A contagious passion and culture of selfimprovement keep the team at CityPlat, LLC, at the forefront of Raleigh’s explosive commercial real estate market.
Nikita Zhitov was a teenager when he emigrated from Siberia to the U.S. with his family. While in high school at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, he shadowed a local real estate investor. What he discovered was more akin to a team sport than work, and he was hooked. Zhitov transacted his first commercial real estate investment deal when he was only 18 years old.
“The more I learned about real estate, the more I loved it,” he explains. “I became obsessed. I still research properties in my spare time and seek out new information and strategies to improve my craft.”
Zhitov’s passion for real estate evolved into CityPlat, a full-service commercial real estate investment firm that believes real estate has the power to enrich and transform lives. Each member of the CityPlat team shares a genuine excitement for the industry along with the desire to learn and improve.
“When you’re truly excited about developing as both a professional and as a person, you bring an almost boundless energy to your work,” Zhitov says. “That passion and energy is the driving force behind the mutual success of the CityPlat team and our investment partners.”
ENRICHING COMMUNITIES
While currently expanding throughout North Carolina, CityPlat remains focused on the state’s Triangle area market—and it’s a hot one. With three top-tier research universities, more than 4,000 IT companies, and the worldrenowned Research Triangle Park—not to mention close proximity to both the ocean and mountains—the region continues to attract a wave of experienced professionals and companies relocating from across the U.S.
With this growth comes the importance of preserving and repurposing previously developed properties and leveraging urban infill opportunities. This not only keeps rental rates down and provides more housing units, but it also makes the city a more attractive and accommodating place to live.
“We develop properties designed to foster intelligent growth for the region,” says Zhitov. “Whether it’s multifamily, student housing, industrial, or office space, if there’s a need, CityPlat finds an investment-driven solution.”
COMMITMENT TO GROWTH
Every member of the CityPlat team, whether they are new broker/investors or seasoned veterans, shares a commitment to personal development.
“Everyone in the company reads books, learns new skills, or otherwise pursues new knowledge on a weekly basis,” says Zhitov. “This creates a culture of competition within each of us to grow as human beings.”
Each week, the team discusses what they’ve learned. This builds camaraderie, inspires a positive mindset, and makes the company feel more like a family.
“When you’re learning something new, your brain forms new neural connections,” says Zhitov. “The more you learn, the stronger these connections become, leading to new habits and a new state of being. At CityPlat, we strive to bring intelligence, curiosity, and authentic human connection to every deal, every decision, and every relationship.”