Peter Pasternack had a background in accounting and banking before he pursued real estate investing on the advice of his best friend in the mid 2000s. Only eight months into his real estate career, he found himself on A&E’s “Flip This House.” While he only had four house flips under his belt at the time, it was Pasternack’s other professional experience that drew producers to him.
“What they liked is that I was a [certified public accountant] that worked at Price Waterhouse and had been president of a bank subsidiary,” he told Georgia Voice. “So, for them, it gave credibility [to the show].”
Pasternack was a featured character on the show from 2005 to 2009, and the visibility from the show brought him success that he still enjoys almost 15 years later.
“I did not want to be on TV to be on TV. I wanted to be on TV to really get more visibility to my brand. So, I’m always amazed — it has been almost 15 years since we stopped shooting and … people still remember me. When I was flipping homes, one of the things that was great is when we were filming there were so many people looking at the progress of the house[s I was flipping], so I didn’t have to worry about who was going to come see my house. People had eyes on them, so my houses sold very quickly. So, it was good from a business standpoint.”
The year following his stint on “Flip This House,” Pasternack was looking to expand his real estate career and network with others in the industry, but had a hard time finding the perfect group. So, he started it himself.
“[I] love networking,” he said. “I love connecting with people. In 2010, after networking and really getting a little frustrated that all the groups or places I went to were very generic — nothing wrong with that, but I wanted an event that revolved around real estate [specifically]. The nice thing about being an entrepreneur is that if you don’t see it, you create it.”
This year, Real Estate Connections, Pasternack’s real estate networking event, is celebrating its 13th anniversary. The event, which has almost 3,000 members and attracts over 300 people every month, meets twice: once on the first Tuesday of the month at PONKO Chicken in Midtown, then again on the third Tuesday of the month at Mercantile Social in Alpharetta. There is also an accompanying Facebook group to further foster community. Over 20,000 people are a part of the group.
Real Estate Connections brings together everyone related to real estate, from closing attorneys and lenders to inspectors and appraisal specialists.
“If you’re looking to make contacts in the real estate [industry], you’ll never get in one [other] place that many people who touch property, whether it’s residential or commercial,” Pasternack said.
For people looking to get their start in the real estate world or make deeper connections in a fun, carefree environment, Real Estate Connections is a great place to start. For people just starting out in the realm of real estate investing, Pasternack suggests first finding yourself a mentor.
“Even if you find a mentor that isn’t going to charge you, like I imagine a lot of people would, you need to give [them] something of value … It cannot be one-sided,” he said. “When you have a mentor, it’s like going to school and getting educated so you don’t make the mistakes that can cost a lot of money.”
Pasternack is all about helping people; his personal mission is to go out every day and “positively affect as many people as possible.” You can contact Pasternack by phone at 404-275-8087 or by email at peter@realestateconnectionsgroup.com whether you’re “looking for real estate or want another form of income … I’m an entrepreneur and I love talking about business with anybody who wants to do that.”
Real Estate Connections will meet next month on July 11 (pushed back because of the 4th of July weekend) at PONKO Chicken and July 18 at Mercantile Social, both at 6 p.m. Admission is $20 in advance at recnatl.com, $25 at the door, and free for realtors with a business card. For more information, visit meetup.com/real-estate-connections or facebook.com/groups/RealEstateConnectionsATL.