Sam Mizrahi: How This Toronto Developer Is Building Timeless Design Into Each of His Projects

Posted on Mar 11 2019 - 10:40am by Editorial Staff

In an international and multicultural city that boasts a vibrant art scene and a number of leading industries, Toronto appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds.  Recent investments in high-rise condos and other real estate projects are making Toronto an even more attractive city to live in. 

At the forefront of Toronto’s real estate industry is developer Sam Mizrahi.

Sam Mizrahi is the president and founder of Mizrahi Developments, a real estate firm focused on enhancing the streetscapes in both Toronto and throughout Canada.  Mizrahi’s real estate career began in 2006, when he began developing luxury custom homes in Toronto neighborhoods like Forest Hill, the Kingsway and Port McNicoll.  He then expanded into developing luxury condominium buildings, both in Toronto and Ottawa, that provided an entirely unique service offering: they could be customized to meet the needs of individual buyers. 

Sam Mizrahi has been an entrepreneur since he was a teenager and has over two decades of experience in recognizing real estate opportunities when he sees them.  His business sense began as a young man while he was studying urban planning and seeking out lucrative land investment opportunities in the Richmond Hill and Oak Ridges areas of Toronto. 

These aspirations, along with a natural business instinct, led Mizrahi in a real estate career of expanding ambition, one that saw him and his team developing luxury, customized condominium projects at 133 Hazelton and 181 Davenport in Toronto and 1451 Wellington in Ottawa, among others.

Now Sam Mizrahi and his team are working on their most ambitious (and tallest) project yet, namely The One: a mixed-used, billion dollar high-rise located at the southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets in downtown Toronto.  Designed by London architectural firm, Foster + Partners, upon its completion, The One will be the tallest residential tower in Canada. 

The initial ambition for The One was to raise the benchmark for design and innovation in Toronto’s major buildings. 

Indeed, this ambition is common to each and every one of Mizrahi’s developments.  

“Before we do any development, we meet and listen to the community and learn from them,” says Mizrahi. “We then reverse-engineer the development based upon the needs of the neighborhood and community, both today and tomorrow.”

Mizrahi plays a key role in acquiring each new property that Mizrahi Developments develop, building the entrepreneurial and imaginative vision for the development, as well as guiding its overall execution.

“We’re literally right on top of every project,” Mizrahi notes. “My philosophy is, if you want to practice good business leadership, then you’ve got to pull up your sleeves and get to work.  You need to know exactly what’s going on at every construction site.”

Notably, he credits the company’s success to the hard work of his team. 

“To create timeless design is a fundamental value system at Mizrahi Developments,” adds Mizrahi. “Also, build the best in quality, with no compromises, and build with the best materials and craftsmanship — this is critical and very important. We want everyone who comes into contact with our developments — the neighbourhood, community, residents, stakeholders — to feel better because of that contact than they felt before. That’s our measure of success.”

A respected leader in the industry, Sam Mizrahi is regularly asked for his guidance from colleagues, especially those who are considering entering the real estate business. To those people Mizrahi says, “Don’t be satisfied until you’ve known you created something unique.  My advice would be to have a tremendous amount of passion for your project and lead others to feel that excitement as well.”

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