Rodman Amiri became interested in real estate not through watching his father’s business grow, but as a student at USC when he majored in Public Policy, Planning, and Development, with a specialty in Real Estate Development. “It was this that sparked my interest and enticed me to ask more questions and learn more from my father about his business,” he explains.

Though he found his interest in real estate independently, Rodman is grateful to be able to work with family. “I am lucky to have a great mentor constantly around to help me learn the business and get past new challenges. With every transaction comes a new, unpredictable challenge, and the best way to deal with that is with the guidance of someone with experience. The challenging part is reminding myself that my father is a colleague with much more experience than me, and someone to be learned from. At times, I find myself thinking like a son, that his methods may be outdated, but I find that his experience usually proves me wrong in my doubts.”

Rodman’s specialty is Redondo Beach, Torrance, and the rest of the South Bay. He grew up in Redondo Beach and Merit Real Estate has always been based there, seen as a neighborhood expert. “Each area in the South Bay has its own unique identity, but what we all have in common is the lifestyle. We are the best-kept secret of LA…we have the LA scenery and weather, without the LA lifestyle. We move at our own pace, and embrace more of the laid-back, beach lifestyle, contrary to what most would think of the LA area.”