Patrick Norris | Director | Colliers
Years with company/firm: 5
Years in field: 6
Years in real estate industry: 6
Real estate organizations/affiliations: NAIOP, ICSC, IOREBA
What is your most notable project, deal or transaction?
I worked on one of the largest national receivership cases consisting of 72 multi-family assets across the state of New Jersey. Our team worked with the receiver, lenders, and servicers across the capital stack. Through this we have been able to create a niche focusing on multi-family assets in servicing, as well as with lenders and borrowers to achieve maximum proceeds for properties nearing maturity or that may have potential challenges.
How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry?
I enjoy networking to bring in new leads, as well as learning about the business through attending conferences and meetings with industry insiders.
What impact has social media/networking had on your career?
Social media has been a powerful tool for me to market properties, as well as to connect with potential sellers and interested investors. Being able to measure metrics and the source of different leads is key. We are noticing that social media has helped expand our reach to connect with new and emerging buyers. For example, I have received several leads to sell properties through LinkedIn alone, and the other platforms help me to stay updated on trends and new emerging investors in the marketplace.
Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you choose the field/profession you are in today?
I majored in Real Estate at the University of Georgia and had several internships in commercial real estate before graduating in 2016. I was fortunate to become a broker right out of college starting in leasing and transitioning into investment sales.
What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession?
I try to balance confidence and humility. I like to study the senior brokers at my company, as well as those at my competitors. It remains a competitive business—you don’t provide a great service to your clients if you aren’t constantly learning and growing. It’s also important to keep communications with clients highly personal -- staying away from emails and focusing on connecting with them through meetings and phone calls.
What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduating from college?
The best advice to a recent college graduate interested in pursuing a career in commercial real estate is to work with a team that does a high volume of deals. Being exposed to a lot of transactions with a variety of product types, geography and risk profile is the quickest way to learn the business. Every deal presents new challenges and opportunities to learn to problem solve.