Having spent the past 30 years in commercial real estate, I have watched the industry transform itself with the rise of technology. There is a vast difference between the ways that the older generation was trained as sales professionals versus the way that the new generation is currently being educated. With that said, how much has it really changed the way that we conduct business?
I see the younger professionals in our office work long hours behind their desks—drumming up business leads, researching needs of clients, finalizing proposals, managing their social media accounts, and checking the Internet for news feeds. When I was that age, we weren’t supposed to be behind our desk. We were driving the streets, walking door-to-door, trying to meet people for the next big deal.
I once asked my boss if I could attend an office leasing seminar, which cost $100. He turned me down but offered to buy me a new pair of shoes if I wore out my current shoes cold calling for prospects. Whenever he saw me in the office, he quickly asked why I was there and said that I needed to be out cold calling. So I would leave with my pen and legal pad and search for a new building to cold call.
It was this in-person networking that allowed me to understand our market, the key players, and to get to know my clients very well. I learned what people like to eat, met their families, understand their political backgrounds, and could talk their talk.
Recently, I have been speaking with younger professionals and I realize they have just as much knowledge about their clients as I do about mine—they just find out the information differently. They see pictures of their client’s recent family vacation on Facebook, congratulate key clients on LinkedIn about their promotions, watch videos of new properties on YouTube, and read Tweets about clients looking for space.
At CASE, I am pleased to be spearheading our social media efforts for this year. What I’ve concluded is that there needs to be a proper balance with the use of online and in-person networking. Although there is nothing better than getting to know a client on a personal level, I embrace the idea that technology helps us all stay ahead of the game at a faster pace than ever before.
As principal, John Conger oversees operations at CASE Commercial Real Estate Partners, a full-service firm with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Contact him at [email protected].
