Preview
FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018
FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018
7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018
511eNetsgorksimes
THE 30-MINUTE INTERVIEW
Christopher A. Meyers
By Vivian Marino
Sept. 30, 2014
Mr. Meyers, 46, is the managing principal of Houlihan Lawrence, a family-owned residential real
estate brokerage firm that focuses on the northern suburbs of Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam
Counties in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut.
The company, based in Rye Brook, N.Y., is owned by Mr. Meyers, along with his brother Stephen
Meyers, the chief executive, and his sister, Nancy Seaman, the chairwoman. Mr. Meyers joined
the company in 2003.
Interview conducted and condensed by
VIVIAN MARINO
Q. How does your role in the firm differ from that of the C.E.O. .an.d
and .chairman'?
chairman?
A. In my role as managing principal, I oversee the day-to-day operations of our 26 offices and
1,200 agents and I also spearhead the growing role that technology is playing in our business.
Nancy is kind of the architect of the brand, and Stephen is responsible for the growth strategy.
Q.You perform many of the duties of a C.E.O.
A. Yes, but you know, in a family business those lines tend to get somewhat blurred.
Q. What's itlike working so closely with your brother and sister?
A. Generally, it's a very positive thing. There's complete trust and intimate knowledge of one
another. Certainly no one can quite get under your skin like your siblings can, but we keep that to
a minimum.
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FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018
7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018
I came into the business a little by accident, at least from my standpoint. I had been living in
Boston for 10 years and I worked in consulting with McKinsey, and I was in private equity when
Nancy and Stephen asked me to come do a consulting project for them. The business had grown
very rapidly, and they wanted to make sure that they had systems to support the size of the
business.
I did not realize that they were actually recruiting me. So when I presented them with my
recommendations, they invited me to join them as a partner and to come and implement some of
my ideas.
Q. Have you all ever thought about changing the company name to your family name?
A. No. For one thing, it'sa name that has a legacy, and it's also kind of nice to keep a little bit of
the anonymity that comes from not having your name on the door.
Q. Do you have a broker's license?
A. When I first came into the business, my role was focused in the back office, in finance and
technology. But I did get a broker's license, and I pretty quickly got my hands dirty in the sales
offices.
Q.Have you brokered any deals?
A. I have.
My first deal was 11 years ago. It was a transaction, about $1.5 million, in Bronxville, which is the
ancestral home of Houlihan Lawrence. I worked with a couple moving up from New York City
looking for their first home in the burbs. It ended up taking about six months before we got them
in.
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FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018
7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018
1
EarlWilson/The New York Times
Q. Houlihan Lawrence focuses on the northern suburbs of Westchester, Dutchess, Putnam and
Fairfield Counties. Are there any plans to move into New York City ?
A. We do a little dabbling in the Bronx, in Riverdale. But we really see ourselves as being
specialized for the suburban markets north of New York City.
Q. How is business so far this year?
We'
A. re on track to exceed $5 billion in home sales this year, which will be a new milestone. We
opened our Greenwich office almost exactly a year ago, which is our first office in Connecticut,
we'
and we'll do close to $600 million in sales there in our first year. We closed a deal for about $16
million. It was a roughly 18,000-square-foot home in the northern part of Greenwich with stone
colonial architecture.
Last year we were just under $4.7 billion. We target about 10 to 15 percent growth per year.
Q. Do you expand by opening up new offices or acquiring existing ones?
We'
A. We've done all of the above over the years, although we have not acquired a company in over
10 years.
Q. Do you think the prevailing seller's market will continue through next year?
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FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018
7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018
A. The market seems to be a little bit at an inflection point. We really saw a rapid recovery
coming out of the downturn, and that really ran from 2011 to 2013. It feels like the momentum
that's that - the demand, the of the of the buyer - has kind
feeding pent-up recovery psychology
We'
of run its course. re looking for the next catalyst that's going to kick the market to the next
gear.
Q. What are suburban buyers looking for?
A. in-town - want to live closer to the village near train lines
They really enjoy living they center,
and near access to the city. And want new - new construction or renovated homes
they really
that are like new. The old adage of real estate used to be to buy the worst home in the best
neighborhood and fix it up. People don't seem to want to do that. Part of that reality is it's not very
easy to finance that kind of renovation work today.
Q. Is credit still difficult to come by?
A. It's been loosening gradually over the last three to four years.
We actually opened up our own mortgage bank at the beginning of this year, and one of the
reasons we did that was, we wanted to be able to control all aspects of the process for our buyer
clients. We're on track this year to lend out about $150 million. We use our own capital, and we
have warehouse lines of credit with some banks.
Q. I understand the company is involved in a major rebranding campaign.
A. The process of the rebranding started in 2013 when we began preparations to commemorate
the 125th anniversary of Houlihan Lawrence. To have a 125-year history can be a little bit of a
double-edged sword, because everybody knows the brand but sometimes people's perceptions of
the brand can become fixed. A lot of the rebranding was designed to help retell our story to the
We'
market. We've modernized the look and feel of the logo and the image. We launched a new
We'
website and a new mobile app. We've brought so much technology into the marketplace. It's not
parents'
your Houlihan Lawrence.
Q.Where do you and your family live?
A. I live in Old Greenwich with my wife, who's a doctor, and three children, who are 12, 10 and 6.
6-year-old has figured out that what does - save
patients'
patients lives - is
My already mommy helping
probably a little bit more serious than what daddy does, which is go out and look at pretty houses.
A version
of this article
appears on Oct.
in print 1, 2014,on Page B10 of the New York edition
withthe headline: A. Meyers
Christopher
https://www.nytimes.corn/2014/10/01/realestate/commercial/christopher-a-meyers.
html? r=08 mtrref=www.houlihanlawrence.com8gwh=6DF61704122... 4/4
Preview
FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018 FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018 7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018 511eNetsgorksimes THE 30-MINUTE INTERVIEW Christopher A. Meyers By Vivian Marino Sept. 30, 2014 Mr. Meyers, 46, is the managing principal of Houlihan Lawrence, a family-owned residential real estate brokerage firm that focuses on the northern suburbs of Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam Counties in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut. The company, based in Rye Brook, N.Y., is owned by Mr. Meyers, along with his brother Stephen Meyers, the chief executive, and his sister, Nancy Seaman, the chairwoman. Mr. Meyers joined the company in 2003. Interview conducted and condensed by VIVIAN MARINO Q. How does your role in the firm differ from that of the C.E.O. .an.d and .chairman'? chairman? A. In my role as managing principal, I oversee the day-to-day operations of our 26 offices and 1,200 agents and I also spearhead the growing role that technology is playing in our business. Nancy is kind of the architect of the brand, and Stephen is responsible for the growth strategy. Q.You perform many of the duties of a C.E.O. A. Yes, but you know, in a family business those lines tend to get somewhat blurred. Q. What's itlike working so closely with your brother and sister? A. Generally, it's a very positive thing. There's complete trust and intimate knowledge of one another. Certainly no one can quite get under your skin like your siblings can, but we keep that to a minimum. You have 3 free articles remaining. Subscribe to The Times https://www.nytimes.corn/2014/10/01/realestate/commercial/christopher-a-meyers. html? r=08 mtrref=www.houlihanlawrence.com8gwh=6DF61704122... 1/4 FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018 7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018 I came into the business a little by accident, at least from my standpoint. I had been living in Boston for 10 years and I worked in consulting with McKinsey, and I was in private equity when Nancy and Stephen asked me to come do a consulting project for them. The business had grown very rapidly, and they wanted to make sure that they had systems to support the size of the business. I did not realize that they were actually recruiting me. So when I presented them with my recommendations, they invited me to join them as a partner and to come and implement some of my ideas. Q. Have you all ever thought about changing the company name to your family name? A. No. For one thing, it'sa name that has a legacy, and it's also kind of nice to keep a little bit of the anonymity that comes from not having your name on the door. Q. Do you have a broker's license? A. When I first came into the business, my role was focused in the back office, in finance and technology. But I did get a broker's license, and I pretty quickly got my hands dirty in the sales offices. Q.Have you brokered any deals? A. I have. My first deal was 11 years ago. It was a transaction, about $1.5 million, in Bronxville, which is the ancestral home of Houlihan Lawrence. I worked with a couple moving up from New York City looking for their first home in the burbs. It ended up taking about six months before we got them in. https://www.nytimes.corn/2014/10/01/realestate/commercial/christopher-a-meyers. html? r=0&mtrref=www.houlihanlawrence.com&gwh=6DF61704122... 2/4 FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018 7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018 1 EarlWilson/The New York Times Q. Houlihan Lawrence focuses on the northern suburbs of Westchester, Dutchess, Putnam and Fairfield Counties. Are there any plans to move into New York City ? A. We do a little dabbling in the Bronx, in Riverdale. But we really see ourselves as being specialized for the suburban markets north of New York City. Q. How is business so far this year? We' A. re on track to exceed $5 billion in home sales this year, which will be a new milestone. We opened our Greenwich office almost exactly a year ago, which is our first office in Connecticut, we' and we'll do close to $600 million in sales there in our first year. We closed a deal for about $16 million. It was a roughly 18,000-square-foot home in the northern part of Greenwich with stone colonial architecture. Last year we were just under $4.7 billion. We target about 10 to 15 percent growth per year. Q. Do you expand by opening up new offices or acquiring existing ones? We' A. We've done all of the above over the years, although we have not acquired a company in over 10 years. Q. Do you think the prevailing seller's market will continue through next year? https://www.nytimes.corn/2014/10/01/realestate/commercial/christopher-a-meyers. html? r=08 mtrref=www.houlihanlawrence.com8gwh=6D F61704122... 3/4 FILED: WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLERK 07/14/2018 08:37 PM INDEX NO. 60767/2018 7/3/2018 ChristopherA. Meyers -The New York Times NYSCEF DOC. NO. 15 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/14/2018 A. The market seems to be a little bit at an inflection point. We really saw a rapid recovery coming out of the downturn, and that really ran from 2011 to 2013. It feels like the momentum that's that - the demand, the of the of the buyer - has kind feeding pent-up recovery psychology We' of run its course. re looking for the next catalyst that's going to kick the market to the next gear. Q. What are suburban buyers looking for? A. in-town - want to live closer to the village near train lines They really enjoy living they center, and near access to the city. And want new - new construction or renovated homes they really that are like new. The old adage of real estate used to be to buy the worst home in the best neighborhood and fix it up. People don't seem to want to do that. Part of that reality is it's not very easy to finance that kind of renovation work today. Q. Is credit still difficult to come by? A. It's been loosening gradually over the last three to four years. We actually opened up our own mortgage bank at the beginning of this year, and one of the reasons we did that was, we wanted to be able to control all aspects of the process for our buyer clients. We're on track this year to lend out about $150 million. We use our own capital, and we have warehouse lines of credit with some banks. Q. I understand the company is involved in a major rebranding campaign. A. The process of the rebranding started in 2013 when we began preparations to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Houlihan Lawrence. To have a 125-year history can be a little bit of a double-edged sword, because everybody knows the brand but sometimes people's perceptions of the brand can become fixed. A lot of the rebranding was designed to help retell our story to the We' market. We've modernized the look and feel of the logo and the image. We launched a new We' website and a new mobile app. We've brought so much technology into the marketplace. It's not parents' your Houlihan Lawrence. Q.Where do you and your family live? A. I live in Old Greenwich with my wife, who's a doctor, and three children, who are 12, 10 and 6. 6-year-old has figured out that what does - save patients' patients lives - is My already mommy helping probably a little bit more serious than what daddy does, which is go out and look at pretty houses. A version of this article appears on Oct. in print 1, 2014,on Page B10 of the New York edition withthe headline: A. Meyers Christopher https://www.nytimes.corn/2014/10/01/realestate/commercial/christopher-a-meyers. html? r=08 mtrref=www.houlihanlawrence.com8gwh=6DF61704122... 4/4