Your Untraditional Path Is Your Competitive Edge
CRE’s most successful brokers don’t always come from traditional backgrounds—and their outside experience may be exactly what gives them an edge.
Before I started at this company almost 15 years ago, I came from children’s publishing. My only experience with real estate was trekking out to Queens to look at apartments to rent. (You’d be surprised how many one-bedrooms close to the subway are cramped or dark or definitely haunted.)
Now, I could talk your ear off about how data centers are a huge, evolving asset class or why developers are looking to the Sun Belt or how artificial intelligence is transforming commercial real estate. And, because of my background, I can write about it in terms that everyone can understand.
I didn’t get into real estate the traditional way. But I found my niche. And my outside knowledge and skills became an asset for my current position.
It turns out a lot of commercial brokers also have an untraditional way they entered the industry. And because of this, they were able to bring in unique perspectives that have set them up for success.
Take, for example, Howard Berry of Avison Young, who worked in electrical and general contracting before making the transition to brokerage with a focus on data centers. He found his background extremely useful.
“(Since) I saw that semiconductor manufacturing was moving out of Silicon Valley, I realized that these sites could be turned into data centers because of the amount of power they held,” Berry told Senior Associate Editor Gabriel Frank in “How Top CRE Brokers Hone Their Reputations.”
Berry uses his previous experience not only to help his clients but also to stand out in a sea of commercial brokers. (Oh, and for more info about how the top brokerage firms are performing, check out our ranking!) How does your background make you unique? I’d love to hear how your perspective and experience have helped you in your brokerage career!
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