SIOR Special Report: Brokers Embrace Authenticity in an Automated World
Panelists at the conference shared their top relationship-building tips.
If there’s one piece of advice that leaders in the commercial real estate brokerage industry have for their peers, it’s to be authentic, both as a person and as a professional. Sure, it’s important to have astute market knowledge, a sophisticated tech stack and a broad network, but it doesn’t mean much if you can’t stand out to prospective buyers or tenants amid a shifting commercial real estate industry outlook.
This was a recurring theme at the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors’ 2025 CREate 360 event, hosted in Louisville, Ky. In a world where the first conversation that a potential tenant has about a property is often with a chatbot, brokers who can not only carve out niche areas of expertise, but distinct personalities will be the first to succeed in an increasingly uncertain leasing environment.
Building a strong foundation
For some brokers, a simple shift in how one goes about procuring tenants can go a long way when it comes to building both long-term client relationships and stable deal flows. In other words, be active, not passive. “I put a lot of horsepower behind knowing who I want to go after and who I want to present to,” detailed Michael Connor, the Pittsburgh office market leader at Hannah Commercial Real Estate.
But leases won’t simply come by way of casting a catch-all net of outreach for tenants; Connor advises brokers to play to their sector and market-specific strengths. “(You) can’t do life science as well as you do warehouse distribution or energy,” said Connor, whose tenants are primarily in the medical office, education and tech sectors. “The more you understand what makes them tick and their business strategies, the more you will evolve as a professional.”
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This means going above and beyond in terms of understanding the specific dynamics of a given market, from the AI-driven leasing boom in San Francisco to why Manhattan’s space has made such a strong foot traffic recovery. Would-be tenants may see more value in a knowledgeable broker than the facts themselves.
Quality over quantity
Potentially, fewer, yet more meaningful relationships may be the way to go for brokers, given the volatility that exists in the office leasing landscape.
Leveraging partnerships with tenant representatives, lenders, institutional investors and landlords to keep leases long and stable goes a long way to eliminating some of this uncertainty. “I do spend extra time on the whole process. It’s much easier, less expensive and a lot more fun to keep a client than get a new one,” noted Walter Robinson, principal at Miami-based Robinson Commercial Real Estate “We have a recurring (source of) revenue; something is going to happen, be it a sublease, a renewal or relocation that they need.”
An authentic identity as a broker can exist outside the property, as well. Robinson sees the role of brokers as those of community builders, using their interpersonal skills to not only enhance their professional networks, but improve school boards and other community organizations. “Join the (community) boards with true intent; not for business, but because it’s something you believe in, are passionate about and will make the world a better place.”
Ultimately, the most distinct identity as a broker comes from setting oneself apart as a person. “You have to give someone something that they can look at; accentuate your strengths because you’re not in the room, or defend yourself because you’re not in the room,” Connor advised.
“This is a contact sport, and we will not change the effectiveness of human interaction,” Robinson concluded.
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