Barry Saywitz: Driving Success, Strategy, and Community Impact in Real Estate
From the very start of his career, Barry Saywitz has never been one to play by conventional rules or set limits on his ambition. Early on, he made a decision that would define his path as an entrepreneur: he purchased Howard Ecker & Company, rebranded it as The Saywitz Company, and took full ownership and management into his own hands. That bold move was more than a business decision; it was a declaration that Barry would carve his own path, on his own terms.
Throughout his journey, Barry has balanced sharp business acumen with a remarkable ability to navigate the unpredictable currents of the market. As a seasoned negotiator and innovator, he constantly challenges the status quo, adjusting strategy, team dynamics, and financial structures without hesitation to stay ahead of the curve.
What truly sets him apart is his relentless drive and refusal to recognize boundaries whether it’s in business, leadership, or the pursuit of new opportunities. He lives by the principle that every challenge is temporary, every setback a stepping stone, summed up in his favorite guiding thought: “To be continued…” a reminder that each day brings new possibilities, new solutions, and new victories.
Barry Saywitz is not just a business owner; he is a visionary who thrives on pushing limits, inspiring his team, and redefining what it means to lead with courage and conviction.
Redefining Commercial Real Estate Leadership
For over 50 years, The Saywitz Company has been a powerhouse in national commercial real estate, with headquarters in Newport Beach, California, and a branch in San Diego. Under the leadership of Barry, the firm has completed transactions across all 50 states, as well as Canada and Mexico, earning a reputation for unmatched expertise and strategic insight.
Specializing in leasing, acquisition, and management across sectors like office, industrial, retail, multifamily, medical, and R&D, The Saywitz Company also offers portfolio management, corporate relocation, lease renegotiation, construction oversight, and specialty consulting. Beyond brokerage, Barry Saywitz Properties, the firm’s investment arm, manages an extensive portfolio of multifamily, office, and retail properties throughout Southern California.
A visionary leader and innovator, Barry helped found the CORE Network, a global commercial real estate organization, and serves as its Chairman Emeritus. Even amid today’s volatile markets, rising interest rates, and regulatory challenges, Saywitz remains committed to the firm’s core values ensuring his team stays focused, agile, and devoted to delivering exceptional service to clients, tenants, and partners. With a career defined by bold decisions and a refusal to recognize boundaries, Barry Saywitz continues to shape the future of commercial real estate.
The Daily Drive Behind Barry’s Success
For Barry, success is measured on multiple levels both personal and professional. It begins with a clear vision of individual and company goals and extends to accomplishments in operations and financial performance. At The Saywitz Company, this philosophy translates into setting short-term, medium-range, and long-term goals, which are continuously evaluated and adjusted throughout the year to ensure the firm stays on track in a dynamic market.
Discipline and focus are central to Barry’s daily routine. Each day begins with a carefully curated list of tasks, allowing him to prioritize both his own objectives and those of his team. While the business world inevitably brings unexpected challenges, this practice keeps him grounded and ensures that each day ends with tangible accomplishments, reinforcing a culture of productivity, accountability, and forward momentum.
Harnessing Technology, Expertise, and Teamwork
While the fundamentals of commercial real estate remain unchanged, the dynamics of the market pricing, demand, and economic trends are constantly evolving. Advances in technology have made information more accessible than ever to investors and decision-makers, yet access alone does not create expertise. At The Saywitz Company, success is defined by what is done with that information, how trends, comparables, and market insights are analyzed and applied to make strategic decisions.
Under Barry’s leadership, the firm stays at the forefront of technology, leveraging AI in marketing campaigns while recognizing that the day-to-day practice of real estate still relies on careful analysis, financial acumen, and strategic judgment. To this end, The Saywitz Company has developed proprietary software to evaluate the financial aspects of transactions from both buyer and seller, as well as landlord and tenant perspectives. While AI continues to evolve, the company integrates it thoughtfully into presentations and marketing efforts, complementing not replacing the expert insight that defines its success.
Equally important is the people behind the business. Barry emphasizes the need for a team that is honest, hardworking, loyal, and dependable. The Saywitz Company invests in its employees through training, teamwork, seminars, and group discussions, ensuring that everyone is aligned with the company’s goals and objectives. Maintaining effective processes and a strong organizational culture remains an ongoing challenge, but one that Barry and his team approach with discipline, dedication, and a commitment to excellence.
Vision, Values, and Purpose
At The Saywitz Company, Barry fosters a culture that treats employees like family, emphasizing respect, professionalism, and collaboration. While individual achievement is valued, he believes that true organizational success comes from a team-oriented approach, where everyone works toward shared goals. The firm takes deliberate steps to ensure that each member feels connected to the company and its mission, creating an environment where teamwork is both expected and rewarded.
Barry instills the importance of philanthropy throughout the organization, encouraging employees to share success through time, resources, and service.
Balancing profit with purpose is a hallmark of Barry’s approach. He stresses the importance of strategic decision-making, particularly in an ever-changing economic environment marked by inflation, recessions, pandemics, and technological shifts. As the owner of a small business, he makes difficult choices from scaling expenses to adjusting team roles always with a long-term vision for the company’s success. His experience navigating multiple economic cycles has taught him that timely, thoughtful decisions are critical, even when they are challenging in the short term or affect individuals within the organization. This disciplined, forward-thinking mindset has been central to The Saywitz Company’s enduring success.
Guided by Resilience, Pragmatism, and Win-Win Leadership
Looking ahead, The Saywitz Company remains committed to its long-term strategy: delivering value-added services to clients, expanding its investment portfolio, and growing its client base. Under Barry’s leadership, the firm emphasizes working smarter, not harder, while minimizing unnecessary drama, a philosophy that underscores the practical, creative, and competitive nature of commercial real estate. Success, he believes, comes from a blend of hard work, innovation, and differentiating oneself from competitors.
Barry is known for sharing two personal mantras that guide his approach to business and life. The first, “To be continued…”, serves as a reminder that each day brings new opportunities, even in the face of challenges or difficult decisions. It reinforces the idea that setbacks are temporary, and persistence creates new possibilities. His second favorite, “It’s better than a poke in the eye”, reflects his pragmatic approach to negotiation and goal-setting. While one may not always achieve every objective, there is always value in compromise, and real success comes from finding a “win-win” solution that satisfies both parties.
These guiding principles, resilience, practicality, and a focus on mutual benefit are central to Barry’s leadership and the ongoing success of The Saywitz Company, defining how the firm navigates an ever-evolving commercial real estate landscape.
Unbiased Expertise and Strategic Negotiation
The Saywitz Company specializes exclusively in representing tenants and users of commercial real estate, tailoring its approach to meet the specific needs of each client. Central to its success is a combination of unique financial modeling and an aggressive yet professional negotiation strategy, designed to analyze the other party’s next-best alternatives and achieve the optimal outcomes for clients.
Under Barry’s leadership, the firm maintains complete independence from landlords and property owners, ensuring unbiased advice and negotiation support. As Barry often points out, just as one would never hire their spouse’s attorney in a divorce or the opposing side’s lawyer in a lawsuit, clients should never rely on a broker with a conflict of interest. At The Saywitz Company, information is key, but what truly sets the firm apart is how that information is leveraged turning insights into strategic advantage while analyzing the other side’s alternatives to strengthen the client’s position.
Importantly, the firm’s brokerage services come at no out-of-pocket cost to clients, as fees are typically paid by landlords or sellers in commercial transactions. While this structure is standard in the industry, The Saywitz Company continually proves its value, ensuring that its guidance exceeds the fee embedded in each transaction. Success is measured daily by results, and the firm’s commitment to unique, aggressive strategies, professional execution, and an unbiased approach has kept it thriving for over 50 years, consistently distinguishing it from other brokerage firms.
Charity, Recognition, and Honors
Barry has been widely recognized for his contributions to the real estate industry and the community:
- United States Tennis Association & United States Golf Association
- UCLA Alumni Association & Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity Alumni Association
- Southern California Real Estate Magazine – Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Brokers in Southern California
- Real Estate Forum Magazine – Top 100 Real Estate Brokers
- Commercial Property News – Top Commercial Real Estate Companies
- National Real Estate Investor Magazine – 40 Most Influential People in Real Estate Under 40
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist
- Event Host – “An Evening for Autism” Charity Event
- Orange County Business Journal – Named one of OC’s Largest Real Estate Brokerage Companies
- Orange County Entrepreneurs in Excellence – Award Finalist
- OC Metro Magazine – CEO Centerfold Feature
- Orange County Family-Owned Business Award – Finalist
- Chairman Emeritus and Founder, The CORE Network
- Supporter of multiple religious, charitable, artistic, and performing arts organizations and venues
Barry’s career combines unparalleled expertise, visionary leadership, and a strong commitment to philanthropy, solidifying his reputation as one of the most influential figures in commercial real estate today.
