From cleaning buildings to leading his own commercial real estate business

I’m excited to share with you the latest episode of our podcast, Commercial Real Estate Leadership.

This one follows the story of Tony Aminian, who used to clean offices and factories after school with his dad.

Now – as the principal of Simple Industrial Commercial – he manages, leases and sells the same types of buildings he used to clean.

And there’s even more to Tony’s background – he arrived in Australia from Armenia as a school-aged boy who didn’t speak English.

Just a couple of decades later, he became the owner of multiple profitable businesses.

Tony’s success is a testament to resilience, a product of determination, and shows the rewards that come from being willing to have a go.

If you’re hesitating to get started, not ready to back yourself or don’t know how to take the action required to hit your goals...

Then you will benefit from listening to Tony’s can-do approach in episode 184 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership.

Episode transcript:

How do you go from not speaking the language in Australia to running your own cleaning business, and then building your own commercial real estate agency?

In today's episode, we're going to show you the exact pathway that one of our clients has taken to make that happen.

Hello, welcome to episode 184 of Commercial Real Estate Leadership. I'm your host Darren Krakowiak.

I'm helping commercial real estate principals who want to work fewer hours, who want to deliver more value to their clients and who wants to grow revenue in their business.

And in today's episode, we're going to be meeting Tony Aminian of Simple IC, Simple Industrial Commercial.

And his story is a familiar one. It's one of watching some of our content and thinking about getting on board as a client and then wishing that they had gotten on board sooner.

So, if that is potentially you in that you've been consuming our content for a while, you've been lurking, looking, maybe even click like on one of the posts on LinkedIn or an Instagram, but you haven't actually picked up the phone or sent us a DM to take that next step, well, now's the time to do it.

Go to our Instagram profile, which is @cresuccess and send me a DM with the word 'Grow', and I will get back to you.

You can also go to our website, cresuccess.co/grow

If you enter your details there, you'll get our free report 'Multiplied Growth'. And that will also tell me that you're interested in having a chat about your business.

Now on the show last week, by the way, we did present the first half of the interview with Will Tong. And we're going to come back to that in our next episode.

I got some feedback by the way, about the episode. Apparently, I said the word dickhead a lot.

And I said the word dickhead more than you should be saying on a commercial real estate podcast.

So, I promise not to say the word dickhead anymore on today's episode.

So, we'll come back with the second half of the interview with Will Tong of Property Lions in our next episode.

But for today, really excited to have this conversation with Tony Aminian. Let's get into it.

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Darren Krakowiak

Tony Aminian, welcome to commercial real estate leadership.

Tony Aminian

Morning, Darren. How are you going?

Darren Krakowiak

Very, very good, Tony. Now, if I had a name like yours, my name would be Darren Sri Lankan Norwegian Polish. Because that's my ethnic heritage. And your ethnic heritage is that you are Armenian.

Tony Aminian

Correct.

Darren Krakowiak

So, is Aminian a common...

Tony Aminian

Spelled differently, though.

Darren Krakowiak

Yes, with an E, not an I. But is Aminian a common surname in Armenia?

Tony Aminian

No, not really. It's not too common. So, I'm spelled I-M-I-N, whereas Armenian is A-R-M-E-N-I-A-N.

Darren Krakowiak

Oh, there's an R as well.

Tony Aminian

Yeah. It's the R after. Yeah. So not too common. Very similar to say Italliano or so someone along those lines. Tom English. Something like that.

Darren Krakowiak

Very good. When I worked in Korea, I had a colleague whose name was Lee Hankook. And Hankook means like Korean person. So yeah, it does exist in many cultures. But, look, I know a little bit about Armenia because one of my best mates in high school was Armenian and he's Armenian. In fact, he's mates with you, I understand, Daniel. But I think it's a country probably that people don't know a lot about. So, I know that your heritage is important to you and what we want to do on this show is get to understand people who we're working with. I want to talk to you about your business and also working with CRE Success as a client. But I just thought I'd ask you a couple of questions about Armenian, if that's okay. First one is, were you born here or born over there?

Tony Aminian

No, I was born overseas.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. How old were you when you came to Australia?

Tony Aminian

Well, probably just pushing seven? So, maybe 30 odd years.

Darren Krakowiak

Could you speak any English when you came to Australia?

Tony Aminian

No.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. So that must've been challenging.

Tony Aminian

Yeah, it was okay. Hasn't improved much.

Darren Krakowiak

Now you've got two young boys and do they speak Armenian?

Tony Aminian

Yeah. At home we just speak Armenian to them, friends, family, all Armenian.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. Because my wife is Korean. So, my wife speaks a lot of Korean to our daughter and she's now old enough to go to Korean school on Saturday mornings. Do your boys go to Armenian school?

Tony Aminian

Yeah. Saturday school, they go, both of them.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. Excellent.

Tony Aminian 

Funny stories, we just at the English school. One of the teachers hit us up last week saying, " the boys vocabulary is not as not as great. We should speak more English at home."

Darren Krakowiak

I'm sure you told her to stick it, right?

Tony Aminian

We just said, "yep, no worries and stick to what we do."

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah, it's excellent. Obviously, I'm sure, you know, for kids to learn two languages. It opens up those neural pathways and all of that. You know, without talking too much about Armenia, there's a couple of things I wanted to know. One was, now you've taken your boys and your partner, your wife to Armenia. How many times since you've had kids?

Tony Aminian

Taking the boys once, but we try to go every two years.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. And what's one thing that you would want our listeners to know about Armenia?

Tony Aminian

It's a very small country. It's a landlocked, but one of the oldest countries as well. So, we're religious, first Christian nation ever, but a very old country. A lot of history behind them.

Darren Krakowiak

First Christian country ever. I did not know that.

Tony Aminian

Yes.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. And the neighborhood is more of a Muslim neighborhood. Is that right?

Tony Aminian

Correct. Landlocked by Muslim countries.

Darren Krakowiak

Interesting. All right. Well, thank you for sharing. Tony, there's a couple of things that I want to talk to you about today. One is about, well, what I've picked up about you, we've been working together now for about, I'd say close to a year and a half. And, I've noticed you've got a real can-do attitude. You're the type of guy who is willing to give things a go. And as I was doing a little bit of research before our interview today, I found out that you actually had a business before Simple IC, which was a cleaning company, or maybe you still have it?

Tony Aminian

Yes. I still got it. I'm a bit of a side hustle.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. So, tell me about that.

Tony Aminian

So, I started that again, probably 10, 15 years ago. When my parents moved to the country, dad was actually working in the factory worker, like a lot of people that come to the country. And then started cleaning at nights just so we can get ahead. After, you know, doing that he's went out on his own, started his own business and, kind of got it from him. So, after school, I'd go catch a train to the factories and go clean some offices with him. And yeah, so I kind of got into it from my parents.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. So that might be where you've got the entrepreneurial gene from, because you know, not everyone who gets into commercial real estate ends up opening their own business. And that business is still going, you said. So, are your parents still in the game?

Tony Aminian

My parents they're retired now. But we've still got the business. So, we still run that. We've downsized a little bit just to make it a bit more controllable, but it's still operating and just a bit of extra cash, especially in today's times.

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah, I love that. And so commercial cleaning outside of business hours was the business model.

Tony Aminian

Correct. Offices, warehouses, everything.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. Interesting. All right. So, tell me about commercial real estate. So, you started this business, but then somehow you also got into commercial real estate. So how did that happen?

Tony Aminian

So I was doing the cleaning and then, well, just after school. And then when finished school, went to unit, started accounting, figured after six months I couldn't sit in…sit behind a desk for eight hours a day. Had some close mates doing commercial real estate and so I said, I'd give it a go. Went and got my Agents rep. Couldn't find a job in commercial back then quite easily. Got into resi for about three months, which my plan was always to jump into commercial. So, I started resi for three months, still got an opening and been doing that ever since now. So, yeah.

Darren Krakowiak

So, what do you think makes you well suited to commercial real estate?

Tony Aminian

Probably less emotion involved, a bit more straightforward. I'm pretty direct in the way we go about things. So, less emotion. Decisions are made fairly quickly if the numbers stack up correct and whatnot. So yeah, plus no weekends.

Darren Krakowiak

No weekends. Very good. so, you know, starting your own agency is obviously a huge move. What was the impetus to do that?

Tony Aminian

I've worked, I was doing it for a while. Worked at a couple of different agencies. And just picked up some things which were going well, which some guys were doing good. And some guys weren't doing great and some of the other stuff about it. I said, "Well, we'll give it a crack." We're pretty straightforward. Had a good client base, which we're working with. How to chat with a couple of the clients that I deal with. And yeah, they had given me their baking. How'd it goes? I guess.

Darren Krakowiak

So that was 2015?

Tony Aminian

2016.

Darren Krakowiak

Okay. And, how did you come up with the name Simple IC, Simple Industrial Commercial?

Tony Aminian

Well, just want to keep things plain and simple. You don't want to complicate things. Obviously, things can get a little bit difficult and complicated. We just straightforward, pretty direct. Like I said, just get the job done, move on to the next one. Everything is plain and simple.

Darren Krakowiak

I really love them. When I first heard it, I didn't quite get it. And then when you explained it to me, I got it. And then I remember one time you were dealing with a client who was being a little bit difficult and you actually referenced the name to explain to the client about why this is the way that you do things, which is that we just want to keep things simple and straightforward. So yeah, I think it's actually like a bit of brilliant marketing and it's a really good name. You're focused on the Southeast suburbs of Melbourne, up and down as we've discussed.

Tony Aminian

Correct.

Darren Krakowiak

Yep. So, what types of clients do you like to work with?

Tony Aminian

So, we try to aim, we try to target some, you know, multi property landlords, high net worth individuals. A lot of clients have, you know, in excess of 10, 11 commercial properties, which we deal with and they, again, from up and down the East Link into the South East from Dandenong to Pakenham way up to Bayswater. So, we chose to try to target individuals and work with them.

Darren Krakowiak

And you moved your office last year from Narre Warren to Mulgrave, right?

Tony Aminian

Correct. So made that decision to move into Mulgrave, which more central, more accessible to clients to come and see us. So, bigger office space. We're now sitting on the border of the Monash freeway and Eastlink interchange. So, we can shoot down to the east or to the south within 15 minutes of each one.

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah. And where would you like to take the business? Like what's next for Simple IC?

Tony Aminian

I'd love to keep growing it. We've got a good team on board now. There's six of us. So, I'd love to keep growing it, add more staff and just slowly build and keep going from there, definitely.

Darren Krakowiak

One of the things that you said to me when I invited you to come on the podcast was that you're happy to do things that, to step out of your comfort zone, right? And this is not something that you would usually do. So thank you for coming on. And what I'd like to ask you about that is why is being willing to step out of your comfort zone, something that's important as a business owner.

Tony Aminian

I just think if you don't do something you'll never know. You could always, you know, the next day, next week, next year you regret it. And I should have done this or I should have done that. What would happen if I made that phone call? What would happen if I did that podcast or, or whatever it is. So, I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm not going to lie about that. But you got to just face your fears, I guess. Is what the worst can happen is. No, I don't know. What can happen?

Darren Krakowiak

Not too much. Don't worry. And yeah, with your can-do attitude and you're willing to step out of your comfort zone, one thing, which I'm not going to ask you about now was I want to save it for our clients and we're going to do share this with our other clients is just the way that you've grown your property management role organically. And it all comes from the principle of being willing to have a go. So, if you want to know more about that, you're going to need to become a client of CRE Success, because I'm going to get Tony to spill the beans to all our other clients very, very soon in a group call. Speaking of CRE Success I want to go back to before you started working with me you know, around the first or second quarter of 2023. What was going on in the business before we started working together?

Tony Aminian

So, before we started, we're having a bit of a block every business of different staff issues coming and going and, you know, not trying to not be able to find right staff. So that was a bit of a hurdle we're going through. We weren't focused on the sales side of it much, trying to grow the management role. So, it was just a bit of a balancing act between trying to find the right staff, trying to grow a sales team, trying to grow the rent roll. So, we were just a little bit of getting pulled from filling a post, I guess.

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah. Okay. And you and I actually have met before probably 2021, 2022. I don't exactly remember when. But we had a conversation and then we didn't decide to move forward for whatever reason. So, I guess I'm curious to know, there might have been some hesitations then, or perhaps there were even some hesitations before you decided to hit the button in 2023. So what were those hesitations and what ultimately led to you deciding to give this a go?

Tony Aminian

Yeah, so we actually had a brief chat over at 21, whenever it was. And we did some homework, we had a chat about it. I just, at the time I guess I wasn't ready. I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not. We're still up in the air, so I just, I kind of just let that sit in the back there for a bit, continue to watch your podcast and your interviews. And then something in the middle of the 2023, one of my sales guys started to go into your program, your sales program for agents. So, I kind of pushed him into that. And then I said, well, I'm pushing them to do all that. What I'm not doing, that's not a good example. And he just worked out and I think I made the phone call and said, "Darren, I'm ready to pull the trigger."

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah. Well, I'm glad that you did obviously. So, thank you. What's been a surprise? What's been a good surprise? Something that perhaps you weren't expecting from the work that we do together.

Tony Aminian

Just the accessibility. Like if we're having a bit of a rough patch for whatever reason, whether it's a sales or staff or whatever it is, do just a phone call away and say, "Darren, just need, you know, a set of advise or just a different opinion or someone to hold me accountable." And you're always there just like, "I'll give you a quick call." You can be straight on this feedback, direct feedback, which is the way I love to operate. And we'll just move on and get it done and move on, which has been fantastic for me being just the one owner. I don't have any business partners, so I don't really have someone else I can throw ideas off or discuss issues that don't relay to staff. So having you there as a third party and as a business partner, effectively, definitely helps.

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah. Why is that accessibility and that, I guess, responsiveness important to you?

Tony Aminian

Sometimes you just need to make decisions and just have, like I said, if you're there, it just gives you a second opinion and I might be thinking with blinkers on, whereas something might've upset me or frustrated me, but then if I just explain it to you and you say, "Mate, just think about it, whatever it is." It gives you a different opinion of it and through a different set of eyes, which, you know, hang on a second, you know what, you're right, I might have jumped the gun on this or that or whatever it is.

Darren Krakowiak

Got it. What's been a result from the work that we've done together that's been a benefit for your business?

Tony Aminian

I would say more behind the scenes in regards to setting up some processes in regards to staff one on ones. You know, having that conversation, the weekly catch up with the staff has been a big help. That's definitely been something which I've been pushing and I guess you can also add to that is trying to grow the sales department, where we were predominantly a management kind of company. But you know, we'll just work off the rent more, but now we've got the right sales guys in there and trying to grow that and setting them up as well to succeed.

Darren Krakowiak

Excellent. Question without notice, if I was to ask you for one word to describe the process of working together, what would that word be?

Tony Aminian

Oh, fantastic.

Darren Krakowiak

I love that. Tony, you're too generous.

Tony Aminian

Fantastic. It's no, without a word of a lie, like I said, mate, you've always been there. I've had other business coaches, who had real estate coaches, who were residential and they try to sell you to dream, not to sell you to dream, but everything related to residential real estate, which is the same, but not the same as you're aware. So, I don't have their opinions based on domestic and whatnot, which you can implement in some of it you can’t, but having someone that knows the commercial side of it and actually being in the industry and run a team of guys and then understands how to run the office is definitely been a fantastic help for me.

Darren Krakowiak: Yeah. Okay. I'd love to just explore that for a second. So, what's the difference between working with me and working with other sales coaches? Not so much from a residential commercial perspective, but in terms like, is the process generally the same? Or, is there any sort of difference in terms of the approach or the feeling?

Tony Aminian

I guess the different, only the major difference, which really sticks out is that when we give you an issue we're dealing with, because you've done the job, you understand exactly what it is. So, if it's a, you know, a landlord or a staff issue, you've experienced that, so you know exactly what I'm talking about without me having to sit down in detail and explain from day one what the issue is and go through the process where you know exactly, "okay, it's a staff issue, it's related to commercial rec role" or whatever it is. You can just know; it just makes life so much easier. Rather than trying to explain to someone who might be a great business coach, but never had the commercial side or the commercial real estate aspect of it.

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah. Okay. Got it. So, it's the context, I guess.

Tony Aminian

It's the context, is the word I'm looking for.

Darren Krakowiak

Yeah. Awesome. So, you know, obviously it took you a while to get started, but it's going well now and you know, it's really great working with you. So, what would your advice be for other commercial real estate principles like yourself who might be thinking about doing this kind of work?

Tony Aminian

Oh, if you're thinking about it, definitely don't delay it anymore. I delayed it for a year. And I guess, like I said, my regret is waiting a year. We could have been forward, but just got to pull the trigger. It's definitely something that I'll recommend for anyone who runs a business to get in touch with you. Just having that outside perspective and accountability, especially if you're a single owner with no business partners, you do need that second person to kind of run ideas off or to get, you know, an outside view on it. Which is direct. Yeah, there's no fluff about it. Just what you need to hear. Sometimes it's not what you want to hear, but you need someone to do that for you. And that's what's definitely been you guys have been doing.

Darren Krakowiak 

Fantastic. Tony, I really appreciate you stepping out of your comfort zone and coming on to my class today. Wishing you the best for this new financial year 2024 - 2025. I can't wait to see where you take Simple IC. And I want to say thanks for coming on Commercial Real Estate Leadership.

Tony Aminian 

I appreciate it, Darren. Thank you very much.