Christopher Dale | Senior Associate | Marcus & Millichap
Years with company/firm: 4
Years in field: 4
Years in real estate industry: 4
Real estate organizations/ affiliations: National Office and Industrial Properties Group;
Healthcare Real Estate Group
What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
I am very proud of my first closing on an office building in 2019. I learned the value of honesty and patience, and realized this was the profession I wanted to be in. However, my greatest professional accomplishment was representing a group of doctors on a purchase of a value-add property right at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The stock market was plunging and the tenant filed for bankruptcy while we were under contract. We negotiated a re-trade, navigated bankruptcy complications and ultimately advised our clients on a game plan through it all. The buyer group executed our game plan in less than a year with better than anticipated results. It felt terrific to quarterback the project through its entirety and see a community benefit as a result.
How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry?
I consult and strategize with my partners to ensure we provide the best representation to each client even if that means, as it often does, passing business along to a colleague who can better execute on their behalf. I strongly believe this system is important to our company’s success. When it is the client that is priority one, the company succeeds and that allows all the members of the team to succeed.
Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career?
My mom and dad easily have the greatest influence on my career. I am sure this sounds like a broken record, but I would not have had the same level of success without their undying support and encouragement. This business has a lot of highs and lows, so it is nice to know they have my back through thick and thin. I also want to acknowledge my godfather, Mark Betts. He has been instrumental in helping me decide my career path and mentoring me along the way. Mark continues to teach me about the business and serves as a role model. He is someone to whom I owe much of my success.
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?
Before starting at Marcus & Millichap, I interned for A.J. Dwoskin & Associates during the summer after my third year at the University of Virginia. I got a valuable taste of the commercial real estate industry and knew it was where I wanted to be. In many ways, I stumbled into what I knew within the first week of what would be my career. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2017, I wanted to be in investment sales and be a part of as many transactions as possible to learn the business first hand, as quickly as possible. I joined Bob Filley and Randall Heilig on Marcus & Millichap’s office and industrial team and was fortunate to get two fantastic mentors who have helped me with every deal at every step of the way. A lot of my success can be attributed to luck, starting with A.J. Dwoskin & Associates, and I know I was very lucky to join Bob’s team and have Randall take me under his wing. Also, it has been incredibly valuable to learn from Randall’s experience and witness the professionalism he brings to each deal. I am where I am today because of luck, amazing mentorship and hard work.