Speaking of Oof. Listing presentation. Full embodying my advisory role: environmental explanations, advised them about their nephew's space search challenges, shared appraiser sourced stats, demonstrating my role as a potential trusted advisor all the way". Then, one owner said "You think it might sell in 6 months?" I would like to see it under contract in 6 months, yes." Her: "$50K is a lot of money for 6 months work." Like a needle being ripped across a record, it was. I think I have yet to fully embody my @MassimoGroup coaching because I said .... wait for it ... it's worth it... "Well, I can take 3 years if you want." Out Loud! True Story. D'oh! Commercial Real Estate interviews are not for the faint of heart or the quick to a joke. It's a WWBKD (what would @BobKnakal do?) moment or @allencbuchanan or @nickeyhorn or @CaseyMericle or @JulieChangRE or @CarolWalshReal1 or @carmenraustin or SO many other people I know. It wasn't the objection. The phrasing caught me off guard. On the bright side, we talked renting goats for poison ivy afterward, so I think we're good. maybe.

Life Pro Tip. Obvious. Yet sometimes these little thoughts feel revelatory. (This does apply to CRE brokerage & investment) *Urgency is in the eye of the beholder.* Remember whose urgency is important. Clients, investors, yes. That senior member of your team? Are they on your team? Or are you on theirs? If it is relentlessly tipped to the "Fires" they need someone to put out, it's time to reframe the dynamic. Mentors, senior leaders, they are important in this business. But not so important that your growth is snuffed.

Thanks @BCCommercial ! Master class in (what they said back in the olden days) creating content that converts. Thank you @JoeKillinger for the blog. Guidelines also make content creation easier and less noisy in one's head.

Dunno if this is still part of their process, but Trader Joe's sight selection teams used to go to major urban intersections from noon-1:00 on weekdays to determine whether a city worked for them. Lunch time on the New Haven green convinced them the city wasn't a fit.

It's officially summer in Connecticut, or...unofficially summer. Seems the perfect moment to tout 3 of my favorite things. The only lobster roll: hot buttered, Putting your rump on a stump to eat lobster in Guilford & remembering the years when we were all too cool & The annual Shad Bake in Essex right on the river. @BobKnakal this is your annual note that the New England tradition rolls around on June 6 (tix at The Essex Rotary Club).

It might have been 60 degrees with southeast winds gathering but it was the first night of summer on the CT shoreline and that can only mean A Clam Special, roasted corn, lobo and steamers at The Place. "Put our rumps on stumps" for all the vibes.

I missed the Real Estate Gala this year but the CID awards view isn't pretty nice too. New Haven Harbor puts on a great light show. Interesting stats from 2025. 52 brokers in New Haven County submitted deals for consideration so transactions were happening but smaller, much smaller footprints across asset classes. Indistrial rent in Fairfield County held steady at $12.00-$13.00psf My favorite deal? Buddy of mine did a 5 yr land lease for $150k! He relocated an ATM! 😉

Last Week my Buddy @TopherNOW sent me his CRE Demand tool. Basically, his agent scraped Google inquiries (deeply) by keyword to project demand for different asset classes. It was Validating! I recently told someone that I don't think there is much of an IOS market in Connecticut. Demand is minimal. His agent confirmed. Inquiries for tractor storage & IOS leases are down 100%. Compare demand for New England to Kansas or Texas where demand is 400% up. Wow.

Real Estate class: Fantastic teacher. So knowledgeable about resi real estate and special purpose real estate. But, man! She jist said "Industrial, where you find factories, doctors offices, warehouses..." I'm such a victim of that bias where I think everyone has my knowledge.

Unhinged Bio - I didn't even know about these. Thank you @DebraHazelComm (inspired by my dearest friends @TheMoRegalado and @Allison_S_Weiss) I did our founder first because it is so very true (and so fun to work with, Ha!). "He has no CRM, three folding maps in the car, and somehow knows the owner personally.” Commercial real estate broker operating entirely on instinct, legal pads, coffee, and approximately seven simultaneous conversations. Has forgotten more about Connecticut real estate than most brokers will ever know. May or may not remember where he put the file proving it. Can identify ownership history, tenant drama, and who built the loading dock in 1978 from a drive-by at 35 mph. Lives somewhere between: • old-school dealmaker • accidental philosopher • “just one more thing before I leave the office” guy Runs on: • newspaper clippings • verbal leases from 1994 • deeply held opinions about signage • relationships built over 50 years • sheer force of personality Executive function held together by caffeine and momentum. Still closes deals anyway. The market changes. Kevin does not.

Happy Mothers Day to those who celebrate and especially those who don't and have day off! 😉 Motherhood isn't only blood. Celebrate yourself if you've mothered any living creature. Queens.

Fun note I found on the back of an envelope in an archival file. I am genius with literal back of the envelope notes in a pile. "Lot of bad guys in business. If you aren't one, you'll work with one, or, if you haven't, maybe you ARE the bad guy."

My Company has been killing it for almost 40 years. Awesome. What's awesome in the true sense of the word is the backlog of paper. Came across a fun marketing blip from 2017. Marketing a property with a Tenant S*rvePr*. We were served for Trademark infringement for saying the present tenant's (at the time) name. You learn something new every day and then again on shredding day! haha!

I thought I knew about property management, particularly commercial property management. I was wrong. The victim-bully from hell was hired 3 years ago by a formerly great tenant of 15 years. Every time she complains she talks about her dream offices. Every time she complains she copies legal. She complains 3 times a week. Most of her complaints are about tenant responsibilities. And you just need to keep going, politely answer and address every nasty comment about the toilet paper holder her employee pulled out of the wall, the ugly carpet, the bathroom fan noise. Every day, respond and keep going no matter how much you'd rather not. It's going to be a long 3 years and 10 months. 🫢

Ghosted. Ghosted is the hardest part. I received a call from someone who wanted to sell their biz & property. Attorney that knows me referred them. I was excited. They had an appraisal & business valuation. Told me the appraisal valued their 6,000sf 2-story non-elevatored building at $2M. The hairs on the back of my neck wiggled. They went on to explain that the appraiser told them it's worth that value but the market won't pay that. Confused. So they sent me those reports, I backed out NOI sales expenses: all the fun stuff and explained where these valuations, while not wrong, were a bit misleading. Ie: appraisal valued a fully tenanted building which it wasn't. Biz analyses valued projections. I Called them before emailing my review and pages of explainerd to soften the blow, explain what I did and confirm that they (and the city assessing them for taxes) were a bit high on value, asked if they have questions or next steps. *Crickets* It's a drag and rude. "Just say no." but one can't react to this in Commercial Real Estate. In their minds, I cost them 50% of their value and 80% of their profit. They may take my calls a week later,, they may not. I know brokers who get hot about this, take it personally, say the words they shouldn't and kill the referral which they've forgotten because ego got in the way. That behavior serves no one.