Ramin Bassam on Real Estate Development, Big Leaps, and Bigger Payoffs
Release Date: 04/22/2025
Builder Mindset to Business Mindset with Duane Johns of Alair Homes
Builder Straight Talk Podcast
Most builders hit a wall. They work 80-hour weeks, carry tools, manage crews, chase payments, and somehow still struggle to make ends meet. Sound familiar? That was Duane Johns twenty years ago, grinding it out in Charlotte, North Carolina after moving from the Hamptons. Then 2008 hit. While other builders went under, Duane used the crisis as a mirror. "I think that that too, one thing that happened in that 2008 environment, especially the few years after, was everyone got reduced to a commodity, you know, I mean, the builders or modelers, they had the lower hand, no doubt." The...
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Scaling a Construction Business: From College Dropout to $100M+ Builder
Builder Straight Talk Podcast
Starting a construction company during the 2008 recession sounds insane, but sometimes desperation breeds the best business decisions. Matt Millsap's story starts like a lot of ours do - working weekends with dad, thinking he was going to hang out with friends but ending up tearing out bathrooms instead. What makes his story different is where it goes from there. After flunking out of college, Matt found himself cutting grass for a builder who saw something in the kid. That builder, Mark, became the mentor who taught him everything. It was old-school apprenticeship at its finest, and Matt...
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Road to 1,000,000 Doors: Will You Join Us? | Brian Coffman of Sound Capital
Builder Straight Talk Podcast
You know that moment when you're staring at a project and wondering if you're about to make a fortune or lose your shirt? Brian Coffman, Director of Homebuilder Finance at Sound Capital, has been on both sides of that conversation thousands of times, and he's got some real talk for builders ready to scale up. Michael Krisa sits down with Brian to tackle a question that keeps a lot of builders up at night: what separates those who successfully jump from 10 houses to 50 houses from those who flame out trying? Turns out, it's not about having the best crew or knowing the slickest...
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From One Man Show to 800 Doors a Year: Learning to Let Go | Adrian C. Avila
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Picture this: an eight-year-old kid on construction sites, already reading blueprints like other kids read comic books. That's how Adrian C. Avila's story begins, learning from his uncle who took him everywhere and taught him the fundamentals that would shape his entire career. Fast forward to today, and Adrian runs AVICA Construction and Development, averaging over 800 doors a year across residential, commercial, and industrial projects. But the most compelling part of his journey happened when he was 29 and faced what he calls a "death experience" that forced him to completely rethink how he...
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What Builders Get Wrong about Marketing with Kelly Bosetti Primeau
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Michael Krisa welcomes Kelly Bosetti Primeau, an award-winning marketing strategist who has spent 28 years helping builders and developers scale their businesses. This episode quickly evolved into a masterclass on residential marketing strategy. Kelly reveals that many builders essentially forgot how to market during the COVID boom years. Now that the market has normalized, builders are scrambling to relearn fundamental marketing skills they neglected during the easy times. One of Kelly's core principles involves comprehensive research before launching any campaigns. She shares compelling...
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Third-Generation Builder, First-Time Entrepreneur: How Cammie Hancock Beckert Carved Her Own Path
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Sometimes the best builders are the ones who never planned to build. And Cammie Hancock Beckert proves that taking the long way around can lead to exactly where you're supposed to be. As the founder of Cameron Custom Homes & Renovations and a third-generation member of the Camelot Homes family, Cammie spent years avoiding the family business only to discover it was her calling all along. On this episode of Builder Straight Talk, Cammie breaks down how she went from market research and land brokerage to leading a custom division that's redefining luxury building in Arizona. "I had to prove...
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Chaos to Systems: Why Professional Builders Need Coaching, with Cole Tilbury
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Building houses? You've got that covered. But building a business that doesn't rely on you working 80-hour weeks while making $25 an hour? That's where most builders hit the wall. Cole Tilbury, performance coach with The Professional Builder, is helping construction pros break free from the chaos cycle and build businesses that actually work for them instead of against them. With nearly two years coaching builders across North America, Cole has seen the same pattern over and over: skilled craftsmen trapped in their own success, spinning plates instead of scaling profits. On this episode of...
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Laborers to Leaders with Sergio Barajas
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In this episode of Builder Straight Talk, Michael Krisa invited Sergio Barajas to explore the construction industry's critical labor shortage and how the NHCA is addressing it through education, networking, and business development. Sergio shares how the alliance grew from zero to 2,500 members across eight markets in just 14 months, with plans to reach 5,000 members in 15 markets by year-end. The conversation covers the stigmatization of blue-collar work over the past 20 years and how removing shop classes from schools disconnected young people from building trades. With only 1.3-1.4 people...
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Building Legacy: Patrick Lawler on Second-Generation Leadership in Construction
Builder Straight Talk Podcast
In this episode of Builder Straight Talk, host Michael Krisa welcomes Patrick Lawler, Vice President of Lawler Construction, Inc., to discuss his journey from professional baseball player to construction industry leader. As the son of company founder Jim Lawler (), Patrick shares insights on family business dynamics, faith-based leadership, and the evolving challenges facing the construction industry. What we discussed with Patrick: From Sports to Construction Patrick's unexpected path from minor league baseball to the family construction business during the 2008 recession. Working on...
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Building More than Houses with Tanya Cromwell of Caddis Builders
Builder Straight Talk Podcast
Michael Krisa sits down with Tanya Cromwell, one of the founding and managing owners of Caddis Builders in Eastern Idaho, to explore the practical side of running a successful construction company in today's competitive market. Tanya's journey began in 1995 when she couldn't find a house design she liked and decided to teach herself AutoCAD and build her own home. Three decades later, she's built an impressive dual career running both Idaho Home Design, which designs 125 homes a year and creates renderings for Parade of Homes magazine, and Caddis Builders, which handles everything from...
info_outlineReal estate development is never a straight line—and Ramin Bassam is living proof.
From humble beginnings as a concrete subcontractor to developing high-end condominiums, and ultimately rising to become a premier general contractor trusted by some of Los Angeles' most affluent clients—Ramin's journey has been defined by craftsmanship, vision, and relentless work. Over the last 10 years, he’s delivered more than $300 million in built projects through his firm, Rane Construction.
Ramin started out working driveway jobs with his dad’s concrete crew, scraping together $10K over nearly a decade. His first real estate development deal was a burned-out liquor store in Washington, DC. He turned it into two condos and walked away with $70K in profit. That deal changed the trajectory of his life—and how he saw the business.
In this episode of Builder Straight Talk, Ramin shares how those early DC projects taught him what real estate development really demands: risk tolerance, decisive action, and the discipline to reinvest. One of his biggest wins came when he sold two condo projects before they were even finished, walking away with $11.5 million in early returns—no punch list, no post-close stress.
That momentum gave him the confidence to pack up and start over in Los Angeles. No contacts. No crew. Just a teardown property and a willingness to learn everything from scratch. Fast forward to today, and through Rane Construction, he’s managing ultra-high-end builds for a private client list that includes celebrities, investors, and legacy homeowners in Beverly Hills and beyond.
“Every project is years off your life,” Ramin says. “You better make it count.”
Today, 90% of his work is client-driven, not spec. That pivot—from risky personal development to high-trust, high-budget general contracting—changed everything. Ramin still builds his own projects, including a 20-unit condo development in West Hollywood, but his focus is on managing expectations, delivering precision, and maintaining long-term relationships.
He uses transparent, tech-forward tools that let clients track everything—from budgets and invoices to timelines and trade performance. But the biggest differentiator? Personal connection. He insists on meeting every client face-to-face before he signs on.
“You’re not just building a house. You’re managing a dream, an investment, a relationship,” he says.
Even as his projects scale, Ramin hasn’t forgotten where he came from. He’s vocal about the power of the trades, sharing stories of immigrant builders who went from pickup trucks to $300 million companies. He’s living proof that real estate development, when done right, is still one of the most powerful paths to independence and long-term wealth.
To see what Ramin and his team are building now, visit RaneBuild.com.
Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen here or on your favorite podcast platform.
About Ramin Bassam
Ramin Bassam is the founder and president of RANE Construction, a fully integrated real estate development and construction firm based in Los Angeles. Established in 2006 with the development of a single row house, RANE has evolved into a leading company specializing in luxury single-family homes and high-end urban multifamily properties. With a focus on premium craftsmanship and strategic urban development, RANE has delivered over $300 million in residential projects, shaping exceptional living spaces that define modern luxury and elevate communities.
Ramin's journey began with humble beginnings as a concrete subcontractor, leading to the development of high-end condominiums and ultimately rising to become a premier general contractor trusted by some of Los Angeles' most affluent clients. His commitment to quality, creativity, and community integration continues to drive RANE's growth and reputation as an industry leader.
About Michael Krisa
Michael Krisa is the host and producer of the Builder Straight Talk Podcast, where he shares expert interviews and real solutions to the U.S. housing shortage. With a background in SEO, video marketing, and real estate, Michael leverages his experience to deliver unfiltered insights into the building industry. His mission is to help builders navigate challenges and succeed by providing practical strategies and stories from those who have been in the trenches.
Through Builder Straight Talk, Michael offers a platform for builders, contractors, and tradespeople to share their journeys, lessons learned, and strategies for growth. His straight-talking, casual but credible approach resonates with a no-nonsense, practical-minded audience seeking to scale their businesses and fund more projects.