Broker By Nature: How Patrick E. Brake III followed his calling and built a career in CRE

As a director at RIPCO, Brake credits mentorship, grit, and a people-first mindset for shaping his career

Patrick E. Brake III

Director

Years with company/firm: 7

Years in field: 7

Years in real estate industry: 7

Real estate organizations/affiliations: ICSC

Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career?

Curtis Nassau has been the biggest influence in my career to date. Curt hired me to help service some of the many accounts he has that we now share. I looked up to Curtis from the day I started in the industry. He has helped me achieve more than I thought was possible. His work ethic, drive, and ability to maintain relationships have been a constant example for me.

What impact has social media/networking had on your career?

I like to think of myself as having an ‘old school’ mentality. My business benefits more from face-to-face interactions, and classic camaraderie that’s been established from continuing to engage with both old clients, and introduce myself to new people. Social media has helped me, as I post deals I’ve closed. This also is a way to gain traction with people whom I may not be able to rely on a face-to-face interaction.

Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you chose the field/profession you are in today?

I always wanted to be a broker. If you had the chance to ask my friends closest to me, even my friends from high school, this is the profession they would all say.

Joe Morris at Edgewood Properties is the person I owe my start and strong foundation to. Joe took a big chance on me; I knew next to nothing about the business, but I was confident in myself. He held my hand, gave me tough love, and most importantly, the room to fail. I started out doing in-house leasing for Edgewood. To Joe’s credit, he was patient and taught me all the fundamentals needed to be successful as a professional: how to write, dress, carry myself, and prepare. Those lessons still serve me today.

What unique qualities and or personality do you feel make you most successful in your profession?

My understanding of people/anticipating needs. It is a people business first. Every successful broker has to deal with difficult situations. Dealing with these situations and seeing what motivates people in different perspectives can give real insight on how to get a deal done, or at least push it close to the finish line. I have found that my ability to stay calm, cool, and collected has given me the tools to be successful.

What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to become as successful as you are today?

Delayed gratification is easily a challenge, I feel that most brokers leave the industry for. This isn’t because they don’t have what it takes to be a successful broker; however, they lack the patience to wait to get paid and to stick it out through the difficult times. Everyone always says it takes three years to start making real money, but each person thinks individually that they’re different and it doesn’t apply to them. It doesn’t matter how many deals you close, how big the fees are; it will still take time to get paid. Permits take longer than you would like, and a tenant's build-out may not go as planned. There is a plethora of delays that you run into before the tenant starts paying rent. I told myself after two years at RIPCO that I’m a broker, for better or worse, so when I change my mindset of thinking that there’s going to be some good days and some bad days, and even some days in the middle, that the roller coaster would affect me last it still does but it’s a little easier to stomach.

What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduating from college?

Never stop trying. In anything. If there is a person or company you want to work for, apply. Make a connection and chase your dream, whatever that may be. If I stopped trying, I wouldn’t be working at Ripco, and I for sure wouldn’t have had the opportunities to work on deals that I have now been able to close today.