Interview with Ben Handler, CEO of BAI

Listen to the video interview here on the BAI website, or on youtube here.
Ben has not only personally coached but also interviewed many property thought leaders that hold multi-million dollar property portfolios and digs into what makes them successful.

In this interview, we discussed my various careers and how I am now able to successfully 'connect the dots'. In my last corporate role as a Portfolio Manager in the Funds Management Industry, I have helped many corporations devise strategies to preserve and accumulate wealth every year. The success of my own property portfolio, however, allowed me to quit my corporate job and work on my passion for helping busy professionals saving $$$ in purchasing their home and safely achieving Financial Freedom.

* Please note that we are headquartered in Sydney, and buy Australia wide.

Why Choose Impact Over Income?

Podcast Transcript

Ben Handler:
Our guest today is Vaibhav Rastogi his nickname is Rasti. He’s a very rare individual, his roots take him back where he was born to India. And he had a very strong passion for property, which led him into architecture. And then due to family circumstances to better support his family, he then moved into IT. And then during his time and tenure in IT, he then moved to Singapore and did his masters in computer science.

And then after that, he wanted to challenge himself further and had a desire, a pursuit to get into the investment banking world, to work for one of the big banks. And then during that, he then went and did his MBA and then went and did his CFA, and then landed a job in one of the big banks and was responsible for managing over $2 billion worth of funds. And he was specializing in the research department. And during all this time, within seven years, he built his own investment portfolio up to a value of circa $5 billion, a positively geared portfolio with a very healthy debt to equity ratio.

Rasti’s had a very strong passion for property, which has led him now to leave the banking sector after building such a successful portfolio and start his new buyer’s agent business called Get RARE Properties. It’s a very bespoke independent buyer’s agent business based in Sydney. And what Rasti is doing with this particular business is he’s bringing his analytical skills, his research skills to the table to really analyze data and information, to make very sophisticated decisions for his clients. I’m super excited to introduce Rasti.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Thank you so much, Ben really appreciate that. Yes, I’ve done it all and I love it. I love it. And to me it’s all about purpose. We talk about property investing as just about properties, to me, it’s much more than that. It’s about fulfilling your dreams. I’ve actually taken more of a consultation approach, understanding what people are after, like what are their desires, what are their wants? And then having an understanding of where they want to be and where they are today. And then bridging the gap through the investing in properties is just one way, which are filled. The whole scenario, whole working around coming from as you had mentioned, I’m coming from a very humble background from India, where I’ve realized that it’s all about education, understanding of how people are doing it and then just emulating them.

It’s a very easy formula, which I’ve actually done quite a few times now moving to IT industry, learning from the best, then moving into the financial sector again, going to do my MBA like went to AGSM, and even to USA, one of the best schools over there Booth Business School. And now coming to you, Ben in all honesty, like you are one of the best or rather you are the best actually I should say. And to me it’s more about learning from the best in the breed. And thank you so much for all the support and the coaching.

Ben Handler:
You’ve got a very impressive background by the way. Your resume, I mean. I’m inspired by what… But anytime I see someone who’s put in the effort and who’s learned something, whatever it is, I’m always inspired. And I admire that. And when you sent me your bio and I was looking forward to obviously meeting you today. Because I know you’ve come here from Melbourne, but I was reading it and I was thinking, wow, I mean, you’ve done a lot. And what really struck a chord with me was you started in architecture.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
And obviously that was your purpose. You were in the property arena there. Then you got distracted like I did as well, and like some other people do, which is not a bad thing. I don’t mean that in a bad way. And now you’re back in the property space, doing what you love, how does that feel?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
It is just amazing, like I remember one of the speeches by Steve Jobs in one of the university, like on the graduation day and he was talking to the students and he said something which actually resonated very well with me is like whatever we do in our college days, or whatever we do in our career, they are just the stepping stones. It will take a while for us to figure out how those dots actually connect. When I was doing architecture, I was very passionate. I was actually doing some projects as well. I was actually in my university as well as I got a scholarship, but it was just I guess the demand of the time then that I had to support my family. Back home or back in India. It’s like, you have to work very hard yards.

I’m happy to go hard yards. But then it takes a while for an architect to slog through to make a substantial living out of it. For me, it was more about the need of the time to support my family. And for that reason, I had that passion to learn and quickly deliver. And that’s the reason why I actually started in computer science. I actually learned programming on my own and I got a job while I was actually studying my architecture as well, so I had a job offer in my pocket as an IT consultant before I actually finished my architecture degree. It was not really a brainer for me to switch it very quickly from there. People were arguing like how come five years of degree, which is a pretty good time for me to establish over there and let it just go. Looking back what I’ve actually learned in architecture is that we started the design.

We started the concept. We don’t really just come up and start doing the fine details of where the wiring or where the toilet should look like. We actually start with a concept like, okay, this is the building. This is what we are thinking about. This is the form. This is the artistic part of it, and the function, and the engineering aspect of it. Like how it combines together to generate something tangible.

Ben Handler:
Yes.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Now, fast forward a couple of decades now. This is what I’m actually doing. Like irrespective of whether the property is related to the architecture, but I’m thinking about designing the life, designing the right way of approaching it. And then coming up with the conforming components, that how we should do one thing at a time.

Ben Handler:
I noticed the path of the architecture, and then now the buyer’s agent. And obviously the pieces have come together, but I want to talk about designing the life because that’s what you just mentioned there.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
When you were in banking and IT, you’re working from obviously great companies. Did you see that as really designing a life compared to now running your own business?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yup.

Ben Handler:
What’s your definition now of designing your own life?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Before I answer that, if I talk about how do I see that happening in my IT job or in my finance job, it’s more about what is the goal that we’re trying to achieve? Like when we talk about the IT project, there are so many components as a project manager, that one has to look after stakeholders, budget, timeline, constraints, the challenges which keep coming and all of a sudden, all you have an eye on is, okay, this is what we really want to achieve. Now you just go work backwards that these are the conforming components, right? Now coming back to the life question, maybe if you allow me, I really want to relate a story.

Ben Handler:
Sure.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Because that has actually got me going, my mother has been a very hard working mother as a lady. She started a business just to support us to get into the right education system. And what I’ve learned from a story that she told early on in my childhood was that there was a baby elephant tied to a tree. The rope that actually tied it was very thin, but it was strong enough for the baby elephant to be tied to the tree, so the baby elephant tried to break it many times one week, two weeks, four weeks, and then he forgot about it. Fast forward a few years that same elephant is now an adult elephant still tied to the same thin tree via thin rope. The idea is that actually it’s not really a story of an elephant. The story of our common nine to five, like the thing that you’re t-shirt, talks about.

Yes. It’s us in general, because when we grew up, we had lots of passions and lots of thinking that we really want to do, what were our desires, but the challenges of the life got us… We always talk about time, money, and energy, it’s a fine balance of the three. In our life stages we have at most two out of three, when we are young, we have time, we have energy but no money, right. In our adulthood, we have lots of money, we have lots of energy, somehow no time. In our later stages of life, we have time and money, but no energy, right. I think through this, we are not really leading the life you want to, but rather just cycling through.

What I’d really talk about is like, okay, what are your desires? Like if there’s no constraint of time and money, what will you do today? Will it be a job, nine to five job you are doing? I mean, there’s nothing wrong… People are passionate about jobs. I have been very passionate about when I was an architect, I was enjoying it. When I was in IT, I was enjoying that. I enjoyed it, but I’m not really forced to do that, or am actually choosing to do that.

Ben Handler:
It seems like a lot of the people who are in those nine to five, I’m sure some of them would love what they’re doing and add a lot of value, but it seems like they’re the elephant. That sometimes they’re not pursuing their true talents and skills, that they've put on this planet really to do. And they’re just a slave to the job.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
I would think so, but at the same time, the conversation that I used to have with these people, because they don’t really have a choice, they have to like the job they’re doing.

Ben Handler:
Yes.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
I mean, the way I said either you love what you do, or rather I should say and do what you love.

Ben Handler:
Why did you decide? You were obviously very good at what you did. You’ve had very good roles. You got into your dream job in banking.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
And you obviously did an MBA and a CFA on your way there. You’re obviously very committed, but now you’ve pivoted.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
Why did you pivot?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
It goes back to my story, personal story. When I saw my parents working very hard, they actually struggled to put food on the table for us. Like education was the key. For someone like my family from a middle-class family, education is the only way. It was down to the concept that how we can change it. And for me, the motivation was to make money work harder for you, but then also the need for that kind of a community to do it, is at the ground level, the common man. When I was managing a portfolio of $2 billion, I was enjoying it, it was my dream role. I was loving it, it was my desired role. I did hard yards to get into that role, like MBA and CFA, amidst GFC, it was not easy to make a switch. I was probably one of the only ones among three cohorts to make it a switch in that time.

But I did it, I was committed. I was enjoying it, but only I realized that I’m actually making a rich person richer. It was not congruent to my value system. My value system was to help the common man live their life, step up, and do what they really want. I have to take a step back and I think it was also circumstantial that my property investing was very successful. I probably stuck the winning formula on how to find the properties. And also, by the way, there was a lot of research behind it, like systematically, which came from my way of investing in financial portfolios, and also the knowledge of the architecture, like how the property attributes work and not. At the end of the day it’s not about property, it’s about the people. The winning formula that I have, I actually build that portfolio in seven years. I did hard yards, almost on every weekend I was visiting along with my young ones in the back of the car, visiting those properties, doing inspections with me.

Ben Handler:
Did you hire a buyer’s agent during that time?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Actually I did. I did one of them. The experience was probably a bit subpar and I certainly see a big, big need that’s why I can do a better job, let me put it this way.

Ben Handler:
Was that a tipping point? Was that a point of awareness where you thought maybe I should become a buyer’s agent?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Not really because my… Okay. I actually went to Tony Robbins show last year, Unleash your Power Within, UPW they call it. Amazing, amazing value. I would say everyone should go. A $1000, if you’re running short of it, I’m happy to donate from my side. It’s amazing code because I know you will support it further down, other people. It just wakes the power within us, unleashes it. And that made me realize that, okay, this was my awakening then at that point of time. Like, what is my purpose? Like if when I die, on my death bed, what people would be talking about? What would be my obituary looking like? And then I realized that yes, I’m making money for the high net worth individuals. Yes I might get a thing, that okay I was getting paid for that job, but working with moms and dads is an entirely different experience. The sense of fulfilment of finding them their dream home, because it’s just not about investment properties that I look at.

I’m also looking with the same rigour of a systematic approach to buying a home. That’s pretty unique in the way I look at it, because my value proposition is I bring the same rigour of IT systems of managing portfolios. Like I was once part of a $7 billion Australian equity portfolio, which was based on systematic investing. We found the attributes, what are favourable attributes and what is not, and how the share price movement is based on that, actually. I use the same systematic approach. Everyone when they are looking for a home has a different definition of the ideal home.

Ben Handler:
Yes.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Coming from the consultation background, it’s like, okay, what do you like? What are the aspects that you really want to desire in your property?

Ben Handler:
I feel like the architecture, you’re starting with this concept. And then you’re moving into the detail.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Exactly right.

Ben Handler:
I wanted to… There’s so much to talk about. And you’ve got such an incredible story. Now you really do. And I see your value… Talking about value proposition. I mean, it’s very compelling. It’s compelling for many levels. I mean, obviously from risk analysis, from what you’ve done yourself in seven years, building the portfolio you have. It’s impressive on many levels. And I don’t think you’re going to be short of any clients by the way. We can maybe talk about how the journey has been. I think more importantly from what I’m hearing today and what I’m experiencing with you right now is there’s so much purpose with what you’re doing. You came from humble beginnings, you got out of architecture to move careers in a different sector to better support your family, right? That’s powerful.

And then you went on this awesome adventure, achieved everything. And then you’ve decided to, as you said, take a step back. There was an awakening moment at UPW, and you’ve actually gone back now to serve. Like actually serve in a very purposeful way. I think that must feel amazing for you waking up every day now going, I’m actually helping people with this knowledge that I’ve cultivated, I’ve done myself, I’ve developed it in so many different areas, and I’m packaging it up now with my own mix.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
My own ingredients. And I’m going to help you get money working for you.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
That’s powerful.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
It is certainly powerful. And Ben, I can’t thank you enough for me to get into this journey as well, get that network. But yes it’s very, very fulfilling, very fulfilling because when I buy a property as an investment property for the client, like property unseen for them. And they trust in me as an individual and also in our processes and in my success, which they can really see. They have all this… Because I’ve been hardworking, there’s no success without… Like no pain, no gain. Yes, on the top you can see that I have been successful in three different careers. There has been a lot of hard work, a lot of support, a lot of sacrifices made through the way. To me it’s the why, why as in the purpose. If you’re clear on your purpose, it’s not what you have covered so far it’s more about where you want to go.

And looking at that flag and then how close you are approaching or how quickly you want to approach. And I’ve been one of those impatient people, but at the same time being strategic, I’ve never rushed into things. I’d rather do the thing the right way and only the right way. What’s more fulfilling for me is to make people realize that they have a story behind themselves. Every individual is individual as in like they have their own personal story. And part of them really want to do a lot more. Just like relating back to the elephant, they really want to go and break the shackles, break the status quo and live the free world.

Ben Handler:
Let’s quickly talk about Get RARE.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
It’s your new company, you’re the founder, you’re the director, you’re the buyer’s agent. I’m sure you’re in that startup you’re running, you’re the marketer, you’re the finance man, you’re the IT person, you’re doing everything, I’m sure.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yes.

Ben Handler:
Like we all do when we start our businesses, which is exciting. But then we work out which hat are we going to now give up, give to someone else. But let’s talk about that because I’d be curious to know what is the ideal style of client that you’d love to work with?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
The way I look at it, as someone who is open to the ideas, like I’ve actually come across many people, but they have their own way of thinking and they get stuck.

Ben Handler:
They get quite fixated.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
They are very fixated. They’re not flexible at all. For my recent client, I saved him 80 grand. If I’m charging 15 grand is probably not really a brainer. Like I’m going to saving them money, saving them time, saving them the stress.

Ben Handler:
That’s a big one.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Yeah. I’m actually proud of what I actually found. But what I’m trying to say is that the message has to go across to quite a few people out there. For me, the ideal personality client would be someone who’s ready to hear the ideas, ready with the concept of not just financial leverage, but the knowledge leverage. They don’t have to make the mistake on their own. They don’t really have to get frustrated. They can outsource the whole process. And to me it’s an arm’s length that I would just go and find a property for them. My approach is very consultative. Like I would be as if holding their hands and talking through them like what they want or what they should be looking at. My purpose is to educate them, empower them. I’m not really saying buy your first property through me, and by the second, and the third, and the fourth with me as well.

Of course, if I give them a lot of value in the first one, along with the knowledge and the confidence, I know they will come back to me. My business model gives them all that I can give in terms of knowledge skills, plus my time and more important than that the attention. Quite a few people like I’ve got few clients already that I’m working with. And they have got a lot in my pipeline. And the basis of which has been that I have been very generous with my time, sharing my knowledge, because my purpose is not to just acquire clients. My purpose is to help them. Because I had been on that side before I know the pain of not really finding the right platform to grow from.

Ben Handler:
I guess, in finishing up today, your name in Sanskrit is prosperity. That’s right. So I think for anyone who’s coming into your inner circle, into your, into your orbit and with what you’ve achieved yourself, just with own portfolio and just with your career and the commitment and the dedication and the focus that you’ve put in, everything that you’ve done, even the tennis right. Prosperity I feel is going to manifest. And where can people find you?

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
So I’m very much on the social media. So I got a website dot com.edu. I got an Instagram handle. I’m very much on LinkedIn as well. So Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, but yeah, the website for the first way, the main contact point.

Ben Handler:
Yeah. As we finished up, when I saw your website and I saw your emails come through in the blogs. And this dude is, he’s savvy with IT, it looks slick, it looks good, so well done. I’ve really enjoyed our chat. I’m super pumped to see where you go. I think not just for you, but for your clients. I think it’s exciting to see where you go. I know that we will stay connected and I’m going to watch you and hopefully I’ll get you on again soon just to hear version two.

Vaibhav “Rasti” Rastogi:
Sure.

Ben Handler:
But I appreciate your time. It’s been awesome. Hope you enjoyed the chat. That was super awesome. I made a mistake at the beginning. Rasti is actually based in Sydney. I’m sure he buys nationally, so you can give him a call, check out his website.

You’ll learn more about his investment strategy, his philosophy and what he does. He is Sydney based. His story’s incredible, right? Starting in architecture, moving into IT, then moving into financial services, where he specializes at a bank working in research, managing 2 billions worth of funds. You can understand and appreciate his level of data analysis and looking at information and making very smart decisions, right. And he’s also built as you’ve heard, he’s own very successful portfolio in only seven years. Speak to Rasti, his investment strategies, his dedication to his clients is really first class. Check him out, see you next week.

Listen to the video interview here on the BAI website, or on youtube here.