perfecting projects on time and sourcing the best potential builds for our clients. Jeff’s experience is rooted in building construction, as well as overall project management, planning & permitting, accounting & fund control, scheduling, estimating, and contracts.

Jeff’s interest in site development and sustainable building and design has him currently pursuing a second degree in Civil Engineering. Combined with an impressive amount of real estate experience, Jeff has a wealth of knowledge concerning the current market, development opportunity sourcing, transaction management, and expediting the entitlement process.

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