Making Every Parcel Count: Urban Investing with Purpose at CityPlat

This episode, Saul sits down with Nikita Zhitov to explore what it really means to be a real estate developer in today’s market. Nikita challenges the myth of passive income, sharing why development is a full-contact sport that requires time, risk, and hands-on vision. From creative deal structures to mindset shifts, he walks through the beliefs and behaviors that separate operators from speculators.

You’ll hear:

• Why true development is never passive—and why that’s a good thing

• How to underwrite with humility and protect downside risk

• Why operating partners matter more than spreadsheets

• The power of asymmetric risk and what it takes to play the long game

• How Nikita defines freedom, purpose, and being “in the game” for real

If you’re drawn to real estate but tired of surface-level advice, this conversation cuts through the noise with grounded truth and hard-won perspective.