Meet The Next Generation of Leaders in MAREJ's 30 Under 30

Jordan N. Sobel | Director | Cushman & Wakefield

Years with company/firm: 4 Years

Years in field: 6 Years

Years in real estate industry: 6 Years

Real estate organizations/affiliations:

Cushman & Wakefield Future Leaders Employee Resource Group

What is your greatest professional accomplishment?

I graduated from college six years ago with a degree in Finance. My first job was a land acquisition analyst which provided me a fundamental foundation. It fed the curiosity that drove me further into the facets of real estate and gave merit to my desire to be client-facing. I took the initiative to network and obtained a job at Cushman & Wakefield as an Investment Sales Associate on the Capital Markets Team. Within my first three years, I have accomplished closing over 70 deals, representing over $500 million in real estate transactions.

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

I would not be where I am today without the support of Andy Schwartz. Andy pushes me everyday to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be. Every successful person emphasizes the importance of having a mentor and I am extremely fortunate to be able to learn from Andy.

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?

After graduating college, my first job was at K. Hovnanian Homes as a Land Acquisition Analyst. I always knew I wanted to be client-facing. I reached out to the only network I had in real estate, my realtor who sold me my condo back in 2018. I ended up networking my way through four channels to land an interview at Cushman & Wakefield. To put it simply, I knew real estate would be the most rewarding career for me. It fuels my everyday drive to be the best I can be while teaching me something new with each client, asset and transaction that comes my way.

What were some of your early goals and did anything happen to change them?

One of my first goals when starting my career was to truly understand real assets and how to underwrite them. To me, this is the foundation to any successful real estate career as you need to be able to determine the value of a property in order to properly execute an investment sale.

What was the most defining moment for you?

My second-round interview at Cushman & Wakefield. After speaking with members of the team, I was told: “You check all the boxes, but you don’t have any sales experience. Can you sell?” At this point, I did not want to leave anything on the table. I offered to do a mock sales pitch during the interview, and they took me up on my offer. I remember like it was yesterday. He slid his vitamin water across the table. It approached me in slow motion. To keep it short, let’s just say to this day that individual drinks vitamin water every day!

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

My qualities are not all together unique; however, I do see a tie between my ability to connect with clients and their repeat business. I have always been driven to do my best while maintaining a fair balance in life. Working as a server at a country club provided me with the positive reinforcement that I was destined to be in a client-facing role. I pride myself on my ability to connect with each client regardless of the transaction at hand. I am true to myself, and that seems to be working.

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

Follow your gut. If it does not feel right, that’s probably because it is not right. Most people are afraid to take chances, yet it is those who take chances that get ahead in life. Nothing is given in this world; you need to go out and get it yourself. People are not paid on how hard they work, they are paid based on how much risk they are willing to take.