Ive never understood when people talk about years they wish they had back. Most of those years went into finding a groove. Nothing you produce since would exist without them. And life’s short.

Fall in Massachusetts reminds me of when my wife and I lived in Seattle. The grey never bothered me. Here, I like how it’s quieter outside, with more people deterred by the gloomier weather. I was out running today. Have some work to do, but the crisp air felt good on the lungs.

People talk about the art of brokerage, which to me is more the art of communication. The art in this business is knowing when to back off, when to support and be present, and when to apply pressure. You need the ability to switch gears and the prowess to know when. Your approach must be backed by reason and authenticity. That’s the art.

Best day of the week to get active on the phone. Ask prospects what they have going on this weekend. Share one thing that’s changed since you last spoke with them. Make the day count!

A random couple of things I’ve learned in CRE brokerage: One is that hustle belongs at the top of the funnel. Dedicate it to reaching out to prospective clients and following up with existing relationships. Be thoughtful and maintain proper diligence, but stay highly active - don’t wait for things to happen; make them happen. Two is that once you’re deep into relationships and have essentially won the business or entered a transaction, switch gears and slow down. Make meaningful connections and be a tactician in the deal. Hustle doesn’t belong further down the funnel; connection, execution, persistence, and problem-solving do.

In my experience, if you’re close to achieving something hard to reach, it’s worth it. Success largely correlates with the pain and discomfort you can endure. The key is not to squander the opportunity because of feelings and emotions. The best brokers regulate themselves and others well. Easier said than done, but the harder it gets, the more patience you need - and usually the better the opportunity.

Staying power in CRE brokerage is extremely important, the ability to last through downturns and slower times. Right now, we’re in one of the more difficult stretches for younger and less established brokers to transact, myself included. I’m choosing to double down on detaching from my agenda and aligning more with clients. Patience is king. Realizations are being made and will continue. Hold on out there. Stay the course.

A plethora of technological advancements from a productivity standpoint in the past year if you’re in sales/CRE brokerage. What’s made the biggest impact for me? The phone. Picking it up and cold dialing - AI cannot do that effectively right now. Tons of noise right now; a lot of it’s good, some bad, but I keep reminding myself there’s no greater return on time than calling relationships and prospects, so therefore much of the noise is a distraction. Not AI cynical, just being real for someone still establishing themselves in the business.

Sup @TomBrady #PatriotNation

Return to the office could very well happen, but have you ever raked leaves, watered your new KBG, cut your grass, and trimmed your hydrangeas all while on the phone with clients and colleagues? Some beautiful New England weather this past week. Enjoy it - a good reminder to focus on the present and your strongest, most important relationships.

Some clients need to be saved from themselves. This usually requires a broker to do something uncomfortable, but what’s the old saying about being uncomfortable in this business?

Stopped a prospective client from handing a north of $10M deal to a residential agent by having the owner ask the broker: “What other transactions have you completed negotiating a long-term lease with a health system while balancing practice preservation and sustainability and maximizing real estate value?” Track record is key - leverage it hard when competing.

October in the home gym 🤝 @SmashingPumpkin

C’mon man (Randy Moss voice)

2 Livewell Drive in Kennebunk traded for $21.5 million, one of the largest commercial sales in Maine this year. The buyer is Albany Road, a Massachusetts firm that's been assembling medical buildings across New England and upstate New York since 2020. This is its first one in Maine. The next medical building for sale in Maine could very well likely have a buyer pool that didn't exist six years ago.

I’ve followed up too much and too seldom. My position on follow up will always be: closed mouths don’t get fed. There’s a line, but better to cross it and be told than not and lose the business.

Been head down on some deals since getting back from vacation. An owner responded to a BOV presentation after two weeks of silence; they’re hanging onto it. Delivered a BOV today and need to execute a lease extension for the owner to transact. Waiting on two owners who are supposedly looking to list this year and haven’t heard a peep. It’s hard out here right now, but we keep chopping.

The Fed raised rates today for the first time since 2023. A few owners I'm working with had been holding out for cuts to get back to 2021 pricing. That price was set when the 10 year sat near 1.5%. The building is just about the same. The debt market underneath it is not.

Graystone Eye sold its Hickory, N.C. building and four OR surgery center to Flagship's REIT and stayed an independent, physician-owned practice. The ORs run under a Certificate of Need. Provider practice physicians don’t need to sell in order to maximize the value of the practice real estate. This was the largest single asset purchase in Flagship’s history.

I find it lazy when owners say other brokerages, on a first call, claim they have a group ready to offer with no financials in hand. How does that benefit the owner/seller? Then they add that the physician owner must agree to a 15 year leaseback. On a first call? Maybe I need to be warmed up first, but it’s shallow and poor advisory work. Seek to understand, then advise.