5 for Friday with Louis D’Lando, CCIM from SVN | Angelic

Posted on October 25, 2019 by SVN

Louis D’Lando, SVN | Angelic

This month’s Five for Friday features Louis D’Lando, CCIM, who serves as a senior advisor and business development manager with SVN | Angelic based in Austin, TX.

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

I think the most important advice I could provide is know that you’re going to make mistakes. You need to learn and grow from your mistakes. Dissect where you came up short and think through how you could improve in the same or similar situation going forward.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is an important symbol of community. This kind of community enables and fosters growth, support, and business productivity. I’m thankful to be a part of it.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I am a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and highly recommend utilizing and leveraging the educational tools provided as a result of being part of this organization. They offer courses ranging from mathematical expertise to psychological and behavioral techniques as negotiating tactics. I have found these to be extremely helpful.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

One of my most memorable deals was actually one of my first deals just starting out in the business. It was a small leasehold interest deal for an off-market single-tenant Kohl’s location in Tallahassee, Florida. I called on a public REIT that would consider accepting unsolicited offers on some non-core properties they owned. I approached another public REIT that specialized in acquiring single-tenant real estate, they liked it and decided to move quickly. Soon thereafter, they closed on the property. It was memorable because it showed me I knew the right contacts to complete transactions in this business and gave me the confidence I would need to move forward.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

My wife and I are expecting our second daughter this coming Spring, so I’m working feverishly on putting together as many deals as I can! If you have daughters you’ll know what I mean!

Develop your career in commercial real estate with SVN. Check out our career opportunities.

5 for Friday Double Header: David Gilmore and Louis Fisher of SVN Auction Services

Posted on August 23, 2019 by SVN

We are posting August’s Five for Friday early to give you enough time to read our double-header! Since SVN is focused on Accelerated Sales and Auctions in August, this month we feature Louis B. Fisher III , CAI, National Director and David E. Gilmore CCIM, CAI, AARE, Marketing/Operations, Managing Director, who are both part of the SVN Auction/Accelerated Sales Services team specializing in government auctions and bankruptcy.

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Fisher: I’d give two main pieces of advice. First, choose a successful mentor to shadow. And second, learn the power to say NO to clients with unrealistic expectations

Gilmore: I also have two pieces of advice. Number one is learn good sales techniques for the real estate business. And number two is to hire a coach.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Fisher: Collaboration, and ability to have doors opened to opportunities otherwise not available.

Gilmore: It means an international group of professionals collaborating and sharing, all for the benefit of the client.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Fisher: Attend SVN’s Annual Conference every year. It’s invaluable for learning and making connections.

Gilmore: I recommend the Sandler Sales Institute’s books and programs. Sandler teaches you how to ask questions, find the prospect’s pain, and close the sale. And, get into a Vistage group.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

Fisher: It was a contract that came from the State of Utah Department of Transportation to sell all state-owned surplus parcels through a newly created online auction program with the entire legislature’s support. The development of this program has created a successful public and private partnership not ever seen previously.

Gilmore: Mine was in August 2005. I auctioned an office building in New Orleans on Friday for $800,000. I then evacuated to Tunica, MS for the impending arrival of Hurricane Katrina on Saturday. On Sunday, I flew to Michigan to help Louis Fisher auction a $31.5 million former psychiatric hospital for the State of Michigan. Meanwhile, I watched Katrina flood my hometown. After, I lived in a casino hotel for three weeks while working on a $10.8 million auction in Oklahoma City. Both good times and bad times, but certainly memorable.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Fisher: I played two years of collegiate basketball, and never saw a shot I didn’t like or wouldn’t take.

Gilmore: I have always had a desire to be a rock and roll drummer. When I was about seven years old, my dad said, “We can afford to buy you a drum or a set of shoulder pads for football.” I chose the shoulder pads. It was a good decision, as football paid for my college degree. Many of you that know me probably think I played too many games without a helmet, but that’s another story…..

Develop your career in commercial real estate with SVN. Check out our career opportunities.

5 for Friday with Sanjay Mundra of SVN Hotels

Posted on July 26, 2019 by SVN

Sanjay Mundra, Hospitality Product Council Chair

July has been earmarked as hospitality month here at SVN, so we interviewed Sanjay Mundra, Hospitality Product Council chair, and CEO of SVN Hotels.

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Hotel Brokerage is a niche business and there are limited players on a national scale. My advice to an aspiring Advisor would be to join the Hospitality Product Council immediately. Our council can provide basics of the hotel business, and help you specialize in this niche asset class.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Primarily the culture. I have enjoyed the collaborative nature of the Managing Directors, Advisors and offices. As a national platform for Hotels, the deep reach to local expertise and international brand has been phenomenal.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I strongly recommend attending the monthly Hospitality Product Council calls, and reaching out to the Hospitality council for a “Hospitality 101” manual. SVN Advisors should also visit the SVN Hotels website and review the “Broker’s Resources” section to get insight to valuable tools.

What inspired you to open an SVN franchise? Or, why did you join SVN?

SVN had a need and our investor group was extremely excited that SVNIC had the vision to make SVN Hotels a national platform with expertise in hospitality. This has helped our Advisors to collaborate across state lines to make deals happen.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

My most memorable deal was last year when we sold a Holiday Inn Hotel in North Carolina where the seller was an institutional owner and the buyer was a small, local family. The sophistication level of these parties was substantially apart. It took several months to put the deal together, since it kept falling apart a few times along the way. The seller was used to complicated debt structures, and the buyer was struggling to close the loan with SBA Program. It took a great deal of hand-holding to finally close the deal. It felt like we were representing the buyer while in fact we were representing the institutional investor. In the end both parties were fully satisfied and SVN Hotels is now doing business with both the buyer and seller.

Interested in a commercial real estate career? Why not check out the SVN Careers page.

5 for Friday with Neil Johnson, Leasing Product Council Co-Chair

Posted on June 28, 2019 by SVN

June has been designated as leasing month here at SVN, and to cap it off, this Friday we have a special Five for Friday double header, as we interview both co-chairs of SVN’s Leasing Product Council.

Neil Johnson is managing director at SVN | Landmark Commercial Real Estate in Geneva, Illinois. His geograhic area of focus includes the Western suburbs of Chicago, where he specializes in the industrial, land & development, office and retail markets.

Neil Johnson

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

There are several pieces of advice:

Develop encyclopedic knowledge of a defined product and/or geographic market.
Network aggressively and get to know the various local “influencers” in addition to the property owners.
Work hard to establish lasting relationships with elected officials, city staff, chambers of commerce, lenders, attorneys, architects, contractors, etc.
Finally, be persistent and uncompromisingly ethical.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

In our suburban market, SVN represents the unique combination of local expertise and national reach. Our clients benefit from the depth, resources and network of a leading international company, together with the established presence and relationships of a local office. I especially value the deep-seated SVN culture of cooperation both within the company and with the entire brokerage community.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I would particularly encourage every SVN Advisor – regardless of their tenure or success – to take advantage of the wide variety of calls, meetings and training resources within the company. Attend the various conferences, listen to the speakers, and get to know advisors from other markets. Participate in and contribute to the specialty council calls for your product interests. Listen to Solomon Poretsky’s best practice calls and John McDermott’s Saturday calls. Finally, explore the wealth of topical training resources in the System For Growth (S4G).

What was your most memorable deal and why?

My most memorable deal is probably the off-market sale of a 1.1 million sf enclosed regional mall. It started as a leasing assignment from a cold call. However, as a result of seven years of prior bank ownership, the tenants had already begun evacuating the property. The two owners were at odds and the mall was not going to turn around without new ownership. Joel Miller and I managed to secure a new buyer group. Part of what made this deal memorable was that one of the sellers died before the contract was finalized, and he did not have any succession arrangements. Most of his beneficiaries were in China and did not have U.S. real estate experience. The entire transaction required a lot of finesse and diplomacy to guide through to closing.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

There are two things:

1) I hitchhiked more than 20,000 miles across the United States and in Europe during my early 20’s;

2) I worked in the computer industry for over 20 years doing systems design and programming, and founded a software consulting firm in Chicago.

Find out more about commercial real estate leasing as a career choice by visiting SVN’s Leasing Specialty page.

5 for Friday with Walt Arnold, Leasing Product Council Co-Chair

Posted on June 28, 2019 by SVN

Walt Arnold, CCIM, SIOR

Walt Arnold, CCIM, SIOR, is managing director at SVN | Walt Arnold Commercial Brokerage, Inc., in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There, he specializes in the office market.

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

My advice would be to soak up as much information as possible in the quickest amount of time. Literally, be a sponge and absorb everything. At SVN, S4G is an excellent tool to get started in the commercial real estate industry. Read as many periodicals (for example, the CCIM magazine and the SIOR magazine) as you can. Additionally, avail yourself of any other magazine, book, blog or video where you can learn about commercial real estate, and specifically the area of commercial real estate you are interested in. Another strategy is to learn from others who have been in the industry for long time, that is, seek out a mentor who will help you learn and understand the process of leasing or sales. Your mentor’s knowledge and experience will help you shrink the learning curve and create a faster path to success.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference for me is a cultural of collaboration and professionalism created through our Advisors and our Core Covenants. Sharing our fees 50-50 with the brokerage community encourages brokers to bring their buyers and tenants to our properties, which in turn allows our owners and landlords the best opportunity to sell or lease at the highest price and achieve the best deal for them.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

There are several ways you can learn more. Here are a few suggestions:

Complete the S4G modules, review the SVN dashboard and look for opportunities to learn within the dashboard.
Join a Product Council and get involved in a specialty area of commercial real estate.
Get involved in the local CCIM chapter in the local commercial real estate board.
Look for newsfeeds, magazines, websites and blogs that are geared commercial real estate.

What inspired you to open an SVN franchise? Or, why did you join SVN?

I had arrived at a point in my career where I felt it was important to be part of a larger organization. I was introduced to SVN and right from beginning, I found that it was a good fit for me. The Core Covenants and the SVN Difference resonated with me and I embraced it and have enjoyed every moment since I joined the company. The corporate officers, staff and Advisors throughout the company are exceptional.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I played football and baseball at the University of New Mexico. I went on to play professional football in the NFL for eight years as a tight end, mostly with the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Interested in pursuing a career in commercial real estate leasing? Learn more at SVN’s Leasing page.

5 for Friday with Deena Zimmerman of SVN Chicago

Posted on May 31, 2019 by SVN

This month’s Five for Friday is all about Deena Zimmerman, Vice President of SVN Chicago. Deena specializes in tenant and buyer representation, and works in the Chicagoland market. She has won numerous awards, including the SVN Chicago Commercial Centurion Club Award for her achievements in sales/leasing.

Deena Zimmerman, VP, SVN Chicago

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Find an incredible senior advisor/mentor to work with and shadow and NEVER, EVER be afraid to ask for help, just check your ego at the door and ask TONS of questions. And never lose that instinct to ask for help as you grow and advance in your business. Commercial real estate can be such an ego-driven industry, but you have to always check yourself, take your ego out of it, and just listen and learn. I would give this advice to somebody in the business 20 years. Every deal, client and experience is so different, and all provide learning opportunities.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Collaboration and support. It’s being an expert in your area of specialty and sharing that knowledge to help others. It’s the support on all levels-within my own office who I consider my family, plus the support and collaboration within other SVN offices across the world, straight on up to the corporate office. Their support and advice has been incredible. And I am so grateful for the outside-the-box thinking and brainstorming. Everybody is so accessible and supportive that I can’t use that word “supportive” enough!

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I am a voracious reader every single day. My daily go-tos are Crains, Bisnow, Plain Vanilla Shell, Restaurant News, Franchise Times, and Shopping Centers Today. As to books, I recommend You are a Bad Ass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, Goals by Brian Tracy (the best book John McDermott ever recommended!). Also, I love ANYTHING by by Brene Brown (books, podcast, Netflix).

What was your most memorable deal and why?

My most memorable deal was the deal where I made my first six figure commission. I had a negative guy in the office I worked in at the time and, believe it or not, another one in my personal life at that time tell me that I was never going to see a commission like that. It was disheartening because I knew they were wrong. But one day I just turned off all of their chatter in my head and focused on negotiating the best deal for my client, even if that meant walking away from the deal. I asked for help from my mentor/owner of the company to help me see beyond the deal and think really outside the box. The commission was rewarding of course, but what I remember most about that deal was what I learned and how cool it is to get super creative and outside the box in a deal. I think about that in every deal I have done since. Not everything is cookie cutter.

Fun fact to add about that deal is that I represented the tenant in that deal, while two Advisors at SVN Chicago (at the time it was Sperry Van Ness!) represented the landlord. They were just amazing to work with and they worked right outside the box with me to get a truly awesome deal done for both sides. And now that we are all in the same office I get to partner with these guys on various assignments that come our way. I look back and think how much that experience bonded us and what incredible professionals they were, and are.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I was born and raised in Minnesota in a very outdoorsy family, and I absolute adore fishing and hiking. If you can’t find me in the summer, chances are solid that I am on a boat or on a trail somewhere.

If you want to start or advance your career in commercial real estate, why not check out SVN’s career opportunities here.

5 for Friday with Diane Danielson, COO of SVN

Posted on April 26, 2019 by SVN

SVN’s COO Diane Danielson, featured on this month’s Five for Friday, received the 2019 Leadership Award from CREW Boston this past Wednesday, April 24. Diane has been COO at SVN since 2012, and leads the company’s and the industry’s efforts to be more inclusive and diverse.

Diane and her son at the 2018 World Cup in Russia

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

My best advice is to “systematize,” that is, create a system that is sustainable and consistently moves you to achieving your goals. It should include structures and routines that help you achieve the fundamentals of CRE (underwriting, building a database, making calls, etc.). A long term plan would include accessing training and coaching opportunities, and also looking into CCIM and other opportunities for accreditation.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is grounded in the belief that collaboration creates value for clients, colleagues and communities. The SVN Difference thrives in an environment of transparency and abundance and it’s how our SVN Advisors win business and create happy and healthy client relationships.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

This year, I’m recommending The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win by Jeff Haden. Basically it’s a primer for systematization, which is the secret sauce to becoming a high achiever.

Why did you join SVN?

I had left commercial real estate for a few years, and was hesitant to come back. But the SVN® brand – the platform, the people and the philosophy — aligned with my personal values. First, SVN leverages both technology and the franchise model to empower local leadership – and in CRE, being local matters as much as being globally connected SVN balances the two for even the smallest markets. Second, the people at SVN are predisposed to collaborate to benefit our clients — at our headquarters and in our local offices. This is surprisingly unique in the CRE industry. Finally, the most compelling factor was, and still remains, the SVN brand’s dedication to inclusion and diversity. SVN is a forward-thinking firm and walks the walk when it comes to advocating for inclusion as a competitive advantage.

(Editor’s note: Diane has written a white paper on the importance of diversity and inclusion that will be published shortly.)

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

While I may soon have to retire my cleats for good, I’ve been playing competitive soccer for most of the past 40+ years. As an early beneficiary of Title IX (passed in 1971) I can claim that I wore #9 on the soccer field before Mia Hamm was even born. Due to a bad soccer injury in my teens, I ended temporarily switching sports and played tennis in college at Colgate University, but returned to the soccer field in my 20s and been playing ever since. The highlight of my last year was taking my son and father to a World Cup game in St. Petersburg, Russia! And, I will be rooting for our US women’s team in the World Cup this summer! Go #USWNT!

SVN advocates for diversity and inclusion, and offers career opportunities to women and men of different backgrounds.

5 for Friday with Jon Davis of SVN Vanguard

Posted on February 22, 2019 by SVN

This month, Five for Friday puts the spotlight on 2017 Partner Circle award-winner Jon Davis, Vice President at SVN Vanguard in Santa Ana, California. There, he specializes in the industrial, land & development, multifamily, office and retail markets.

Jon Davis, VP, SVN Vanguard

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Be consistent and work your plan day in and day out. I have tried my best to “work all the time at work” and remove distractions as much as possible. Given time, as long as you have a plan and work that plan, you will be successful. Do not be afraid of cold calling and always call. Calling is the cheapest way to get a leg up in our industry.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

I think having SVN’s collaborative structure is very powerful in our industry and truly creates an advantage when talking to owners and future clients. It is very powerful to deliver the 9.6% higher sale price message when meeting with owners. The ability to look at other real estate brokers as partners rather than competitors brings weight to an owner meeting, and is a powerful message they do not typically hear. Additionally, having the ability to leverage our international platform has helped scale up our business.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

When I am driving, I like to listen to personal development audiobooks. I also like to read a local online media platform called RenTV (real estate news), along with reviewing RCA, Orange County Business Journal, Western Real Estate News, and Globe Street to name a few. I would also suggest daily monitoring of what trades in your market, whether that be leases, sales, new listings, etc.

What inspired you to join SVN?

In 2010, after I graduated from Chapman University, I began working with Cameron Irons, who at the time had a smaller, boutique, commercial real estate office. Around the end of 2013, Cameron decided to join the SVN family and acquired a franchise. I have been lucky to work with Cameron from the start of joining SVN, and wouldn’t change a thing.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

I’d probably have to say my most memorable deal was my first deal, which was also my smallest sale, as it was the introduction to my most valuable client. I had a north Orange County (California) four-unit apartment building for sale and was contacted by an exchange buyer looking to diversify into a smaller multi-family property. We discussed the deal at length, along with other investment criteria and strategies. Oddly enough, that client wasn’t able to purchase the deal as it was in escrow with a different buyer, non-contingent, and set to close within a week (which it did, thankfully). That first property and first call created a relationship that has led to multiple deals with that client, and many more to come.

Considering a career in commercial real estate? Visit the SVN Careers page.

New Year’s Resolution: Learn More!

Posted on January 30, 2019 by SVN

How are your New Year’s resolutions faring now that January is almost over? It’s never too late to create new resolutions or work on existing one, and we are here to help. Based on our Five for Friday interviews of 2018, we are presenting you with a list of books and resources recommended by SVN Associates across the country that will help build your sales, business, and marketing skills. And if your resolution is to read more this year, you have a great list from which to start.

Most recommended

Two books were recommended by several associates. They are:

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Brokers Who Dominate by Rod Santomassimo

Reading list

Some other recommended books recommended include the following, listed in alphabetical order by author:

Freakanomics by Stephen J. Dubner

The Purple Cow by Seth Godin

Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S. Grover

Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

Teams Who Dominate by Rod Santomassimo

Scrappy by Terri Sjodin

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on it by Chris Voss

Learning resources

Some of our SVN Associates recommend taking classes and getting accredited by the following institutions:

The CCIM Institute

IREM: Institute of Real Estate Management

We hope that this list provides some value as you work to achieve your resolutions and goals for 2019.

Do you have a favorite book or resource? Please feel free to share in the comments.

5 for Friday with Erik Egelko, SVN Asset Advisory Group

Posted on January 25, 2019 by SVN

Our first Five for Friday of 2019 features Erik Egelko, Vice President at SVN | Asset Advisory Group in San Diego. There, he specializes in the office and retail commercial real estate markets.

Erik Egelko, VP, SVN | Asset Advisory Group

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Create a morning routine and stick to it. I arrive at work every morning at 6:30 a.m. and have the the first three and a half hours of my day planned out ahead of time. The goal is to get more done before 10 a.m. than my competitors will get done all day. By religiously sticking to this plan, I closed 42 transactions in 2018.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

My market is highly saturated with brokers and SVN’s national platform gives me a leg up on local/regional competitors. Also, it is a great company culture, provides opportunity for growth, and has lucrative commission splits.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

There are three books I recommend:

The 50th Law by Robert Greene and 50 Cent

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

What was your most memorable deal and why?

Earlier this year, I sold a mixed use project earlier in which the seller had lived in for over 20 years. During those years, he had accumulated so much stuff that the interior and exterior of the property looked like an episode of Storage Wars. The day the escrow closed I stopped by to give the seller a closing gift. Despite the transaction being closed and recorded the seller was not even 50% moved out. I stayed at the property all night moving the client’s belongings. The next morning at the crack of dawn I rented a U-Haul truck and picked up three day laborers and by the next afternoon we had the property completely cleared out.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

My younger brother and I are born on the same day exactly four years apart.

Interested in pursuing a commercial real estate career? Check out the SVN Careers page.

5 for Friday with Damien Lanclos, CCIM

Posted on December 12, 2018 by SVN

As we near the end of the year, we make some time for our last Five for Friday interview of 2018. This time, we feature Partner Circle award winner Damien Lanclos, CCIM, Managing Director at SVN KD Lanclos & Associates. Damien’s product specialties are investment sales, land and development, multi-family, and self-storage. His market area is Augusta, Georgia and surroundings.

Damien Lanclos, CCIM

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Sprint, do not walk, to earn your CCIM designation. I came to the industry from the corporate pharmaceutical industry. So, not having an understanding of the terms and machinations of our industry was a glaring weakness. Needless to say, the CCIM education propelled me into speaking the language of my clients and afforded me the ability to advise them well relative to their needs.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

A client, when speaking to me about why their company was outstanding, said this: “a company is known by the people it keeps.” SVN is a great company due to the “can do” ethos it exhibits.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

There are many adages in our industry, and two that we hear often are: “under all lies the land” and “it’s all about the rent.” I highly recommend taking CCIM instructor Jeff Englestad’s course on real estate development. It’s a very granular look at the answer to an email question I often get: “what is the land worth?” Understanding the dynamics of land acquisition costs, improvements, construction costs, interest rates and yield spreads, gives me a deeper understanding of the important, underlying fundamentals of any deal.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

Last year I closed a $34,850,000 Multifamily Portfolio for developer clients for whom I have immense respect. The fact that they still speak glowingly about the transaction and my approach to the deal and the turns it took, to me, means a great deal.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Annually, my family and friends ride BRAG — the Bike Ride Across Georgia. BRAG is a week-long event where hundreds of cyclists ride approximately 60 miles a day through some of the most beautiful back roads and small towns — wonderful scenery! Thankfully, the route changes each year as last year’s route was in the mountains and it made me say “my bacon is achin’!” a few too many times.

Looking to pursue a career in commercial real estate? Check out the SVN careers page.

5 for Friday with Brian Resendez, CCIM of SVN Bluestone & Hockley

Posted on November 30, 2018 by SVN

To cap off November, Five for Friday features Brian Resendez, CCIM, a Senior Advisor at SVN | Bluestone & Hockley in Portland, Oregon. Brian is a Partner Circle Award winner who specializes in the hospitality, and land and development areas.

Brian Resendez, CCIM

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

I have four specific pieces of advice:

Get focused and specialize. Either find a asset class or geographic region, or both depending on your market size.
Create and grow your database. Begin your database on day one and track all owners, properties, and recent sales to create talking points to show owners and investors that you are the market expert. And be careful to only track what is necessary and no other superfluous data that will have zero ROI.
Be disciplined. Make calls, show up, and create an effective routine and stick to it. We all do this a little different from each other, but you must find your rhythm.
Create your own realistic goals, and a mantra you review and repeat on a regular schedule.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is about the corporate culture. It attracts great people who are honest and hard-working.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

A great resource is the CCIM Institute. I started going to local/regional CCIM Meetings to try to understand creative deal making, and although I have not done any deals with local CCIMs, I did learn a lot, and they all now know me as the local hotel expert.

Some books I recommend include:

Brokers Who Dominate by Rod Santomassimo

Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller

Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller

What was your most memorable deal and why?

The Hampton Inn in Eugene, OR might be the most memorable deal I have been involved with. The seller challenged us throughout the deal from the time we did our BOV until after closing. The most memorable part of this was getting to the finish line, and then finding out that the property was built a few feet over the property line and was actually on the neighbor’s property! Unbelievably, the builder, subsequent buyer, bank and others throughout multiple financing and refinancing events never caught this. The issue was that the previous land survey was pulling the wrong survey pins. When we found out, the neighbor was not willing to cooperate for months. In the end, he did cooperate, but it took a grueling amount of work and effort to get it done.

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

There are a few things that make me who I am:

I pray most mornings. This includes an Abundance Prayer and my own mantra.

I play mandolin and violin in a band called Slippery Slope.

I was a ski bum in Steamboat, CO for a year and recommend everybody take a year off to play and find yourself.

Is a career in commercial real estate in your future? If so, there many opportunities with SVN.

5 for Friday with Alex Ruggieri of SVN Ramshaw

Posted on November 16, 2018 by SVN

The spotlight today is on Partner Circle award-winner Alex Ruggieri, CRE, CCIM, SEC, CIPS, MBA, who is vice president of SVN | Ramshaw Real Estate, Inc. in Champaign, Illinois. Mr. Ruggieri specializes in industrial, multifamily and office commercial real estate, in the Champaign and Urbana areas of Illinois, and throughout the Midwest.

Alex Ruggieri, VP, SVN | Ramshaw Real Estate, Inc.

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

I’d say you have to get involved. You should also have a plan, and be prepared to follow your plan.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is the culture of support, and the tools that help me compete.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I recommend The Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

I sold a very large portfolio, worth $22mm for a Region REIT last year. It was memorable because the CEO personally called me to handle it, and it resulted in my largest fee ever!

List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

As part of my pro-bono work in the community, I do a local talk radio show. I interview top business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and other movers and shakers. They don’t pay me to do it, but after years on the show have made me a local celebrity, and brought me a lot of business too!

Looking for a successful career in commercial real estate? Check out opportunities with SVN.

5 for Friday with Jeff Cline of SVN SFRhub Advisors

Posted on November 2, 2018 by SVN

We start November with this Five for Friday, which features Jeff Cline, Executive Managing Director/Principal of SVN | SFRhub Advisors in Phoenix, Arizona. Jeff specializes in SFR (single family residential) investments, and handles transactions throughout the United States.

Jeff Cline, Managing Director, SVN | SFRhub Advisors

What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

The CRE industry is a great opportunity for new advisors. I would recommend teaming up with the top group practicing in the segment you are most interested in. The commission splits may be less to start, but the experience, contacts and process you will learn is well worth the investment. Also, research the SFR Investment Portfolio space. It’s new, but it’s the largest CRE segment in the past four years and has about $3-$4 trillion market depth the next five years.

What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Joining the SVN network is best thing that my business partner Michael Finch and I have done. The collaboration with offices and advisors has been amazing. We currently are collaborating with over twenty offices nationwide assisting local advisors in the SFR / BFR segment.

What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Rather than general business books, I believe it’s beneficial for an advisor to really target and understand technology optimization to enhance communication and efficiency. There are many applications available like never before to improve professionalism, knowledge and communication including Slack, Google Docs, and Asana. Also, it’s very important to know and understand Build Out, as this will create the best OM’s to impress clients!

What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

Michael Finch and I felt that the SVN Network is by far the only national CRE firm that would grow our business both locally and nationally through license portability collaboration. The training, expertise, system availability, and the opportunity to obtain support each day are very rarely seen in the CRE world.

What was your most memorable deal and why?

We are a new specialized platform within the SVN network, so deals are just beginning to transact. So far, the best deal was a small one where the original opportunity started with an SVN office lease sign in Florida. The client across the street had a SFR portfolio and called the local SVN office. Jerry Anderson in Florida then introduced SFRhub Advisors to the listing client. An SVN advisor in Arizona who had a Washington State buyer relationship then sold the listing. Collaboration is why this was a great deal, which was small in size, but huge in collaboration opportunity.

Explore careers in commercial real estate with SVN here.

5 for Friday with Mike Fusek, CCIM

Posted on October 19, 2018 by SVN

This week, we talk to recent SVN Partner Circle award-winner Mike Fusek, CCIM. Mike is a senior advisor at SVN Rankin Co., LLC in Springfield, Missouri, where he specializes in the industrial, office, restaurant and retail markets.

Mike Fusek, CCIM

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

First, find a mentor who is wiser, wealthier, and older than you. Age and experience offer a different life perspective and will save you time.

Second, learn to love your work, work hard, and make sure your family is your real priority. The money is fun, although not as rewarding as I always imagined. The journey is more rewarding than the pot of gold.

Third, if you only focus on tomorrow, you forget what is truly important today.

And lastly, only do it if you absolutely love it. Life is too short to not truly love what you do.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

People you can trust.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

The CCIM Institute.

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

Selling a four-acre property for Steve and Cassie Devine. They paid $60,000 for the rental house and land, hoped it was now worth $150,000, and I ended up selling it for $480,000. The sale (and the profits) completely changed their lives and Cassie was able to retire from seamstress job that she felt oppressed by. It was my most rewarding deal because they were so grateful, and it so radically changed their lives.

5.List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Deciding to ride my bike everywhere possible. Riding my bike meant that I drove fewer than 2,000 miles in the last year!

Learn more about CRE careers on the Careers with SVN page.

5 for Friday with Frank Sproviero, CPM

Posted on September 28, 2018 by SVN

Today, we feature a Five for Friday interview with Frank Sproviero, CPM of SVN Alliance Asset & Property Management in Charlotte, North Carolina. Frank specializes in property management, and is co-chair of the SVN Property Management Product Council.

Frank Sporviero, CPM

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

My advice to a new-to-the-business advisor would be two-fold: First, get educated in commercial real estate, whether through college classes or via a professional designation to learn the book knowledge of the industry. Second, associate yourself with a veteran broker or an accomplished team to learn the industry on the job.

Too often, I see new advisors coming in cold, expecting to close deals in their first month, without the ability to have a conversation with a property owner about their CRE needs, their physical properties or the local market trends in general.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference means a lot to me, and frankly, I believe it adds up to much more than the 9.6% increase in sales price. Cooperation among brokers is paramount in providing clients the professional service they deserve. The relationships built within the brokerage community when transactions are open to the public are amazing.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

My recommendation to colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers would be to get engaged with industry organizations; CCIM, SIOR, IREM. For me, as a property manager, I received my Certified Property Manager (CPM) professional designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), through their education programs. I’m affiliated with the local chapter, which provides access to continuing education and fellowship with other professionals in real estate management.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise? Or, why did you join SVN?

I affiliated my management company with SVN for multiple reasons, but the one that stands out the most is the level of communication, cooperation, camaraderie, and interaction between offices and advisors across the country, which is second to none. The affiliation with SVN has provided my office with opportunities to represent clients from other states, that were referred to me because they had an interest in investing in the markets that I work on a daily basis.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

When I’m not at the office, or at sports practices with my kids, I enjoy ornamental gardening as a pastime. I find it soothing and therapeutic to be out in nature, taking care of my lawn and landscaping.

Interested in furthering your career in property management? Check out the SVN Careers page.

5 for Friday with Ashley Bloom of SVN Florida

Posted on September 5, 2018 by SVN

Ashley Bloom, SVN Florida

We start September by sharing Five for Friday thoughts with SVN’s National Land & Development Services Product Council Chairman Ashley Bloom, from SVN Florida Commercial Real Estate Advisors. Ashley is based in Sarasota, Florida, and specializes in commercial land and development.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Work hard, have persistence, and engage with as many people and properties as you can. I would also recommend to find an asset class and specialty that you have a passion for, and become an expert in the area. With that expertise, you should be able to provide value to clients for an entire career.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference, to me, means that you put the client’s interest first. That difference calls for us to treat each listing as if we owned it ourselves. Within this philosophy, it means exposing our properties to the entire market, full collaboration with the brokerage community, providing quality due diligence, and going beyond what other brokers do to gain the trust of our clients.

3.What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

The Greatest Salesman in the World written by Og Mandino. Per the description, the book: “serves as a guide to a philosophy of salesmanship, and success, telling the story of Hafid, a poor camel boy who achieves a life of abundance.”

4. Why did you join SVN?

I was introduced to SVN through a land tract I owned that we were trying to sell. The contact at SVN put together a team that was from multiple offices, but was most qualified to dispose of the land. The team was successful where the previous broker was not. That contact happened to winter in Sarasota where I am based. Shortly after, I was involved with SVN.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

I closed a 1,287 acre tract in June 2018 to Florida Power and Light for the purpose of becoming a large solar farm. The deal took over three years from start to finish. It had almost every challenge you can face in a land transaction. Despite these issues, we were able to extract significant value for the client by finding this alternative (and sustainable) use. The amount of learning that came from this transaction is what makes it so memorable.

Bonus: List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I was recruited to play football at Lehigh University. Despite my height (well under 6 feet!), I played defensive tackle, weighing 252 pounds as an incoming freshman.

Want to explore a career in commercial real estate? Start with SVN! Check out our careers page to see what is available in your area.

5 for Friday with Jerry Anderson of SVN Florida

Posted on August 24, 2018 by SVN

Today, Five for Friday showcases Jerry Anderson, CCIM of SVN Florida, where he is the regional developer. He also leads the SVN Accelerated Sales team. Jerry orchestrates, guides and develops relationships for locally owned and operated offices.

Jerry Anderson, CCIM of SVN Florida

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

I’ve got plenty of advice. First, I’d say be curious and “Lift Up Your Head” when it comes to changes that may affect the CRE industry. For example, a couple years ago, I told our advisors in Florida to contact their clients that own shopping centers and office buildings to investigate installing electric charging stalls for the wave of electric automobiles on the way. This would prove a value-add, and a reason to contact the owner to boot. I provided them the hyperlink to Tesla’s website on how to get Tesla to pay for the installation. Not all advisors took my suggestion, but today electric stalls are being installed everywhere.

Second, take advantage of the Single Family Portfolio opportunity through our SFR/BFR team out of Phoenix. There is absolutely no easier way to get started with SVN today. Turn over a few rocks, introduce the opportunity to the SFR team(Jeff Cline and Michael Finch) and watch them work the deal for you as you learn and tag along being paid handsomely for simple introductions.

Third, listen in to every single product council call and be a sponge! Even if you have no interest in the particular product, the members of the council are the top producers in the industry. Listen and learn!

Fourth, access every single webinar stored on “MySVN.” These webinars are some of the best in the industry, and Solomon Poretsky knows how to deliver information in a logical and proven way.

Fifth, take CCIM courses and learn the analytics of the business. You cannot provide good advice to real estate owners, if you do not understand it yourself. I earned the CCIM designation in 1978. As an instructor for 20 years in the CCIM program, I came away with commercial real estate knowledge that put me far ahead of any of my competitors.

And finally, tune in and/or listen in every Monday to SVN Live. I’ve been in the business over 40 years and I still learn or a thought is triggered every Monday call for me – you should have no excuse to ever miss one. (even if you only catch the recording later in the day).

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

SVN has similar tools, resources and services as our other competitors. Some of our tools are better than our competitors. What is different is the way our advisors collaborate to leverage the expertise of other advisors to give their clients an advantage to bring value far and above what they could do on their own.

Look at any of the Product Council members and their leaders. These are volunteers sharing and collaborating for the success of all and the brand. As mentioned, I’ve been in the CRE industry for four decades, had leadership roles in numerous national firms and consulted or trained in one form or another with most of our national competitors before I joined SVN. SVN’s culture surpasses anything in the industry–embrace it and be part of it.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I love Rod Santomassimo’s consulting enterprise. For $50 a month, you get access to everything they’ve ever created. They listen to and coach some of the most successful brokers in the country, and then they package up what they learn, which are really “best practices” and sell it to you for pennies. Coaching works, and if you don’t have it locally in your office from a senior advisor or an experienced manager, buy it from Santomassimo.

Mike Lipsey’s material is very strong as well. His video series is powerful, but like all training you have to implement it.

Some of the best and easiest books on the industry are: Brokers Who Dominate and Teams that Dominate, both by Rod Santomassimo, THRIVE by Blaine Strickland, Value Add- Successful Strategies for Listing & Selling Investment Real Estate, by Brad Umansky (ex-SVN by the way), and finally any of Terri Sjodin’s material from SalesSpeak to Mentoring, to her latest, Scrappy.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise? Or, why did you join SVN?

I’ve been with SVNIC 15 years. I had a number of leadership roles at SVN International during our mid-term growth years of 2003-2008. In 2008, I moved back to Florida as an independent Regional Developer to build out the state. I have been inspired by the Kevin Maggiacomo’s leadership ever since SVN was based in Irvine, California.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I’ve been an aviator for forty years, and have owned over a dozen airplanes from single engine Piper Cubs to pressurized twins. My ratings and experiences include Seaplane, Sailplane Gliders and Aerobatics. In fact, for ten years my SVN Florida office overlooked runway 18. Many days I flew around the pattern in the afternoon for as a stress break. In May 1997, I spent a month at Mt. Everest basecamp and climbed the Khumbu Ice Fall, which is not something I ever want to do again (20,000 feet was plenty high for me as a Florida flatlander!).

Interested in joining SVN? Check out our career page for current opportunities.

5 for Friday – Diana Peterson of SVN AuctionWorks

Posted on August 17, 2018 by SVN

This week’s Five for Friday shines a spotlight on Diana Peterson, of SVN AuctionWorks in the Chicago area. SVN AuctionWorks specializes in auction services, and does a large portion of its business in the Midwest. Increasingly, Diana has been working on transactions in other areas of the country because of the many referrals from the SVN network of brokers.

Diana Peterson of SVN AuctionWorks

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Find a mentor whom you admire and who is highly respected in the industry and observe which traits and habits contribute most to his or her success. Try to emulate those traits and habits. Beyond that, work very hard; maximize the use of your time (including prioritizing which networking associations you join and events you attend); and always make your primary goal on each transaction achieving what is in the best interest of your client.

Once you start achieving noteworthy sales or leasing successes, be sure to shout out about them, using social media and PR to help build your name recognition and personal brand in your local market.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Collaboration and sharing fees with other brokers is always in the best interest of the client.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Check out the Wall Street Journal daily to stay on top of what is happening across all industries, and to learn what may be impacting and driving your clients and prospective clients businesses. Also, it’s key to subscribe to and read daily news feeds/eblasts that relate to commercial real estate and business in your area.

Every three to six months, take a very close look online at what all of your main competitors are doing and saying about their value-add proposition and then, if necessary, tweak your message and update your marketing materials in order to remain competitive.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise? Or, why did you join SVN?

In addition to the collaborative culture of SVN, I was attracted to SVN’s national platform and the well established and respected SVN brand. Having previously started two real estate brokerage and auction related businesses that lacked a national platform and nationally recognized brand, I recognized the limitations associated with a smaller, lesser known brand. I did not want to be limited in how much or how fast I could grow this business.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

After college, I worked in TV/financial news reporting with Ron Insana and Joe Kernen. When they both left Financial News Network in Los Angeles (where we all worked) to go to CNBC in New York, I was asked to join them but chose instead to go to law school. Silly me!

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday–Chichi E. Ahia of SVN Ahia Commercial Real Estate

Posted on August 10, 2018 by SVN

This week, we feature Chichi E. Ahia, of SVN | Ahia Commercial Real Estate, based in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. His firm focuses on the medical office and office markets, and specializes in investment and sale-leaseback structuring and serves the Greater Philadelphia and central and southern New Jersey areas.

Chichi E. Ahia

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Two things: First, make a two-year commitment and don’t give yourself the option of entertaining any other career opportunity within that window. This practice should facilitate the commitment and focus required to build a great practice. Second, find three great mentors – one within the industry and two from other industries. The principles that drive success in business are interdisciplinary. Often, tremendous insight can be gained from professionals who have built successful businesses in other industries.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The opportunity to define and be defined by a larger organization within any market or asset class.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

In my opinion, two must-read books are Good to Great by Jim Collins and 8 Traits of Brokers who Dominate by Rod Santomassimo.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise? (Or why did you join SVN?)

For me, SVN offers a national platform while representing an ideal balance between corporate structure and entrepreneurship.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

We listed a fairly substantial medical office building that had been previously listed with a residential/commercial hybrid firm that had been unsuccessful in attracting any offers. The previous company had marketed the property as an owner/user opportunity. After consulting with ownership, we identified an opportunity to structure the sale as a sale/leaseback investment opportunity. We received an acceptable offer within the first week. Aside from a quick sale, the real value that we were able to bring to ownership was a favorable difference of nearly one million dollars over the term of lease between the increased sale price, reduced monthly obligation, and eliminating the need to lease and fit-out new medical space to relocate the practice, had they sold to an owner/user.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Steve Kawulok, Managing Director of SVN | Denver Commercial Real Estate Advisors

Posted on June 1, 2018 by SVN

It’s #FlashbackFriday! This week, we are reflecting back on our 2017 feature of Steve Kawulok, Managing Director of SVN | Denver Commercial Real Estate Advisors, based in Denver, Colorado. Steve specializes in industrial, land and multifamily/apartment property sectors.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Schedule education into your weekly routine – never stop learning and building your skill set.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN collaborative environment is a culture that supports our clients and our firm.

3. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

I experienced the culture of sharing and professionalism at an SVN national conference I was invited to prior to joining the SVN team.

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

I helped a county health district integrate three different services into a much more efficient facility, which benefited the community and the health care providers.

5. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I like Rod Santomassimo’s book “Brokers Who Dominate” because it talks about creating a presence in the marketplace. I also remind our brokers that SVN itself offers over 500 hours of great educational opportunities throughout the year!

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 FOR FRIDAY – GABRIEL SILVERSTEIN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SVN | ANGELIC & CHAIR OF SVN INSTITUTIONAL CAPITAL MARKETS

Posted on May 25, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Gabriel Silverstein, Managing Director of SVN | Angelic, based in New York, NY and covering both national large investment sales and financing. He additionally serves as the SVN Institutional Capital Markets Chair. Gabriel’s product specialties include Corporate Real Estate, Industrial, Institutional Capital Markets, Medical Office, Multifamily, Office, Retail, Single Tenant Investment and Debt and Equity Financing.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

First, endeavor to learn every side of every transaction type you will work on. You cannot negotiate well if you do not understand the other side’s perspective.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The client-facing key takeaway is about getting to the real true market by openly working with everyone (co-brokering, fee sharing, etc.), contrary to the majority of the large commercial real estate platforms. For me, living it every day, the much deeper result is a culture of amazing people that really work synergistically and strategically together. From the moment they wake up each morning, they approach life openly and collaboratively because the platform breeds that mindset. What comes out of that is not only higher prices for sellers but better client solutions in every way.

3. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

It began with the relationship I had with Kevin Maggiacomo that was catalyzed by SIOR’s 75^th Anniversary Conference in New York City, which I chaired. Karen Hurd, SVN Senior Vice President for National Franchise Sales and Development, introduced me to Kevin as part of bringing in roughly twenty CEOs and Presidents of prominent industry firms to be on stage. At some point, the conversation shifted to include what we could achieve together with Angelic as part of the SVN platform.

We were eager to contribute SVN | Angelic’s client offerings in large-scale institutional investment sales and debt and equity financing to the SVN brand. My goal and commitment to SVN is to help continue to grow the institutional capital markets part of the SVN platform to a $10B transaction volume annually in 10 year’s time. I think we are on track and that’s very exciting.

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

The first deal I ever did after coming out of an investment management group was a large tenant rep assignment for a publishing company. They wanted to move a 92,000 SF leased suburban office to a newer building, but they could not make the economics work. We negotiated a move to 107,000 SF in a building that was just beginning construction and the lynchpin of making it price out was changing the architectural design to add clerestory windows for the lower level. We needed to do a 14,000 SF library, and altering the design to provide natural light below grade let us move it to space that the developer never planned on leasing. As such the developer agreed not to charge our client any rent other than reduced common area charges, which made the economics work. I was 21 years old, ignorantly fearless, and solved a problem that made the deal because I didn’t know to not rock the boat. As a result of the successful outcome of that deal, I have never been afraid to challenge the thinking of much more experienced colleagues, in search of a better mousetrap.

5. What is something that people may not know about you and that they may be surprised to find out?

I got into flying (as a pilot) six years ago, and have since gotten my commercial pilot’s license. I am now instrument rated and I’m getting my seaplane rating this summer. I almost never fly commercially anymore and fly myself to most of my meetings and deals. My husband Angel and I recently flew to Turks & Caicos for SVN’s 2017 Partner Circle award event.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Michael Thanasouras, Managing Director of SVN | Chicago Commercial

Posted on May 18, 2018 by SVN

Happy Flashback Friday! This week, we are reflecting on the insights shared in 2017 by Michael Thanasouras of SVN | Chicago Commercial, where he serves as Managing Director and acts as CFO and COO. Michael specializes in the sale of retail, land and multifamily property throughout the Greater Chicago, Illinois Metropolitan Area.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Learn a market and a product type, try to walk through an area, and get on the phone!

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Doing the right thing for our clients by maximizing their property’s exposure within the market and getting them the best deal.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

S4G is the best place to start. I also recommend using Google Alerts and registering for local real estate news that gets pushed out to you daily!

4. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

I joined SVN in 2008 to help conduct more investment transactions. It took a couple years due to market conditions, but we knew the route would help us expand. Learning from our peers allows us to accelerate rapidly.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

A small commercial condo. The buyer was unrepresented at first, then ended up with a broker. We paid the co-op broker without question. I got the leasing and he offered me the property management, too.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Jesse Carter, Senior Vice President of SVN | BlackStream

Posted on May 10, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Jesse Carter, Senior Vice President of SVN | BlackStream, based out of South Carolina. Jesse’s product specialties include corporate real estate, institutional capital markets, land & development, retail and single tenant investment.

1. What advice would you provide to an inspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Do not be afraid to ask questions. Everyone starts somewhere – if you don’t know something, there is an entire network of SVN Advisors who are ready and willing to help. I would encourage new-to-industry advisors to select a few Senior Advisors to call and review best practices.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Collaboration and communication. I love that I can pick up the phone and call any other SVN advisor for help. It is also great to know the same core covenants are followed by SVN colleagues who I may pass a client to for help in other markets.

3. What learning tools (book, blogs, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

The book Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt. The book has nothing to do with commercial real estate, but will make you think outside the box, provide a new way of looking at things and inspire you to be more creative with everyday situations.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

The opportunity to join a growing company with endless mentorship opportunities was what hooked me. The entrepreneurship and income potentials were what reeled me in.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

During my first year in the industry, I was on a team working an Academy Sports acquisition. It was not overly complicated, but it left an impression on me because I was new to the business and it was an immersive deal. It opened my eyes to how much work and knowledge is needed to successfully transact an investment property of that size.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

MANAGING DIRECTORS BRENT MILLER, CCIM, CPM AND AMY MILLER, CPM NAMED AMBASSADORS OF THE YEAR BY SVN®

Posted on May 4, 2018 by SVN

This week, we are following up on our recent 5 for Friday post featuring Amy Miller, CPM, Executive Managing Director of SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate, by recognizing both Amy and Managing Director and Senior Advisor Brent Miller, CCIM, CPM. Amy and Brent were honored last month with the Ambassador of the Year Award at the SVN Annual Conference. SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate is based out of Salisbury, Maryland. Read on to learn more about this well-deserved distinction!

Salisbury, MD — SVN International Corp. (SVN) has named SVN | Miller CommercialReal Estate Managing Directors Brent Miller, CCIM, CPM and Amy Miller, CPM as Ambassadors of the Year for top performance in 2017. SVN presented the year-end rankings of its top 100 grossing Advisors of 2017 to a crowd of over 400 SVN Managing Directors, Advisors and staff at the 2018 SVN Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in New Mexico. Individuals named as a Top Advisor represent SVN’s elite top performers from its franchises across the world.

Brent Miller specializes in the sale, lease, and management of retail, office, and industrial property. His primary market is the Delmarva Peninsula, Chesapeake Bay east to the Atlantic Ocean. With more than twenty-three years of commercial real estate experience, Miller has closed more than 750 transactions, resulting in a career brokerage volume of more than $150 million. Amy Miller, CPM, leverages over twenty years of commercial real estate management experience to serve as the Director of Property Management and Chief Financial Officer.

“It is an honor to be recognized as SVN Ambassadors! The SVN values, core covenants and commitment to the communities where we live and work are truly unique,” stated Managing Director Amy Miller, CPM.

SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate, with offices in Salisbury, MD, Annapolis, MD, Bethesda, MD, Seaford, DE, and Wilmington, DE is a financial services firm specializing in commercial real estate. The firm provides advisory, brokerage, consultation, leasing and asset and property management services to clients in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, utilizing cutting-edge technology and innovative marketing to achieve the real estate investment goals of its diverse client base.

“SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate embodies SVN’s values and mission,” commented Kevin Maggiacomo, President & CEO, SVN International Corp. “Through their high performance and their dedication to the Delmarva Peninsula, they create truly amazing benefits for their clients, colleagues and community.”

In addition to receiving the Ambassador of the Year Award, SVN-Miller Commercial Real Estate ranked as the #3 office out of more than 200 offices internationally, and had 7 Advisors rank in the top 100 Advisors company-wide, which is based on over 1,600 Advisors.

Brent is a member of the Greater Salisbury Committee and the Wicomico County Rotary Club and serves on the Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport Commission. He additionally serves on the Board of Directors for Shore Bank. Brent holds the prestigious Certified Commercial Investment Member designation (CCIM), is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) and is involved with the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). In addition to his experience with office and industrial transactions, Brent brings special experience in medical properties, shopping centers, and NNN retail properties to his senior role.

Amy is equally active in her community. She serves as a member of the Executive Committee and as Vice-Chair for the Salisbury University Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds to promote, sponsor and enrich the activities, educational programs, athletics and scholarships of Salisbury University, where she earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration. She is the former board chair for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra and is actively involved in Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce and Salisbury University Alumni Association.

For more information about SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate or to inquire about joining the team, email brent.miller@svn.com or call (410) 543-2440.

To learn more about becoming an SVN commercial real estate business owner, visit svn.com/franchising-opportunities.

About SVN^®

SVN International Corp. (SVN), a full-service commercial real estate franchisor of the SVN^® brand, is one of the industry’s most recognized names based on the annual Lipsey Top Brand Survey. With 200 offices and over 1500 Advisors and staff, SVN provides sales, leasing, corporate services and property management services to clients across the globe. SVN Advisors also represent clients in auction services, corporate real estate, distressed properties, golf & resort, hospitality, industrial, investment services, land, medical, multifamily, office, retail, self-storage and single tenant investments. All SVN offices are independently owned and operated. For more information, visit www.svn.com.

5 for Friday – Kurt Lord – Managing Director of SVN | Lord Partners

Posted on April 20, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Kurt Lord, Managing Director of SVN | Lord Partners based out of St. Louis, Missouri. A St. Louis native, Kurt directs investment sales activities for the brokerage.

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

The Midwest.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is the fair way to do business. It is a meaningful competitive advantage.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover and Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz. A best practice is to read the Commercial Real Estate Show.

4. What was you most memorable deal and why?

Helping a family sell their NNN restaurant property. We overcame constant obstacles. The family faced devastating financial penalties if we did not complete the deal. We got it done!

5. Share a fun fact about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I spent a decade as a plaintiff’s attorney representing many women in sexual harassment cases. It was challenging and meaningful.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our career page here.

5 for Friday – 5 Tips To Perfect The Fast Pitch – By Diane Danielson

Posted on April 13, 2018 by SVN

5 TIPS FOR PITCHING THE #SVN DIFFERENCE

Happy #FlashbackFriday! For today’s 5 for Friday, we are reflecting back on Diane Danielson’s 5 Tips for Pitching the #SVNDifference.

In October 2015, I had an opportunity to speak at #DisruptCRE, which featured a number of commercial real estate technology companies seeking to “disrupt” the industry. One of the sessions included a fast-pitch session so that companies like SVN International Corporation as well as venture capitalists seeking to invest could learn about a company in 45 seconds or less.*

Now, 45 seconds sounds like a very short time, but it’s still enough to convey a wealth of information. Out of the 20 presentations we saw, a couple of them stood out, not necessarily because their apps and technology were relevant to SVN, in fact most of them were not, but they had perfected their fast-pitch presentations.*

As Commercial Real Estate Advisors, we aren’t pitching new business tools to clients, but we are pitching our services and systems and often within short timeframes. In any presentation, we have only the first few seconds to make a good impression and explain the #SVNDifference.

HERE ARE A FEW HELPFUL HINTS FOR DELIVERING YOUR PITCH TO CLIENTS IN 45 SECONDS OR LESS

1. Analogies work.

If you are trying to introduce something new and different, then you need to give people a baseline. This is why Hollywood pitches always start out as it’s “Jaws meets Twister” or “Harry meets Sally online.”

SVN Advisor Tip: Be able to describe how you can organize greater demand for a property in words and/or analogies that your clients will understand.

2. Tell stories.

If you want people to remember you, your service, or your product, tell a story about it. Here are six rules for great storytelling. And, yes, a good presenter can tell an entire story within 45 seconds.

SVN Advisor Tip: Is there a story that demonstrates how your firm has used our Open Sales Call to create greater demand and/or to sell a property faster?

3. Differentiate from the competition.

Use your stories to illustrate how your service differs from the competition.

SVN Advisor Tip: This is why you need to perfect your #SVNDifference pitch!

4. Be able to pitch without PowerPoint or props.

In 45 seconds, your verbal description needs to stand on its own, no matter the product or service.

SVN Advisor Tip: Listen to the pitches on the Open Sales Call. Make notes on which ones are the most effective.

5. Align with their values.

What does your client value? Are they tied to the local community? What is their company culture or priorities?

SVN Advisor Tip: At SVN we value collaboration, local expertise, and transparent fees to drive demand. Identify clients who do the same, and the easier it will be to make your pitch.

One final reason to really nail the fast pitch is that even if the person making the decision is excited for your service, implementation is another story. For your client to make a change, they often have to convince a lot of other people to go along with them, some of who may be reluctant. You need to help them duplicate your fast pitch internally and that’s where the tips above can help.

*Just in case you were wondering, there was not a bad pitch in the whole set at DisruptCRE, but the top 45-second pitches of the day were by Raisal, Building Conversation, and CrowdComfort. Great job to those companies and all the others who presented that year.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Mike Fusek, CCIM – Senior Advisor at SVN | Rankin Company, LLC

Posted on April 6, 2018 by SVN

Happy Flashback Friday! This week, we are reflecting back on our 2015 feature of Mike Fusek, Senior Advisor at SVN | Rankin Company, LLC based out of Springfield, Missouri. Mike’s extraordinary understanding of marketing, client services and the commercial real estate industry earned him the prestigious Partner’s Circle Award at the SVN Annual Conference earlier this year.

1. What geographic market and product specialty?

My market is Springfield, Missouri. Our local market is not large enough to specialize in a single product type… so I specialize in commissions.

2. What is your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Following up with suspects until there is a paycheck.

3. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

A competitive advantage of “national exposure” over all local brokers.

4. What business book, blog or website do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

Vintage books called Making Money Make Money by Herbert Lee Barber and also Timid Salesmen Have Skinny Kids by Judge Ziglar.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I sold pots and pans door to door for 17 years and bought commercial real estate to get out.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Amy Miller, CPM, Executive Managing Director of SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate

Posted on March 30, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Amy Miller , Executive Managing Director at SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate based out of Salisbury, Maryland. With over 20 years of commercial real estate management experience, Amy serves as Chief Financial Officer and Director of Property Management at the franchise. Amy and her husband Brent Miller, CCIM, CPM, who serves as Managing Director and Senior Advisor for SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate, were honored earlier this month with the Ambassador of the Year Award at the SVN Annual Conference.

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

We are based in Salisbury, Maryland and we conduct business across the Mid-Atlantic region. We provide advisory, brokerage, consultation, leasing and asset and property management services to clients in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Utilize the tools your workplace provides and build relationships within the industry. Developing great business relationships is key to being successful in this business. Each and every relationship counts.

3. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The collaboration is what sets us apart, while the culture is what makes us unique. The spirit of teamwork and approachability between everyone at SVN helps us be more productive.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

In 2007, we were growing and needed a platform with a proven record of success to create structure and uniformity. The culture at SVN was a perfect match for us.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I played concert flute and piccolo in college. My goal was to head to the National Symphony Orchestra until I took my first statistics class in college!

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Amy Miller, CPM, Executive Managing Director of SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate

Posted on March 30, 2018 by SVN

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

3. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The collaboration is what sets us apart, while the culture is what makes us unique. The spirit of teamwork and approachability between everyone at SVN helps us be more productive.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

In 2007, we were growing and needed a platform with a proven record of success to create structure and uniformity. The culture at SVN was a perfect match for us.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I played concert flute and piccolo in college. My goal was to head to the National Symphony Orchestra until I took my first statistics class in college!

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Cathy Barnum, RPA, MBA, SVN | Realty Performance Advisors

Posted on March 23, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Cathy Barnum, Managing Director at SVN |Realty Performance Advisors based out of Rochester, NY. Cathy leverages her over 13 years of successful leadership expertise in her product specialties, which include Multifamily and Property Management.

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

Upstate New York. We are based in Rochester.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Find yourself a mentor, someone who will take you under their wing and show you how to perfect your skills and bestow their knowledge of the industry.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

A best practice is to read your local business journals – know what is going on in your market!

4. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is important to me because it incorporates the value of inclusivity. SVN welcomes people from all walks of life into Commercial Brokerage. This enables everyone within the organization and the clients we represent to take part in more transactions and better business.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Not to date myself, but in the late 80’s, I was the only girl on the high school men’s golf team.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Cathy Barnum, RPA, MBA, SVN | Realty Performance Advisors

Posted on March 23, 2018 by SVN

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

Upstate New York. We are based in Rochester.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Find yourself a mentor, someone who will take you under their wing and show you how to perfect your skills and bestow their knowledge of the industry.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

A best practice is to read your local business journals – know what is going on in your market!

4. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Not to date myself, but in the late 80’s, I was the only girl on the high school men’s golf team.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Cameron Peterson, Senior Advisor at SVN | Northco Real Estate Services

Posted on March 16, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Cameron Peterson, Senior Advisor at SVN | Northco Real Estate Services, based out of Minneapolis, MN. With a product specialty in Golf and Resorts, Cameron offers extensive knowledge of this unique investment type.

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

Over the course of developing our Resort & Golf practice, we have had a major focus in the Midwest. However, with the growth of this practice, our reach has expanded to projects across the United States and across the globe.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Find a trusted mentor who has been in the business and sit right next to them. There is a saying that “more is caught than taught.” After you find someone to show you the ropes, find an area of opportunity and become the market expert in that area.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I believe we constantly need to be learning to grow personally and in our careers. I would recommend the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, as my focus has recently been to grow in leadership. While the podcast is not directly related to real estate, it provides great foundational principles for any aspiring leader.

4. Why did you join SVN?

We had an established practice in Golf and Resort sales but saw the opportunity to expand this practice across the nation utilizing SVN’s network. In addition, SVN offered our core business in CRE the platform, training and technology to grow. What keeps us at SVN is the people and the culture that has been discovered.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

One fact that I am proud of is that I grew up on a farm. My family still farms and I try to go back in the Spring and Fall to help out with planting and harvest. This is a fun change of pace from commercial real estate and our business allows this flexibility.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Cameron Peterson, Senior Advisor at SVN | Northco Real Estate Services

Posted on March 16, 2018 by SVN

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

4. Why did you join SVN?

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Jason Campagna, Managing Director and Senior Advisor at SVN | Three Rivers Commercial Real Estate

Posted on March 9, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Jason Campagna, Managing Director and Senior Advisor at SVN | Three Rivers Commercial Advisors, based out of Pittsburgh, PA. Jason’s product specialties include hospitality, industrial, land and development, office, medical office, multi-family, restaurant, retail, self-storage, SFR portfolio, and single tenant investment.

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

Western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

You get what you put in, so if you are willing to go above and beyond to succeed, you will. We have the right tools and training to help get you there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

3. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference was the main reason we chose to open an SVN franchise. The collaborative workplace and state of the art systems put us above the competition.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

When I moved back to Pittsburgh approximately 3 years ago, I was personally seeking a brokerage to hang my license. I wanted to align with a brokerage that had a very collaborative culture and was not a high head count shop but also had national coverage and I failed to identify a good fit. So, we elected to explore opening our own office. We set out to create a boutique shop comprised only of advisors seeking to achieve the highest levels of success and put a strong value on collaboration as well as a strong emphasis on state of the art systems and technology, but also one that gave us a national platform to remain competitive on larger assignments.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I wake up at 4AM every day to go to the gym and listen to motivational recordings.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Jason Campagna, Managing Director and Senior Advisor at SVN | Three Rivers Commercial Real Estate

Posted on March 9, 2018 by SVN

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

Western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

You get what you put in, so if you are willing to go above and beyond to succeed, you will. We have the right tools and training to help get you there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

3. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference was the main reason we chose to open an SVN franchise. The collaborative workplace and state of the art systems put us above the competition.

4. What inspired you to open an SVN franchise?

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I wake up at 4AM every day to go to the gym and listen to motivational recordings.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Recruiting Millennials: An Interview with a Talent Acquisition Manager

Posted on March 2, 2018 by SVN

#FlashbackFriday: 5 Tips for Recruiting Millennials

This week, we are reflecting back on when our Chief Operating Officer, Diane K. Danielson, sat down with Patrick Church, Talent Acquisition Manager for Corsica Partners to discuss recruiting Millennials and attracting them to a suburban location. Patrick works mainly with a company located in Waltham, MA called Care.com. Care.com has about 750 employees total with 250 employees at their headquarters and provides child, adult and senior, pet and home care for over 19 million members.

DKD: Care.com is HQ’d in a suburb outside of Boston. Is it hard to attract Millennials to the location?

PC: It’s not hard due to the quantity of people in the immediate area and the fact that there are a number of colleges nearby. While it’s difficult to get people from the city to come out, we’ve had success recruiting local college graduates, as they know the area and may still have friends there.

DKD: What workplace benefits do Millennials ask for that older generations do not?

PC: First, they want to know about the company culture and growth opportunities. Then they want to know about team structure. Work-like flexibility may also come up. Even though most of the jobs at Care.com are traditional 9 to 5 jobs, people want to know there’s some wiggle room when life gets in the way.

DKD: I completely agree. I’m much more efficient when I’m not stuck in traffic. We’ve heard all the stereotypes, what do you look for to find the Mellennnial who can succeed in business?

PC: I look for curiosity and their ability to communicate what they’ve done and want to do. So many great people aren’t able to fully convey that in a resume, which is why referrals work. Depending on the position, we might also look for a consistent trend or theme of interests. If it’s not consistent, I want to know the story behind the changes. I especially like candidates who have taken an interest in something and gone above and beyond to pursue it. Internships help. We give a lot of credit to someone who can explain the benefit in a job, even if it was mundane. The bottom line is that you want to hire the person who has the ability to communicate something of value.

DKD: That final point is especially true in commercial real estate! Do you see differences between the different generations in the workplace?

PC: Young people today don’t want to just put their head down to work for 40 years and collect a pension. They don’t value the mailroom to office career path. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to work hard. It means that they want a different experience. Today’s firms can offer that. It boils down to a different work style, not a different work ethic. They will still work hard, especially for something they believe in. It’s just a different expectation of how their career path will flow. Part of that expectation does include flexibility. Millennials are willing to sacrifice a little in the paycheck to do something they like or have that balance. For them, it’s about compromise and flexibility.

DKD: How prepared are college graduates for the marketplace?

PC: Not very. Our colleges are not preparing graduates for the types of jobs that are needed in an innovation economy. College students are coming out of school with 90s and 2000s era business and marketing practices. They’re missing what’s really going on in the culture and environment today. This is a gap in the structure. They are also not learning the interpersonal interactions. The better applicants are those who have the intangibles. They can see a deadline and work well with others. It’s crucial that they learn how to deal with people.

DKD: Sounds to me that internships and customer service jobs are becoming more meaningful!

CONCLUSION:

Thank you again to Patrick Church for a recruiter’s viewpoint. It sounds like he has seen first hand a lot of what we’ve been researching and reading about the younger generations. In the commercial real estate industry, we need to look for:

Curiosity and the ability to communicate that curiosity and/or something of value.
Current insights and people skills that are not being taught in school (they will likely have had to pick this up during an internship).

Our companies are also going to also have to be able to lay out a clear career path and test out flexibility (not just for Millennials but for others, too). And, the bonus real estate tip: if you want to lease a suburban office campus and attract young people, make sure it’s in an area near colleges.

For more information about commercial real estate job opportunities, check out the SVN Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Ben Alder, Senior Advisor of SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate

Posted on February 23, 2018 by SVN

It’s #FlashbackFriday! This week, we are reflecting back on our 2014 feature of Ben Alder, Land Product Council Chair and Senior Advisor of SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate based out of Salisbury, MD.

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?

My product specialty is land. My market area is the Delmarva Peninsula – Maryland, Delaware, Virginia.

2. What is your latest best practice tip that you can share?

I recommend setting aside time for monthly business planning. It helps me stay focused on the big goals while working each day to make business happen. This is equivalent to working ON our business and not IN your business.

3. What has been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

My biggest challenge was committing to focus on one product type which for me is land.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

I highly recommend, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change” by Stephen R. Covey.

5. What is a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?

Not a lot of people know that I am a wetland and waterfowl biologist by training.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our career page here.

5 for Friday – Craig Morris, National Co-Chair of SVN | Realty Advisors

Posted on February 16, 2018 by SVN

5 for Friday – Craig Morris, National Co-Chair of SVN | Realty Advisors

This week, our 5 for Friday features Craig Morris, National Co-Chair of SVN | Realty Advisors, based out of Newport Beach, California. Craig’s product specialty is Corporate Real Estate.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

The real estate industry has changed dramatically since I came into the business – IT, complexity, competition and client expectations. That being said, below is a summary of items I believe are very important to being successful on a long-term basis

Listen – most brokers sell – the best ask questions, listen to what the client tells them they want, and then provides them the solutions they asked for. If you ask them what is their biggest challenge, or what keeps them up at night – they will tell you.
Sell and work as a team – most brokers sell themselves, the deals they have done, “me” and “I”. The best approach is to sell the strength of the organization (“we”), the firm’s relationships, wins, case studies, and benefits. Working as a team is more productive, fun and rewarding.
Go where others don’t – this has helped me tremendously during my career – if everyone is going left, go right – find your own path, own it and monetize it. In my 2^nd year in the business, after making $22k my first year off my runnership program, I decided that I was only going to work on industrial deals over 100k sf. CBRE owned the market for deals over 50k sf. My office laughed at me. My logic was that not every listing or deal in my market of that size could go to one firm. I grossed $550k my 2^nd year.
From Day 1, keep track of all of your clients, dates, options, et cetera. Brokers tend to go from flower to flower, instead of using all of the legacy information they have to insure repeat business.
Make the calls – make lots of calls – otherwise you will die. No one is doing them for you.
Learn – look at what other industries are doing and define how that can help you in real estate. Our industry is one of the most backward and slow changing industries in the world. From IT, to sales, presentations, networking and approaches, look outside real estate for leading concepts. Also, completing training and designations in the areas applicable to your practice is very important.
Network – the most successful do this religiously. New York is the best at it – working during the day, going to 1-2 charity events a night – if you do not have a relationship, your chances of winning a large piece of business are extremely low. Belonging to active charities will help in so many ways – personally by giving back, and also professionally by finding like-minded people you want to do business with.
Treat clients, brokers, staff, and all others as you would like to be treated – the world is full of tough people, don’t be one of them. People do business with people they like, so make sure it is you.
Work with the Right People – adopting a rule not to partner or work with people (clients included) you can’t trust, don’t like or don’t have the same approach that you do will save you time, headache and money.

2. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

Supporting our partnership relationship with Kevin Maggiacomo and Mark Van Ness. Collectively we believed that building a sustainable CRES program should be done through and with a local franchise.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Read about other industries, take the time to review and study new IT solutions and presentation techniques, and get involved in CoreNet, CCIM, and other organizations that allow you to learn while meeting potential future clients.

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

There are numerous memorable deals and projects:

MetLife – We represented MetLife exclusively in the US for 7 years at one point. They decided to define how much money they could save by reducing their number of locations and set-up of offices. I spent a month in my office running complex schedules of over 1,200 locations. We had each MetLife office individually walked and found over 5,000 empty work stations or offices. We set up a new structure of offices they should consider. The result was they saved, on a recurring basis, over $200 million per year from this analysis and implementation.
United Technologies – We were invited to pitch the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) work for UTC. The head of real estate at the time, Ron Zappile, had been given the responsibility to take over the real estate in the region. The believed that they had 1,500 locations in this region, but were not sure. In our presentation, when we got to pricing, I would not provide a price. We did not know enough and my team was scared we were not answering a key UTC question. My response to Ron was that I would propose that he and I would have dinner and come to a fair and reasonable margin on work levels we both did not understand yet. We were awarded the account – found over 5,000 locations and had to translate all the leases in to a single lease administration program and set up a team of 3 account managers in Paris to get all of the data and transaction work completed.
Hunt Foods – We were engaged to sell a 300ksf industrial property on 30 acres in Fullerton, CA. After we were awarded the project, the seller informed us they also wanted us to handle every aspect of the seller’s responsibilities – legal, environmental, pricing, architectural, city relationship, title, leases and closing. We eventually sold the property to Lincoln Property, and it was successful for buyer, seller and our team. A tremendous amount of work we normally do not do or want to due to liability issues. It was one of the largest industrial sales in Orange County in five years at the time, over $40m, took approximately 18 months from start to finish, and paid for my new yard and pool.
Verizon – We represented VZW wireless on all their real estate prior to wireless being combined with corporate. On one of our projects, a 200k sf build to suit office project creating $2m in fees to our team, our contact told me a meeting had been set up with me and the CFO of VZW wireless. The CFO thought our fee on the project was way too high. Great set up for a meeting. The good news is that on all accounts we track all projects, fees, costs, and annual P&L statements. After he told me his concerns, I went through our historical P&L analysis from prior years and the current year. The summary is he agreed that the large deal made up for all of the small deals we worked on, including the related costs, and he did not change our fees on the project.
Whittier Law School – We represented the law school in their move from Los Angeles to Costa Mesa. The project included a 20-year lease on 150k sf of office space, and the President of Whittier College wanted us to handle all of the planning, architectural and construction management and move-in. We brought the project in on schedule and on budget, which was very difficult due to the fall school class schedules and constantly changing plans. We did it ourselves, which I would never do again.

5. List a fun fact about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

I am a quiet Type A personality who loves math and art simultaneously. On my off time, I love to fish, golf, go for a walk in the park with my friends, work out, spend time with my grown kids, and continually look for the next best approach for business.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – John Williams, Managing Director of SVN | Delta Realty Group

Posted on February 9, 2018 by SVN

John Williams, Managing Director of SVN | Delta Realty

Last week, we shared a flashback to our 2013 5 for Friday feature of John Williams, Managing Director of SVN | Delta Realty Group.

Read on to see his new reflections in 2018!

1. What geographic market do you conduct the majority of your business in?

Marin County and Southern Sonoma County in California.

2. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Being a Commercial Real Estate Advisor is much more than a job. It is a career with unlimited potential and endless opportunity. It offers an opportunity of significant wealth and opportunity.

The possibility of owning income producing commercial real estate allows for strengthening one’s retirement portfolio.

3. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is the embodiment of the SVN Core Covenants.

The SVN Difference presentation has helped me win numerous assignments over the past 13 plus years. Prospects understand it and realize the benefits that it provides to them as sellers.

We are perceived by our prospects as taking the high road and most people want to deal with honorable people, particularly when dealing with significant assets. It’s a great tool.

4. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I encourage all of my agents to attend SVN Best Practice calls and attending the Monday Call in our conference room is a requirement. I’m a big fan of John McDermott’s Saturday Call. I follow Brian Tracy’s planning materials and set goals daily. I’m also a fan of his book Eat That Frog!, which explains how to stop procrastinating. A good quick read.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

Many of my SVN friends know that I have a passion for fine wine. Living only half and hour from Napa and Sonoma Wine Country is certainly a benefit in enjoying my hobby. Every year for the past six or seven year I have hosted a wine dinner at our National Conference. I select some of my favorite wines and ship them to the site of the conference and invite friends to join Kathie and I for a fun dinner and wine tasting. We have been able to share some great wine paired with amazing dinners and develop lasting friendships with SVNers that go well beyond the business end of our relationships. We have an organization with exceptional members and spending time with them and getting to know them on a deeper personal level is a wonderful bonus.

5 for Friday – John Williams, Managing Director of SVN | Delta Realty Group

Posted on February 2, 2018 by SVN

It’s #FlashbackFriday! For today’s 5 for Friday, we are reflecting back on our 2013 feature of John Williams, Managing Director of SVN/Delta Group Realty Inc., based out of Novato, CA.

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?

Marin and Sonoma Counties in Northern California are my primary market areas. I specialize in office and retail sales and leasing.

2. What is your latest best practice tip that you can share?

Collaborating with two other SVN brokers on a proposal, we used Mike Lipsey to help us craft our proposal on a large office property for sale. Mike helped us craft our presentation to help us get the listing and we refined it several times before our meeting. It was well worth the time and effort and this was the most professional presentation that I’ve made in my 32 years as a broker. The Lipsey videos can be found on the SVN Resource Portal.

3. What has been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?

We have increased our reliance on technology over the past ten years without changing our primarily listing side business model. We market our listings electronically much more than ten years ago when the telephone was our primary method of selling or leasing properties. I’m still a belly to belly guy but LoopNet and CoStar have helped us make big changes in how we run our business.

4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?

Like most busy brokers, organizing my time and prioritizing my daily activities into dollar productive activity is a real challenge. I continue to read and re-read Brian Tracy’s “Eat that Frog” which is a follow up to his book “Goals” that was presented at the SVN 2012 National Conference. It helps me to stop procrastinating and get more done on a daily basis. My focus is sharpened and it has helped pay my dividends.

5. What is a fun fact that no everyone knows about you?

I live just north of San Francisco in California’s wine country. For the past 35 years, wine tasting, wine research and wine drinking have been hobbies of mine. I’ve shared wine information and recommendations with many of my SVN colleagues. It’s a fun hobby to have!

5 for Friday – Matt Stone, CCIM, MBA, Managing Director of SVN | Stone Commercial Real Estate

Posted on January 26, 2018 by SVN

5 for Friday – Matt Stone, CCIM, MBA, Managing Director of SVN | Stone Commercial Real Estate

This week, our 5 for Friday features Matt Stone, CCIM, MBA, Managing Director of SVN | Stone Commercial Real Estate, based out of Lexington, KY. Matt’s product specialties include industrial, land and development, office, property management, restaurant, and retail.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Be yourself. Relationships are the key; deals will come. Follow up with everyone and “ask for the order!”

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The difference is built on cooperation, collaboration, and trust. I love that we always share. Share information with buyers, tenants, brokers, and share 50% of commission with co-operating brokers. We have a culture of trust and cooperation in our office, and we love using that to provide the most value in service and financially to our clients.

3. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

Truly God opened a door, and I walked through. I took ownership of an existing franchise that was owned by my former partners, Steve Pulliam, CCIM and John Bronaugh, CCIM. John and Steve have been wonderful mentors to me and put me in position to take the next step on this commercial real estate adventure. SVN specifically is a fit because of the open, collaborative, cooperative, and sharing culture that has been built in our office.

4. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Good to Great and JimCollins.com authored by Jim Collins

Your Money Counts and Compass1.org authored by Howard Dayton

CCIM.com (and Site To Do Business within the site)

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

My most memorable deal of 2017 was a “domino effect” kind of deal. I worked with Colliers office from out of state to co-broker a tenant rep deal for AssuredPartners Insurance for 15,000sf lease of office space in Lexington. We found them new space and headed toward signing a $2,000,000 plus lease over the term. That lease was great for the new building landlord, and there were multiple commercial brokers and agents who were ultimately paid commission on the transaction. What I then saw as another opportunity. I was able to secure the listing to sell the building that was being vacated by the move of their anchor tenant, AssuredPartners. We were able to get out ahead of the marketing and sell the building to Forcht Bank shortly after the anchor tenant moved. Two of our new young agents in the office also got to be a part of this deal, learn grow and ultimately make a nice fee! This deal was exciting in that we had multiple brokers, multiple landlords and tenants, and all were satisfied when the two transactions were complete.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 FOR FRIDAY – DAVID DUNN, SIOR, CCIM, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SVN | DUNN COMMERCIAL

Posted on January 19, 2018 by SVN

Commercial This week, our 5 for Friday features David Dunn, Managing Director of SVN | Dunn Commercial. Dunn specializes in corporate lease, distressed assets, industrial, institutional capital markets and single tenant investment, within the Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan areas.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

I would highly advise all advisors to get the CCIM designation. SVN provides everyone with the opportunity and the tools needed to accomplish this.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

SVN focuses on the needs of clients, opposed to being focused on the brokers. Once client needs are met, then the brokers needs can be met.

3. What learning tools (book, blog, website, etc.) would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

The most important tool for me to be successful, that I would recommend to others include all CCIM course work, as well as analyst and PRO/CRETECH tools

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

My most memorable deal was purchasing my first investment property without partners. It was a huge accomplishment and I enjoy being the landlord.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself – something that people may not know and that they may be surprised to find out.

My main passions, and how i spend my time out of the office, are fly-fishing and up-land bird hunting.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Steven Stoehrer, Managing Director of SVN | Stora

Posted on January 12, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Steven Stoehrer, Managing Director of SVN | Stora based in New York, New York. Stoehrer specializes in corporate lease back, industrial, office, property management, and retail. In the last 36 months he has closed, listed, and underwritten in excess of 500 million dollars worth of investment grade assets

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Activity Levels, keep them up and have strong commitment. This is a long-term game.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

It sets me apart from my competitors. We cooperate with the market place completely. That strategy has gained business in the long term, even though short term you sometimes question it.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I would ask people who are successful for 10 minutes over a cup of coffee. I learned more in my career from people who have done it than any book.

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

I sold a deal that flooded while under contract only to learn it had done so twice before. It was most difficult but the most educational.

5. List a fun fact to share about yourself

I have been a volunteer firefighter since I was a teenager. Not many people would guess that.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Deborah Quok, Managing Director of SVN | QAV & Associates

Posted on January 5, 2018 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Deborah Quok, Managing Director of SVN | QAV & Associates, based in San Francisco, California. Deborah is accomplished in advising clients in real estate strategies, marketing and transactions. Deborah specializes in office leasing, medical office building sales and leasing, and corporate services.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Listen. Look. Learn. Laugh. This industry is about establishing relationships and credibility through the transfer of knowledge and experience. The probability for success is heightened when you develop your unique style and capacity to connect with people and demonstrate your value. Patience and persistence are also needed. “Overnight success” is often years in the making.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Our culture of collaboration allows me to be more productive and able to focus on the positive aspects of providing advice and service to our clients. I appreciate the spirit of sharing between colleagues and offices, and the approachability of everyone within SVN — no matter their role and achievements.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Built to Last, Good to Great, pretty much anything by Jim Collins who provides insights on leadership and management. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 because we are in a people business as much as we are in the commercial real estate business. The website MindTools.com has recently come onto my radar. Early indications show it to be a good first step in finding bite-sized advice for those early in their careers or interested in improvement.

4. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

I was interested in the SVN technology and distribution platform initially, but became sold on the culture and determination of its leadership to provide a winning opportunity for success to a diverse array of franchisees and their advisors.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

In the short term it is a recent, transaction that successfully demonstrates a goal of our office to service clients in both the sale and lease aspects of managing their office/medical office real estate portfolio. Our firm represented the seller of an office and their subsequent lease of new office space; all within a short 30 days. We are currently underway in a similar scenario of leasing up vacant space in a building to maximize its income for a potential sale thereafter.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Justin Langlois, CCIM, Managing Director of SVN | Graham, Langlois and Legendre

Posted on December 29, 2017 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Justin Langlois, CCIM, Managing Director of SVN | Graham, Langlois and Legendre, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Langlois specializes in the acquisition and disposition of Class A office, garden-style office and multifamily properties, including student housing, affordable housing and market rate housing sectors. He is also active in retail, self-storage, land and industrial brokerage.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Create an awesome database. This will take time and it is a work in progress. Continue working your database by making calls and scheduling meetings. Very few commercial real estate advisors do this on a consistent basis and those who work their databases become market experts.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

When you look at the data of commercial real estate sales over $2MM, 65% of the deals are transacted by buyers and sellers across state lines. My clients like knowing their properties are listed by SVN and available for all brokers to sell. This creates competition in the market, it increases sales prices and all parties win.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

I enjoyed reading The 12 Week Year. Several years ago, I read the book and it helped me break down my work week into segments. The segments help me avoid the day-to-day chaos of taking on too much at one time, get a task done and move on to the next task. I read portions of the book throughout the year as a refresher.

4. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

I like picking up the phone and calling another SVN advisor in a different market. The call feels like I’m reaching out to someone in my own office. SVN advisors respect each other, we watch out for each other and we share our own best practices with one another.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

I spent about two years putting together a build to suit for CVS. It was one of my first BIG deals and throughout the process it felt like all I had learned up to that point about commercial real estate was put into this one deal. The process was long and drawn out, it involved acquiring a local pharmacy, site selection, construction and contract negotiation and fending off preferred developers who were trying to get their hands on the project. It taught me patience, it showed me I was knowledgeable but needed improvement.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Dan Stewart, CCIM, Managing Director of SVN | Stewart Commercial Group, LLC

Posted on December 22, 2017 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Dan Stewart, CCIM, Managing Director of SVN | Stewart Commercial Group, LLC based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dan’s product specialties include auction services, CRE, hospitality, distressed assets, restaurant and retail, and single tenant investment, among many others.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

It’s going to take a while to get over the hump. Follow the “ASK” principle to influence your personal levels of “Action,” “Skill,” and “Knowledge.” As a new advisor, your competitors will often be more skilled and knowledgeable than you, so you must be in constant action (calls, meetings, proposals, etc.) to outwork them.

2. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

At the end of the day, we are in the sales and marketing business. A keen focus on continually improving your sales skills is critical. SVN’s System for Growth is a game changer with excellent content. Early in my career, I pursued and obtained the CCIM designation and would recommend that program to anyone—regardless of career stage. For daily inspiration, I watch Darren Hardy’s “Darren’s Daily” and read SUCCESS Magazine.

3. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

I had a small boutique brokerage firm prior to affiliating with SVN, but I aspired to do larger and more sophisticated transactions. The SVN platform made that dream a reality for me and my office. I wanted the tools and brand to compete for any CRE assignment, and with SVN, I remained in complete control of my business.

4. What was your most memorable deal and why?

I was refereed by a senior lender at Wells Fargo to an owner of a Walgreens portfolio last year. The owner was a 97-year-old woman who ran circles around anyone half her age. She even bought herself a new Corvette to celebrate her 97^th birthday. We fell in and out of contract three times but I never feared losing the listing. I had built a strong bond with the client, her children, attorney and CPA. I tell the advisors in my office to be part of the team, not a spectator. We finally closed in late 2016 and I helped the client invest in a CVS property.

5. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

Our tools and technological capabilities are top notch, and our brand is centered on quality. I appreciate the people and collaboration at SVN.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Jamey Cox, Vice President of SVN | Percival Partners

Posted on December 15, 2017 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Jamey Cox, Vice President of SVN | Percival Partners based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cox specializes in commercial construction, real estate brokerage, and development; including multifamily/apartment, hospitality, land, self-storage, office and retail.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

You need to have a plan, work that plan, stick to it and the plan will most likely work.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN difference means instant credibility and the ability to complete in our market. We are different and people do notice.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

The book Goals by Bryan Tracy.

4. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

The opportunity to work in a wonderful industry and achieve personal and financial goals while maintaining a quality of life that allows me to enjoy my young family and not only be defined by my career.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

The one that got away…..I like to use these to sharpen my skills and do some internal review.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Perry Laufenberg, Managing Director, SVN | Desert Commercial Advisors

Posted on December 8, 2017 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Perry Laufenberg, Managing Director of SVN | Desert Commercial Advisors, in Phoenix, Arizona. Laufenberg is accomplished in transaction management, marketing, working with brokers and landlords of apartments, shopping centers, and office buildings.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

Hard work and determination will determine your future. Use the SVN database to consistently and methodically prospect for new clients with phone calls and directed marketing campaigns. Focus on building relationships by providing valuable information to the most active commercial real estate owners in your market.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

The SVN Difference is fully embracing the technology, tools and relationships that exist within our company to generate more business and make lifelong friends along the way.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

It goes without saying, but the CCIM coursework and training modules are some of the most comprehensive learning tools there are for commercial real estate practitioners.

4. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

SVN has always embraced technology, inclusion, and diversity, which sets us apart from most of the commercial real estate industry. The values and core covenants that the company was founded on continue to be an important part of why we are with SVN.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

The most memorable deals are always the first big deal one of my advisors closes. Handing out a check that could be someone’s yearly salary at another job, will never get old.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.

5 for Friday – Alex Dmyterko, Managing Director and President of SVN | BlackStream

Posted on December 1, 2017 by SVN

This week, our 5 for Friday features Alex Dmyterko, President and Managing Director of SVN | BlackStream based in Greenville, South Carolina. Dmyterko is accomplished in leading and managing functions of commercial real estate including development, acquisitions, finance & investment, leasing, construction, joint venture structuring, partnerships, legal negotiations, property management and accounting.

1. What advice would you provide to an aspiring advisor who is new to the industry?

It starts with showing up ready to play, every day. Absorb what our trainers teach and use the tools and processes provided by SVN. We have a proven and methodical system for success in CRE. Also, be consistent in your efforts and apply yourself every day toward your goals, you will eventually reach them.

2. What does the SVN Difference mean to you?

It means that we have a culture of collaboration, transparency and doing things right. We believe in the Core Covenants. We strive to do the right thing, not necessarily the popular thing and we, as a team, will keep this as our focus so that our clients and our advisors will be exceptionally served.

3. What learning tools would you recommend to your colleagues to further their knowledge and enhance their careers?

Risk, Ruin and Riches; Inside the World of Big Time Real Estate by Jim Powell provides an insider’s look and analysis into the deal making of commercial real estate giants, and inflection points in our industry’s history. If this book doesn’t bring out your passion for CRE, then you’re probably in the wrong industry. Trammell Crow, Master Builder: The Story of America’s Largest Real Estate Empire by Robert Sobel, is a biography of my former patriarch and mentor; one of the true titans of the industry and likely the greatest developer ever. It is one of my favorite books.

4. What inspired you to open or join an SVN franchise?

I have a unique relationship with SVN BlackStream. In 2014, I was working with SVN International Corp. and sold a franchise to Ford Elliott for four markets in North and South Carolina. Over time, I got to know Ford better and watched him grow his business. After adding a residential real estate franchise to his company and growing BlackStream’s development business, we decided that we could grow even faster as a team. Our partnership takes advantage of Ford’s vision, entrepreneurship, deal making and leadership skills, while adding my experience in developing properties, evolving people and growing companies. SVN’s resources and support provides us with an international company’s clout in our growing markets.

5. What was your most memorable deal and why?

I developed Coldwater Crossings in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as my first project. I built a 550,000-square foot power center on 75 acres. It took two years of rezoning, assembling parcels, meeting with neighborhood groups, working with my architect, civil engineers, GC, and preleasing space before we started construction. When we finally bought the property, I collected a commission on lease deals with Walmart, Cub Foods, General Cinema Corp, Walgreens, and 100,000 square feet of other leases. All the commissions were paid on the same day and it was a life-changing moment. When the stores opened and I saw how many jobs had been created and how many tax revenues we generated, I knew that I had found my life’s calling.

Are you ready to experience the SVN Difference? Check out our Careers page here.