"Success is watching what you thought could only exist in your dreams become your living reality."
James Curnin Tweet
ValiantCEO Magazine is thrilled to present an exclusive interview with James Curnin, the dynamic CEO and Founder of Clara Homes. In this special feature, we take a captivating journey into the world of real estate development, where dreams metamorphose into reality.
With a legacy steeped in real estate expertise, James brings passion and vision to his role as a leader in Miami’s bustling market. From early experiences working alongside his renowned great grandfather, to the inception of Clara Homes, he has woven an inspiring narrative of success.
As a vertically integrated firm, Clara Homes stands at the forefront of innovation, specializing in luxury spec homes, multifamily assets, and rental communities.
Join us as we uncover the compelling story behind James Curnin’s rise to prominence, the challenges he’s overcome, and how he continues to shape Miami’s skyline with unrivaled dedication and entrepreneurial spirit.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
James Curnin: I am CEO and Founder of Clara Homes, a vertically integrated real estate firm based in Miami offering residential and commercial development, operations oversight and custom homes.
I pursue mainly ground-up new construction opportunities, specializing in the development of luxury spec homes, multifamily assets and rental communities in Miami.
Real estate is in my blood. My great grandfather, Jack Parker, was a renowned New York City developer, and I had the opportunity to work with him early on in my career. His passion for the industry resonated with me, and I knew I wanted to continue this legacy for my children as well.
Now as a husband and father myself, I am proactively looking for new assets to add to my portfolio that can one day be passed down to my children.
My career began at the age of 14 in New York. I contributed to the development and operations of major tri-state area projects like Parker Meridian Hotels, Parker Towers and Parker Plaza, and oversaw on-site leasing for Truffles Tribeca, a 291-unit rental building.
After graduating from the University of Miami and working on projects in Los Angeles, I settled in Miami and founded Clara Homes in 2014.
Clara Homes has collaborated with some of the industry’s most innovative architecture firms to differentiate its portfolio from others in the market. We seek to fill Miami’s need for reliable, quality work and to date, we’ve built and sold seven waterfront properties at record, above market prices that total over $200 million.
Now, in addition to the single-family home market, I’ve turned Clara Homes’ attention toward luxury multifamily opportunities. Construction is underway for Clara Bay Harbor, a 150-unit, three building rental development in Miami’s Bay Harbor neighborhood.
This exciting new project will offer the only newly constructed, professionally managed and New York-style apartment buildings in Miami Beach. Clara Bay Harbor will totally reinvigorate luxury rental living in the area.
In the past year, what is the greatest business achievement you’d like to celebrate with your team? Please share the details of that success.
James Curnin: Despite challenges with macro-economics in the past year, we secured a $26 million construction loan for the first phase of Clara Bay Harbor, signifying the need in the market for this product.
Our lender has confidence in our vision and experience to deliver apartments that will successfully appeal to the growing renter-by-choice demographic. Now that we’ve broken ground, our vision is quickly being realized.
What advice do you wish you had received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
James Curnin: My great-grandfather, Jack Parker, gave me the invaluable advice to “chase every penny” when I was just getting started in the real estate business. It’s a code I abide by every day.
Now that I’m further along in my career, I see the value in setting professional boundaries and allowing yourself a proper work-life balance. I realize that it’s okay to take a step back from work to pursue my own personal interests, such as spending time immersed in the arts or with my family, so that I can return back refreshed and even with a new perspective on how to tackle any issues at hand.
In the next quarter, I intend to continue embracing standing alone in a market, since it has paid off so well with Clara Bay Harbor. Bay Harbor was historically overlooked for other residential island communities, but this project has really helped to pioneer a development boom in the area. I’d love to eventually hone in on another land pocket just as ripe and deliver similar results there, too.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
James Curnin: While online business will continue to grow, I don’t think it will ever replace authentic, candid interactions. There is still value and a future for brick-and-mortar experiences, especially in the commercial real estate market.
Clara Homes actually is actively looking to invest in office assets and I’m very excited to begin work on this next challenge, having identified innovative opportunities to meet tenants’ shifting needs and demand.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
James Curnin: The biggest challenge is business owners’ ability to be hyper flexible and adapt with the times as soon as things change. This means having to shift gears and pursue opportunities that you might not have previously or think out of the box for new solutions when others may no longer be feasible.
For example, supply chain delays and the labor shortage created a lot of hassles in the construction industry in the years following the pandemic.
The climate initially posed a challenge for our project, but we were able to navigate rising costs and lack of supply through careful planning and renegotiations. As a result, we’re still on track to meet our internal milestones for Clara Bay Harbor’s timeline.
2020, 2021, and 2022 threw a lot of curve balls into businesses on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past years, how can businesses thrive in 2023? What lessons have you learned and what advice would you share?
James Curnin: Especially in this day and age, good business is all about being good to people and your partners. It’s not enough to leave things up to chance – good leaders are those that are flexible and can set clear expectations and deadlines.
Communication is the key to ensuring that projects stay on timeline, which includes managing with confidence and a positive attitude.
Processes and means of conducting business are always rapidly changing, so while it is important to remain as buttoned up as humanly possible, I’d advise other executives to remain open and adaptable to changes as they come.
What does “success” in 2023 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
James Curnin: Success is watching what you thought could only exist in your dreams become your living reality. When I started out, I never dreamed that Clara Homes would grow to become the company that it is today, making a ripple-effect impact in the very city I live in and love.
In that vein, I consider myself very successful, knowing I have the respect of my industry peers, confidence from my financial providers and vendors, and unconditional love from my family, whom I hope to leave Clara Homes for a lasting legacy.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank James Curnin for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
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