Navigating Challenges and Building Relationships in Commercial Real Estate
Years with company/firm: 2
Years in field: 2
Years in real estate industry: 2
How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry?
I positively contribute to my organization by being a team player and a resource that is there for all. Whether I am asked to do valuation analytics surrounding one of our executive teams listings, or help move boxes from the lobby for our office administration, if I am able I am willing. I believe that within any internal task that needs completing, there is always an opportunity to learn and sharpen a skill set or further develop a mutually beneficial relationship. Being early on in my career, the main contribution I make to the industry is supplying everyone I conduct business for with the same diligence. Whether it’s the sale of a 100,000 s/f warehouse or a year-and-a-half sublease, all my clients should feel as if they are being taken care of to the highest standard.
Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career?
The strongest influence in my career so far has been the different mentors Ive worked with throughout my time in the mentorship program at Blau and Berg. By working alongside industry veterans like Jason Crimmins and Alex Conte I was able to learn firsthand the skills and attributes that make a successful broker as well as gain experience within the deal making process that would not have come until much later in my career. I believe the implementation of this program allows for young professionals like me to develop at a much quicker pace because I always have a resource I can turn to that is proven in the business.
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 began my career as a real estate broker just six months after graduating from Penn State University. Initially, I started my undergraduate program studying finance with goals to do wealth management at a global firm upon graduating, yet my plans quickly changed after diving deeper into the different asset classes. I immediately gravitated towards real estate, as I felt my understanding of how to analyze, value, and converse around real estate was much more fluent than any other asset class. After graduating with a certificate in real estate analysis and development and starting my job search, I quickly realized that beginning my career with a desk job at a massive firm wasn’t for me. What excited me was the thought of working for a company and a team that had a strong sense of family, allowing me to learn firsthand from industry veterans and executives while subsequently being on the road, in front of all different types of players within the real estate industry. Luckily this is the exact opportunity that being a broker at Blau and Berg has given me.
What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession?
I believe the combination of my behavioral and technical skillsets are what allows me to be successful in my profession. Within brokerage it is essential to all deals that you can not only conceptualize the financials of a property but manage the different relationships within a transaction by effectively communicating. I believe almost all my life experiences growing up have developed essential qualities which will allow me to be successful in this business. By consistently conversing with business professionals from the age of 13 as a golf caddy, playing on sports teams all four seasons of the year up until college, and always gravitating towards math related curriculums in school I believe I was able to become well rounded in relationship building, communicating, and analytics.
What is the funniest, most unique situation you have faced/conquered during your career? Or in your life?
The most unique situation I have faced within my career so far is starting a job that is heavily reliant on in-person interactions at the back end of a global pandemic. The biggest obstacle when beginning in brokerage was finding a way to get in-front of potential clients without them feeling uncomfortable or at risk of getting sick, a challenge that was unique to everyone, no matter how successful they were in the industry. For the first year of my career, I had to try new prospecting tactics to ensure that the property owners I was trying to connect were willing to meet face-to-face before showing up to their property. This included practices like an initial online outreach to potential clients ensuring they were okay with me coming to their building and utilizing different technologies to make online meetings feel more personal.
What inspiring advice would you give to a young executive graduating from college?
Once piece of advice I would give to a young executive graduating from college is to be resilient in everything they do, especially your career. One of the first things you learn when entering the work force is how little you actually know about the job you took and the industry you are in. While college makes you book smart, the only way to really grow into your profession is learning through experiences and from your own failures. The ones who eventually win are those who choose to pull the lesson from their mistakes and improve because of it. There is always good in the bad; find it, learn from it, and keep moving on.
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