My brother David and I have been immersed in real estate since childhood. Saturdays often meant accompanying our father to work, followed by a visit to the Premier Restaurant on Washington Street in Roxbury for the best corned beef sandwiches and fries. Our day would end at Scollay Square, where we met the manager of our grandfather Krikor’s apartment building. There, we saw the hands-on, less glamorous side of property ownership—rent collection (paid in cash back then), checking heating systems, maintaining hot water tanks, and repairing door locks.

Years later, after graduating from law school, I became legal counsel for a classmate who wasn’t interested in practicing law but wanted help acquiring and managing buildings. I invested in the apartments and took an active role in their operations. After the 1989 San Francisco/Oakland earthquake, I partnered with FEMA to earthquake-proof two downtown Oakland buildings.

David and I began working as a team in 2004, starting with the purchase and renovation of a two-family home on Magnolia Street in Arlington, MA. The street’s proximity to Alewife Red Line Station made it a favorite, and we continue to manage one of the units to this day.

Shortly after, a business school classmate invited me to help develop her hotel company in Bangkok, Thailand. My role included overseeing renovations and new hotel projects, providing valuable international experience.

Returning in 2012, David and I launched Design Synergy Group, LLC. I focus on collaborating with architects and neighbors, designing and renovating units, securing permits, and managing contractors. David, ever pragmatic, keeps a watchful eye on our budget—often to his amusement and occasional frustration. Together, we blend our skills to create thoughtful, well-crafted properties.