Vartan Mkrtchyan arrived in Los Angeles in 1994 with his wife, two small children, and two suitcases. He spoke no English. He had $400. He knew one person in the city — a distant cousin in Burbank who let the family sleep on his living room floor for three months.
"I remember looking out at the city and thinking — this place doesn't know I exist," Vartan says. "I had to make myself exist here."
Learning the language of real estate
Vartan started as a janitor at an apartment complex in North Hollywood. Within two years he was doing maintenance. Within five he was managing the property. "I learned everything by watching, asking questions, and reading. I read everything I could find about real estate."
In 2003, he got his real estate license. In 2008 — the worst year imaginable for real estate — he started his own property management company. "Everyone said I was crazy. But I thought: prices are low, people still need places to live, and I know how to manage properties."
Building for the next generation
Today, the Mkrtchyan family's firm manages over 200 units across the San Fernando Valley. His son and daughter both work in the business. "They went to college, they have degrees, and they chose to come back to this," he says, visibly moved. "That means everything."
Vartan's advice to other Armenian entrepreneurs: "Find what you know. Work harder than everyone else. Build something you can hand to your children."