{"id":12277,"date":"2015-04-14T05:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-04-14T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=12277"},"modified":"2020-12-24T03:11:39","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T11:11:39","slug":"balazs-szekely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/balazs-szekely\/","title":{"rendered":"Bal\u00e1zs Sz\u00e9kely"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIf I could have any superpower in the world it would be X-Ray vision, no doubt about it. I me\"budapesttravels\"an, come on, who doesn\u2019t want to have X-Ray vision?\u201d laughs Bal\u00e1zs Sz\u00e9kely, an enthusiastic member of Yardi\u2019s publishing team. The 25-year-old aquascaper and Red Hot Chili Peppers fan joined Yardi in October 2013, after a couple of stints at college newspapers and regional radio stations and he\u2019s been loving every minute of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI studied journalism and so far, I have to say, being a journalist turned out even better than I imagined! I work for a vigorously growing company and I\u2019m surrounded by young professionals\u2026 As a bonus, my job is completely independent from the local political scene, which is a privilege in this field. I mean, what more could a journalist my age ask for?!\u201d he says, hinting at the colorful Romanian political world.<\/p>\n

As an associate editor for Multi-Housing News<\/a> and Commercial Property Executive<\/a>, Bal\u00e1zs covers the most important commercial and multifamily real estate happenings in Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Tucson. He\u2019s constantly on the lookout for major transactions, new project announcements and keeps in touch with developers that are active in his markets. Bal\u00e1zs also writes market reports based on quarterly performance indicators and is part of the international news team, which covers the most relevant real estate news from around the world. \u201cI like diversity in my work, so I\u2019m always happy to contribute to the corporate blogosphere,\u201d he says, referring to his posts for Point2Homes<\/a> and PropertyShark<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among Bal\u00e1zs\u2019s favorite parts of working at Yardi is that he gets to do what he does best \u2013 write \u2013 and that he\u2019s able to pursue this passion in a dynamic and nurturing environment. He also appreciates the constant improvement of his language skills. \u201cNot to mention all the economy- and real-estate-related knowledge I\u2019ve gained in the past year or so. I wasn\u2019t really interested in real estate before coming to Yardi, but I downright love it now.\u201d Bal\u00e1zs also feels he\u2019s grown personally, not just professionally at Yardi. \u201cI\u2019m not a social butterfly by nature, but working in a team has helped me overcome a lot of my cautiousness, especially with a team like the Glorified Bloggers,\u201d (aka the Cluj publishing team).<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not only writing and real estate that Bal\u00e1zs enjoys. He loves hiking, cooking, traveling, watching Tarantino movies and amateur astronomy, just to name a few. \u201cI take some of my hobbies more seriously than others, but I guess that\u2019s what happens, when one has more passions than free time. The one with a very special place in my heart is aquascaping. It\u2019s a childhood crush, really.\u201d Bal\u00e1zs has been fascinated with aquatic life since the first time he saw a fish tank at a friend\u2019s house in elementary school. \u201cFrom that moment on I\u2019ve been deliriously pushing my limits in order to create the ultimate artificial freshwater ecosystem that meets the needs of its every inhabitant and brings a drop of wilderness into our world full of concrete and straight lines. I like to keep my mind busy and aquascaping is perfect for this, as it requires practical knowledge in biology, chemistry and physics, so I\u2019m constantly learning. It also puts your patience, dexterity, technological know-how and imagination to the test and at the end provides the satisfaction of having creating something from nothing. A little bit like journalism, if you come to think of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other tidbits about Bal\u00e1zs:<\/p>\n

Chocolate or vanilla? Jon Stewart or Jon Oliver? Storage Wars or Ancient Aliens?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chocolate. Jon Oliver, definitely! And I guess Storage Wars, if my life depended on it, but I hope I never have to make that decision.<\/p>\n

Do you have a nickname? What\u2019s the backstory on that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My team mates call me the French Guy because Bal\u00e1zs rhymes with a lot of french words, like bandage, collage, oeufs brouill\u00e9s au fromage. And no, I don\u2019t speak any French. At all.<\/p>\n

Do you watch any sports? Or pursue any?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My hometown of Miercurea Ciuc<\/a> is mad about winter sports, since it\u2019s one of the coldest cities in Romania. Winter temperatures often dip below\u00a0\u221230\u00a0\u00b0C (\u221222\u00a0\u00b0F). So I\u2019ve always enjoyed ice hockey. I only watch, but my sister plays really well \u2013 she has several podium medals including gold at the nationals! I myself enjoy swimming and I jump on my bike whenever I can, so I bike to work as often as possible.<\/p>\n

What are you reading right now? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk music: favorite bands, genre, song?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like instrumental music that talks to me in some way. John Frusciante<\/a> messes my brain up in the most amazing way possible every time I listen to his solo work or a Red Hot Chili Peppers<\/a> song. A few years ago I got to see them live in Bucharest \u2013 that was one epic night! Another artist that gives me goosebumps is Lajk\u00f3 F\u00e9lix<\/a>, a Hungarian violin prodigy. Other than that, I listen to a lot of alternative rock. And of course, I love The Rolling Stones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What TV shows do you watch?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Top Gear (UK) is my all-time favorite. I can\u2019t wait for the new season to air! I\u2019m also nuts about scientific shows, so Discovery Science is almost always on at home.<\/p>\n

What does your ideal home look like? <\/strong><\/p>\n

A small, practical house with huge windows in a natural setting. I\u2019ve become fond of off-the grid shipping container homes lately \u2013 they are so versatile and hardcore \u2013 so I\u2019d love to build one myself.<\/p>\n

If you could pick any place in the world to live, where would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Croatia. I\u2019ve already decided that that\u2019s where I\u2019m retiring.<\/p>\n

What do you want to be when you grow up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the time comes, I\u2019ll try my best to be a cool, but responsible dad.<\/p>\n