Yosef Tahbazof

Yosef Tahbazof is a legal professional and real estate executive with extensive experience navigating the intricacies of both the legal sector and real estate industry, giving him a unique perspective on the intersections of the two arenas. The son of Iranian immigrants, Tahbazof has established a number of businesses including the Tahbazof Law Firm and Atlas Property Group.

Tahbazof is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has deep rooted ties to the region where he was born and raised. He attended Santa Clara University where he graduated with a B.S. in accounting, and went on to earn his law degree from the University of California College of Law (formerly U.C. Hastings).

Yosef is the co-founder and partner of Tahbazof Law Firm which represents commercial and residential developers, land users and others within the real estate and home building industries. The firm builds upon its expertise across the spectrum of real estate matters including purchase and sale transactions, loan documentation, property tax matters, condominium conversions, subdivisions, land use planning and permitting, as well as landlord tenant issues.

Tahbazof is also a co-founder of Atlas Property Group, a multi-faceted professional real estate corporation focused on Bay Area commercial and residential real estate. Atlas specializes in identifying promising investment opportunities, repositioning assets, and building a growing property management portfolio. Atlas’ success is in large part due to its approach that not only considers the real estate, but also the people, tenants, and communities it invests in. This holistic approach sets Atlas apart and is both a source of pride and a competitive advantage. Under Yosef’s leadership, the company has expanded rapidly including the construction of hundreds of new residences over the past few years and unprecedented growth of its property management portfolio.

All of Tahbazof’s real estate and legal ventures have continuously contributed to the Tahbazof Family Foundation, a philanthropic effort originally founded by Siavash and Samaneh Tahbazof that is focused on addressing poverty, education inequality, disaster relief, and healthcare. In 2022 alone, it granted generously to over twenty nonprofit organizations, including annual contributions to Moms Against Poverty, John Burton Advocates for Youth and The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. The Foundation is also committed to the arts, celebrating diversity and a broad spectrum of local cultures by sponsoring local artists and even purchasing and renovating a historic San Francisco event hall to showcase local artists free of charge.

What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?

I prefer arriving at the office earlier in the morning; it sets the pace for a productive day. I usually spend the first two hours responding to emails and attending to any priority issues at job sites. Later morning is when I get my batch meetings and calls done before dedicating most afternoons to focused work solving issues and pursuing opportunities—my favorite time of day.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I start by defining the concept – understanding core objectives, potential impacts, and the challenges it aims to address. I then brainstorm and collaborate with a diverse group of specialists to get a variety of perspectives—before I allow myself to have a strong opinion—leading to more informed decisions. After refining the idea, I chart out a roadmap by setting milestones, designating resources, and framing timelines. Throughout implementation, it’s important to have regular feedback loops to identify headwinds and recalibrate strategies. An effective tool here are weekly business plan reviews involving all key players to track metrics, and drive both accountability and cooperation. I’m also a big advocate in small scale experiments to reality-testing assumptions before committing to major initiatives.

What’s one habit that helps you be productive?

Estimate and then block out time to complete your tasks. There’s typically diminishing returns after a certain point, so doing this keeps you focused and in line with the 80/20 principle.

Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?

The downtown office exodus triggered a doom loop narrative in San Francisco that’s fueling a prevailing sense of pessimism, yet I remain cautiously optimistic. While I do see more challenges on the horizon, the flip side of this is that the focused concern has prompted city officials to commit to tackling persistent problematic issues that have remained unaddressed over the past decade. A renewed political determination to effect real change, coupled with emerging coalitions mobilizing sensible voters, points towards a more promising and secure future for San Francisco that has the potential to help the City reach new heights.

What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?

Incorporating meditation into your routine, choosing whatever method that suits you. There is no one best form, all you need is a consistent commitment to set aside the time and not allow yourself to get distracted.

What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?

More a guiding real estate principle – only invest in assets that offer several distinct avenues for profit. Too often people take a very technical singular approach to an investment but no matter how strong the underwriting, the reality is that assumptions—no matter how conservative—don’t always pan out. Your second and third options should also be profitable if your primary approach doesn’t materialize.

Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?

Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, which focuses on skillfully managing risks to quickly adapt to unforeseeable events.

Key learnings

• Use the morning to set the pace for a productive day.
• Block out time to complete your tasks and accept that there are diminishing returns after a certain point.
• Incorporate meditation into your daily routine.