At Berkadia, we redefine commercial real estate by offering long-term investments through our mortgage bankers and investment sales advisors. Our producers are industry experts with diverse backgrounds and exceptional market knowledge. When you choose Berkadia, you’re choosing a long-term relationship that goes further than the transaction; you are being backed by the best.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Managing Director Chris Bruzas, an investment sales advisor in Indianapolis covering the Indianapolis and Kentucky markets. Chris is responsible for over $2 billion in apartment sales and more than 20,000 units closed.
Chris is an Indianapolis native, growing up on the West side of Indianapolis and attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Post graduation, he moved to Chicago where he worked for a tech/logistics startup. After a few short years, he transitioned to real estate, working for Marcus & Millichap, where he learned the building blocks to real estate, cold calling, and sales. Shortly after, his team moved to Berkadia. After moving back to Indianapolis, Chris opened Berkadia Indianapolis and assisted in the hiring of ten employees on the debt and sales side.
Berkadia proved to be the perfect fit for Chris’s business model because of the excellent leadership, private ownership, and the debt involvement in multifamily properties across the US. The investment sales side of the industry fits his personality the best; he is much better suited for a zero floor, zero ceiling type of role. In this type of role, the harder you work, the bigger the reward, which Chris finds most motivating.
Chris believes it is the culture and growth that sets Berkadia apart from competitors in the industry. From the ownership and management committee, down to the entry-level positions, there is a culture of good people that work hard. It’s difficult to find that in competitors in this day and age since most competitors are publicly traded and only focus on the bottom line—making money, closing a transaction, and worrying about quarterly earnings reports. This is a testament to the integrity that Berkadia holds firmly to employees and its clients. Since joining Berkadia, the company has continued to surprise him. His colleagues continue to have deep relationships with some of the largest owners in the country, working exclusively with Berkadia on the debt or sales side. Having these relationships keeps Berkadia ahead of its competitors with unmatched information and assistance.
Chris wears the Berkadia name with pride, constantly spreading the word about the brand and the growth story of the company. Not only does he like to tell the story of Berkadia, but he also likes to tell his clients what sets him apart from others in the industry.
“I’m a younger broker that is hungry to deliver long-term solutions to my clients,” said Bruzas. “Our primary commitment to our clients is to deliver valuable guidance, prioritizing their interests over short-term fees. We take pride in our high list-to-close ratios. As of December 2023, we have had an 86 percent list-to-close ratio over the past 24 months, despite the very volatile market conditions, differentiating us from the competition. I’m very proud of how we’ve been able to help our clients navigate the current environment.”
Being previously a part of a larger team, he quickly learned that during a transaction, sellers typically don’t want to talk to someone that is less client facing that may not have the hands-on experience the situation requires, they want to talk to the person that pitched them the deal and that they hired. He believes that his tight knit team boosts efficiency and allows each member to become well versed in the deal specifics, leading to the much higher list-to-close ratio. He and his team are fully involved from the day they start the BOV all the way to pestering the title company the day of closing.
In this volatile market, Chris ensures that his clients receive the personal attention and expertise they deserve. Berkadia, being a privately held company with excellent leadership and all-around good people, encourages him to proudly represent himself alongside the brand he stands for in this ever-changing industry.