A Purposeful Detour: From Broker to Developer

For co-founder Mehdi Shokri, transitioning into development and launching his own company was always the end goal. Three Shores is the realization of that goal, but it wasn’t a straight shot to get to this point. In a unique choice, Mehdi took some purposeful detours before partnering with his business counterpart, co-founder, Barry Savage. One of the most significant of these stops along the way was Mehdi’s decade-long career as a broker.

Brokers play a vital role in the development process, but understanding the brokerage perspective is challenging for developers who haven’t seen the other side of the table. Having spent over a decade in the brokerage space, Mehdi decided early on to hone in on a focus that would later lend itself to one of Three Shores’ core values: Community. This approach was also a diversion from many brokers starting out, as typically the quantity of deals acquired is valued above any specific theme connecting those deals. In a very noisy landscape, Mehdi chose to focus on anything and everything related to his own backyard community; the place he grew up and knew best. North Shore roots have grounded Mehdi and the team from the outset and continue to do so as they expand their development work to other growing communities.  

Carving out this hyper-local speciality while working in brokerage fostered a distinct perspective that serves him well in his developer and principal role today. This approach also allowed him to touch on the variety of businesses that make up a community: retail, office, and residential spaces. He touched on areas of real estate that he likely would not have experienced had he gone straight into development. As we all do, developers and brokers arrive at partnerships with their own priorities, goals and passions. There is no substitute for the experience of living and working in another person’s role. Mehdi has a developer’s passion, but he still has a practical understanding of a broker’s mindset. Having spent time in both worlds, Mehdi continues to bring that perspective to every Three Shores project.