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Office Spotlight: Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

This week, we turn the spotlight on Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty with offices in Ft. Lauderdale and Hialeah, FL.

Keith Kidwell | President | Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty
Keith Kidwell | President | Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty

1. What has been your strategy for growing your firm and also your market share?
For over the past 11 years our strategy has not been to grow the firm, it has been to keep the firm small with seasoned commercial brokers and to run a highly efficient office to better serve our clients.

2. What are some of the unique activities you do to motivate your team? 
We have goal challenges with rewards.  If agents meet their goal challenges we will offer free or discounted trips to our state and national conferences, gift certificates, etc.  In addition, we sponsor golf and sporting clay teams for charity fundraisers.

 3. What’s been the biggest challenge in running your business in the last few years?
The biggest challenge has been in ensuring our agents have all the tools necessary to be as productive and as efficient as possible.  This includes keeping up with the latest in technology, social media, etc. and training them to use these tools.

4. How many Advisors/Staff did you have when you joined SVN? How many (in total) do you have now? 
We started the company 11 years ago with 5 agents and 1 staff member and currently have two offices, 6 agents and 2 staff members.  Small and efficient.

Contact:
Keith Kidwell, SIOR, CCIM
President
Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.

Five for Friday with Joel Kattan of Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty

It’s Friday, and this week we are spotlighting Joel Kattan, Senior Advisor, Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realtyin Fort Lauderdale, for our Five for Friday.

Joel Kattan, Senior Advisor Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty
Joel Kattan, Senior Advisor, Sperry Van Ness Commercial Realty

1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?

My market is South Florida and my product specialties are Industrial and Office.

 

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

Create and implement a business plan. Over the last couple of years, I’ve found that having a business plan has helped me tremendously in terms of keeping me focused. It also helps me identify which strategies grow my business, and which need to be revaluated. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s very effective.

 

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

The South Florida industrial market, particularly in the last couple of years, has been very much driven by international buyers looking to position themselves in Miami ahead of the Panama Canal expansion completion, in order to benefit from the increased business it will steer our way. When I first started out, the majority of my clients were owner/users that had businesses or properties within a five mile radius of the subject property. That is no longer the case. As a result, the days of simply canvassing an area to find a buyer are over. Instead, the focus is on getting maximum exposure for each property via various websites, social media, and direct email campaigns.

 

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

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work. It’s a great read. I was turned on to this book by a TEDTalk, check it out: Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

 

5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone know about you?

I have coached numerous basketball teams that my eight-year old son has played on. I’m a pretty good coach and I’m passionate about it. Also, I am a true Florida native, born and raised here, and with no plans on leaving!

 

*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.