Elio Khalife is a legend in the commercial real estate industry with 30 years of experience in Prescott, Scottsdale and Las Vegas. Khalife’s ability to see trends and cycles before they hit and gain and maintain relationships contributes to his successful career. Learn more about Elio Khalife…
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon and Los Angeles, California
First job: I went to school at UC Irvine. I graduated and was doing consulting work for the Southern California Savings and Loan. They had a lot of commercial loans in Mohave County, I opened my own company and was handling land listings. This led me to get into the retail end of Commercial Real Estate. That is where I found my passion, and I was hooked. At one point in my career, I was representing around 20 National tenants in the state looking for expansion sites for them.
Favorite AZ restaurant: Sumo Maya since it reminds of the restaurants in Las Vegas.
Person who has impacted your life the most: My parents were, and still are to this day, always behind me and trusted me to do whatever I wanted. They supported me in my move to California at a young age and always encouraged me to follow my passion and not settle. They provided me with a strong amount of ethics and culture that I really think helped differentiate me from others.
Your biggest accomplishment in your eyes: My biggest accomplishment is my ability to see trends and cycles before they hit. This has helped me be able to sustain my career for over 30 years in every market, even in the recession of 2007 and 2008. I pride myself on my ability to gain and maintain relationships, most important in my career was establishing very strong banking relationships. I have always believed if you do good work and have great relationships, life will pave the way for you and then you need to pay it forward.
The biggest obstacle you have overcome: The biggest challenge was in 2007 and 2008 watching friends, family and clients lose their homes, their investments and their life savings during this time. A lot of my closest friends went through some of their hardest times both personally and financially. That was a tough time for a lot of people which really impacted me, but also helped me realize what’s really important in this life.
Someone who inspires you: I don’t think there is just one person who has inspired me, I am inspired every day by people I meet and in learning what makes them successful in life. I always try to stay inquisitive of everyone I meet. I feel you can always learn and be inspired by everyone if you open yourself to others and their ideas and stay curious.
Favorite quote: Don’t chase money, let money chase you.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Stay persistent and never give up. It is the hard work that brings the luck. Nowadays people think it comes easy and overnight, they see the success but not the years of endless hours, long nights, and consistent hard work that it really takes to make it in the business. Make friends with everyone and treat everyone you meet with respect and it will all come back to you.
What you think makes someone fabulous: Down to earth personalities and stay humble. Be real….
