On the job: Ben Hakakian, Associate Director of Underwriting
Kendra Lehner
Posted on April 22, 2021
Updated on April 19, 2021
Discover what a day in the life is like for Ben Hakakian, Associate Director of Underwriting, based out of our New York City office. Keep reading to learn more about his experience, and head to www.common.com/careers to learn more about our company, our values, and how you can join our team.
Hi Ben! What’s your favorite part about being a part of the Underwriting team?
Definitely my team members. It’s rare to find a culture filled with such intelligent individuals that are all working towards the same goals. The people at Common are energized, motivated, and always willing to learn and improve. Working at Common has given me the opportunity to grow my knowledge and experience in the multifamily real estate field. One of the best parts about my job is how much I learn each day— I get to work on real estate deals from across the country and the world!
What does your day-to-day look like working for Common?
As an Associate Director on the underwriting team, my daily tasks involve working on multifamily asset-level financials for our real estate partners. Our team works closely with our real estate accounts team, the point of contact for our partners, to provide an accurate 5 year operating budget for each building. Once the underwriting is completed, the other associate directors and I approve it before sending it to our partners. I also spend time with our operations and finance team to ensure that we’re all aligned on the business strategy for each deal and providing the best service to our members and real estate colleagues.
How has your role changed since you started at Common?
One of the most appealing parts of working at an innovative company, like Common, is how your role can evolve along the way. The one thing that stuck out to me when I joined in Q4 of 2018 was how welcoming the whole team was, and during my first 2 years working for Common, I was able to go from working with real estate partners and pitching deals, to digging deep into our financials and working on budgeting for new homes.
Are you looking for the next move in your career? We’re looking for personable people to join our Sales, Member Experience, Property Services, and other teams across the country. Head to our Careers page to learn more and apply!
