Real Estate Development: Land to Legacy

Maximizing Value in Real Estate Development with Matin Haghkar 

How do you spot a winning deal that others overlook? For Matin Haghkar, it’s about knowing your numbers, trusting your team, and recognizing hidden potential—like the property he found sitting unsold for a year on the MLS, which he transformed into a lucrative mixed-use success. In this episode, Matin shares how he built a diversified real estate enterprise from scratch, including a brokerage, construction company, property management arm, and more. He also offers a candid look at the lessons learned from unexpected structural challenges, managing costs amid tariffs and market shifts, and the importance of holding long-term for generational wealth. Whether you're an experienced developer or just entering the industry, Matin’s philosophy of calculated growth and relentless team building is one you’ll want to absorb. 

Guest Bio 

With over 30 years of combined team experience, Matin Haghkar leads RE/MAX Plus, a full-service brokerage operating across Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties, as well as South Jersey. Matin brings more than two decades of personal experience in the industry, beginning his career at just 18 years old. Under his leadership, RE/MAX Plus has grown to over 50 agents and expanded into property management (with over 1,000 units managed), mortgage services, development, and construction. Matin is known for his client-first approach and commitment to full-service excellence across the real estate lifecycle. 

Episode Highlights and Chapters 

00:01 Matin’s background and the evolution of his real estate business 
02:00 How Matin divides his time across brokerage, management, and development 
03:30 Building a trusted team and why it’s essential for scaling 
05:00 The mindset shift from short-term commissions to long-term client relationships 
07:00 Creating alignment between employee security and client quality 
08:30 What defines a “good deal” in today’s challenging market conditions 
10:00 Design development costs and the true investment in getting shovel-ready 
12:00 Why Matin bakes 15–25% profit into every project—and how site development surprises can wipe it out 
14:30 A favorite recent deal: turning a neglected commercial lot into a valuable asset 
16:00 The unexpected costs of building on top of an existing structure 
21:00 Lessons from design missteps and dealing with structural surprises 
24:00 When and why Matin started his own construction company 
26:30 The risk of taking on too many ventures at once in real estate 
28:00 Navigating tariffs and why Matin stockpiled appliances early 
30:00 Planning development in uncertain economic conditions 
32:00 How local market dynamics influence national trends 
34:00 Matin’s view on tariffs, recession, and long-term positioning 
37:00 The importance of persistence and realism in real estate success 

Contact Information 

To learn more about Matin Haghkar and his team, visit their real estate brokerage at https://plusrealtors.com. For property management services, go to https://plusmanagers.com, and for mortgage solutions, check out https://wisemortgage.com. You can also find Matin and his businesses on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).  

To explore more podcast episodes, visit Eugene Gershman’s official site at https://giscompanies.co/podcast.