Our very own Paul Grisanti has been named in Louisville Business First‘s annual list of 20 People to Know in Real Estate. Louisville real estate community has many incredible professionals that keep our market activity humming. Paul is honored to be counted among them. Paul’s experience sitting on Louisville Metro’s Board of Zoning Adjustment gives him a unique perspective within the commercial brokerage community. Because of this experience, Paul is able to provide insight and guidance to our clients as they are navigating the tricky waters of Louisville’s zoning regulations.

Here’s Paul’s Business First questionnaire in full:

What regulations, requirements or red tape are most daunting about your work? As a broker, we must always be aware of legal issues and regulations of our practice. But, more importantly, we must also be aware of the legal issues and regulations which our clients face. The most daunting issue for developers is environmental regulations. Although governmental regulation is intended to be good for all, the effort required by some rules and regulations can be difficult to achieve.

What are some up-and-coming areas to look out for in Louisville real estate?Obviously, with the new bridges — and especially the East End bridge — the Crestwood area is poised to grow. This area is easily reachable from the East End bridge when coming from Indiana into Kentucky. Since no exit will be allowed at U.S. 42 when coming into Kentucky, taking Interstate 71 north and getting off at Crestwood will be convenient.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to build a real estate portfolio? Be choosy about selecting a very good location for now, and for the future. If you cannot purchase a property on your own, join with a good group who has similar goals.

Describe an experience with a client that was very gratifying to you. I assisted the owner in redeveloping a great property, from interviewing architects and contractors, to filling the mostly-vacant property with tenants. It is now 100 percent full and that is a good feeling.

What do you wish more people understood about the way your business operates? There are many aspects to this industry, and that is why it is so satisfying to me. I’m not certain that this question can be answered in one dimension. But, I will say that what is most misunderstood about this business are the technical issues — including legal issues — which some people do not appreciate or understand. Issues such as easements (rights granted to third parties), property title issues (is the obvious owner really the owner?), and the process of working thru the details of a contingent contract (sometimes there are lots of moving parts), are the most common areas of confusion.

Why did you get into the real estate business? I was in the restaurant business for more than 30 years and was able to communicate with customers of varied industries. Real estate always piqued my curiosity since it entailed so many different skills, such as communication, finance, negotiation and legal. And, it seemed to provide a good income, which it does.