Takeaways – Life. Lessons. Learned.
Mike Forche
Mike Forche moved to Las Vegas and got into commercial real estate in 1979 when he joined Nevada Title. He was there until 2017 and was involved in many ventures, including construction, development, receivership, and even investments in Macau. Mike is a licensed real estate broker, property manager, and a court-appointed receiver with over 40 completed cases. But that doesn’t tell the entire story of who Mike is.
Mike’s story began in Indiana. He was an athlete his whole life, played semi-professional football, and worked as an ironworker in Indianapolis. His experience working on high-rise buildings led him to chase a warmer climate. He took his college degree and a beat-up Volkswagen and drove across the country to California, where he got his real estate license and began his career in real estate.
No Place Like Vegas
Mike was ready to start fresh as a commercial real estate title rep in a new market. He had the intuition to know where the money was. Mike tediously looked up title records on microfiche to find the players involved in local transactions. He would go out of his way to meet the major developers at zoning meetings. He even studied water development and networked with casino hosts.
Mike’s competency for finding deals led him to work with a lot of whales. The stories he shares are as prolific as the clients he’s served. Frank Mariani and Jerry Buss already owned 1,000 single family homes, 4,000 apartment units and both the L.A. Lakers and Kings when Mike first visited their office. Mike became their man in Vegas and helped them purchase hundreds of properties.
The Key to Making Deals
Las Vegas gave Mike a place to explore his range of talents. Mike describes himself as driven to succeed. He was committed to being an asset to his employer and improving himself as a businessman, husband, and father. Mike’s growth in real estate paralleled the growth in Southern Nevada. He explains that gravitating towards the right kinds of people, like-minded, trustworthy, and hard-working individuals, were key parts of his success.
Some say that people come to Las Vegas for “just one deal,” and they stick around if the timing and connections are right. Diligence and honesty were the building blocks that kept Mike going. More than anything, the deals he did were based on the relationships he forged. From iconic Strip locations to local apartment and condo builds, Mike has been involved in a lot of big deals in Vegas over a long period of time.
Takeaways From This Episode
Other Key Takeaways in this episode include:
- Investing up front to have an asset later on can pay off dividends.
- You’ve got to have the confidence to ask for the business you want.
- Remember people: their names, stories, and situations.
Thank you for listening! Please subscribe to “Takeaways,” rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts.
Brought to you by:
