Ron Balys, 34

A graduate of the University of Buffalo who now lives in Southern California, Ron Balys places permanent and bridge debt for all asset classes with a concentration in California.

Balys has closed more than 500 transactions over the past five years, becoming one of the firm’s top 10 originators for the year twice during that time and sourcing over $1 billion in loans.

His notable deals include a $17.6 million loan for a retail property in Santa Ana, Calif., in May 2023, and an $18 million, five-year loan for a 73-unit multifamily property, also in Santa Ana. In that latter deal, he locked down a 5.58 percent interest rate with 30-years amortization and a loan-to-value of 60 percent, negotiating a conventional loan off future income.

It’s been a tough market these past couple of years, but Balys and his team have continued to transact through the bumps.

“We’ve found that there will always be a need for money,” Balys said. “Someone will always be looking to buy, regardless of the market, and someone will always be looking to refinance, regardless of the market. Debt comes due, lenders come and go and it is our job to give our clients and brokers real-time updates as the market changes. The biggest lesson I’ve learned in today’s volatile market is to be honest and upfront going into a deal. Setting up false expectations will not only cost you the deal, but also the future relationship.”

Balys started as a mortgage intern with Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation in the summer of 2008 and was hired full time in 2013 as a loan analyst. Since then, he’s become one of the youngest MMCC originators to win National Achievement Awards, which he has earned the last five years in a row. Balys has also won a sales recognition award every year since 2017, and is a member of the company’s Chairman’s Club.

Still, “the proudest moment of my career thus far is getting married, having two kids and still being able to handle a solid workload thanks to my team,” Balys said. “We’ve built a very solid team here so nothing skips a beat. Major life events like getting married and having kids can feel overwhelming when you have to cater to your deal pipeline at all hours of the day, but I’m  proud to have maintained not only the current deal flow but be on track to close over 100 deals this year.”