Chris Christofi, the founder and CEO of real estate investment and financial services firm Reventon, is an Australian-born Greek Cypriot entrepreneur, author and philanthropist.
In a recent interview with GOLD magazine, he offers insights into his investment strategy and shares his goals for his business and personal life, which combine in a mission to help other people.
Chris Christofi gives off an air of ease as we discuss how he grew his business from a small home-office in Melbourne into a powerhouse company that has sold over $1 billion worth of real estate. His achievement is all the more impressive when he reveals that, five years after entering the real estate business at the age of 19, he found himself with debts of several hundred thousand dollars.
Undaunted, the 24-year-old told the boss of the property market development company that he was working for: “I live at home with my parents but if you give me an opportunity, I’ll be your best sales guy in three months.” He was given the chance and 12 months later was named Rookie of the Year. “I was one of the best in-home consultants and I grew from strength to strength,” he recalls.
From debt to expansion
However, problems lay ahead: the company he worked for went into receivership, leaving him with a debt of $780,000, and he had to deal problems at home when his son contracted bacterial meningitis, which left him deaf. Christofi refused to give up. He moved back into his parents’ home and, in 2005, founded Reventon. Since then, the company has not only registered over $3.2 billion sales and $1 billion in real estate transactions but has also expanded into providing services to help thousands of Australians plan for their retirement.
Asked about his investment strategy, he notes the importance of constantly re-evaluating the landscape and the market. “A strategy may be good at a particular point in time but it needs to be reviewed. We conduct six-month reviews with our clients and this works best as it helps clients meet their own goals based on their specific needs.
“The fundamentals of investing will always be the same,” he explains. “What that means is you buy a good property in a high-growth area that offers high rental yield, high tax deductions and high capital growth.” This is why Reventon targets properties that can comply with all three criteria. He says that purchasing the first property is the most important step as it will later lead to a second, third, fourth and fifth one. “We want to make sure the client feels comfortable and can afford it,” he tells GOLD.
“We’ve had a lot of success over the last 20 years, especially through repeat business,” he says. “You build a personal relationship over a long period of time and a happy client will bring you his friends and refer his family. I always take a long-term view when I’m building relationships with my clients.”
Helping others make smart investment decisions
Christofi has put many of his business ideas in his bestselling 2019 book Your Path to Wealth: Brick by Brick, which, he says, was written “so that people can make smart investment decisions”. Having used the strategies in the book to achieve his own goals, he explains that he wanted to give something back to the community.
The proceeds from the book go to the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies), which supports the poor and homeless in Australia. This charity is particularly close to Christofi’s heart, given his own experience. “I’ve been lucky in being able to rebuild myself but I’ve sometimes wondered what might have happened to me if I had never had the opportunity to change things,” he says and goes on: “Nothing is more beautiful, in my opinion, than helping another person. We’re all the same; we’re all trying to do the best we can with the level of consciousness and ability we have at any given time. If I was in need, I hope that someone would treat me with dignity and respect – through a smile, some food or by giving me an opportunity.”
Christofi became an ambassador for Vinnies and, he says, “The people who work at Reventon are very proud that their CEO leads in the community and that their company represents giving and kindness. And it’s good because the community sees who and what we are.”
Cypriot culture's contribution
Christofi credits his culture and his “amazing” Cypriot parents and his three siblings for guiding him properly and serving as role models for the way he now lives his life and conducts his business.
“I lead ferociously when it comes to building wealth for my clients and for this charitable cause but what makes us unique as a company is the fact that we love being at work. We’re always having fun and enjoying ourselves. Of course, we are relentless with our results and in the way we push for our community. We do it in a very Reventon way,” he says.
What’s next for Christofi and Reventon? He mentions that he is thinking of investing in property here in Cyprus, describing the island as “the most beautiful in the Mediterranean and an idyllic location.” As for the company’s future, he reveals that, although he has been asked to expand internationally, he is still considering his next move.
“Upon reflection, over 20 years we’ve done a lot of amazing things,” he says pensively, before adding, “It’s important to look at what you’ve been doing. There are some things I could have done better, faster and more efficiently and other things I could have cut out but that’s all part of the journey.”
This interview first appeared in the October edition of GOLD magazine. Click here to view it.
