36D — September 13 - 26, 2019 — 40 Under 40 — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
40 U nder 40
Jon Williams, Cushman . . .
Jordan Metz, Bussel Realty Corp. . . .
estate investments I wanted to make and, most important- ly, what my personal goals were for building a family. I achieved all of the goals that I wrote down…so I’m a bit more ambitious in my goals to achieve by 40! What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? I am a people person. I am honest, and I have the best interest of my client at the forefront of any assignment I have the opportunity to work on. My clients know I will run through walls for them. They hire me to maximize their sale price, and I often remind buyers of that during a transaction. I value my time and the time of the people I do business with. As a result I have earned the trust and respect needed in this busi- ness, which leads to repeat and loyal clients. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to be- come as successful as you are today? Time manage- ment. It took me a long time to value my own time to a level where I was comfortable turning down business. There are a lot of traps in this busi- ness in the form of very hairy assignments that are easy to win and extremely difficult to sell. Becoming efficient at time management is probably the biggest differentiator in getting to the next level. nent aspects which make me successful and also evident to my client base. They value my expertise and focus on reach- ing their goals. Initiatives to drive revenue and employee productivity through their real estate and cut waste- ful spending exemplify my dedication and loyalty to the business. plans to realize success…and they stay involved to provide a source of accountability. In keeping with Six Sigma prin- ciples (Fred is a black belt and Bobbi Jean is a green belt), the lessons learned throughout this process help to augment our knowledge base and re- fine our best practices. It’s an ongoing investment that fosters continued success. It’s an approach that keeps us growing – we’ve surpassed 40 team members – the diversity of our growing team keeps us young, even after 40 years in business.”
admittedly not very active on social media, even though my team makes sure to keep my postings up to date. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current posi- tion and why you choose the field/profession you are in today? I was a finance major at Villanova before they had an official real estate program. I was sparring at a local gymwith two office leas- ing brokers who were in the commercial real estate bro- kerage business and picked their brains. They got me in front of a lot of connected of commercial real estate leaders and I was hooked. I started in brokerage right out of college with a 100% commission structure and a phone. My college buddies were all heading to wall street and thought I was crazy. What were some of your early goals and did any- thing happen to change them? The month that I graduated college, I wrote down some specific goals be- cause someone told me that would increase my odds of achieving them. The funny thing about writing things down is that it makes you re- member them. I had specific goals about howmuch money I wanted to earn by the time I was 30, how much money I wanted to have saved in the bank, what types of real What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? My ambition and self-starter mentality are the most perti- years, I decided to pursue my true passion of commercial real estate and “cold called” into the industry. continued from page 20D on board as a sales associate upon graduating, and Andrew Johnson, whose background as a restauranteur is proving valuable to restaurant and retail clients. Bobbi Jean Formosa, EVP and managing director for the firm said, “Our leaders share a goal of enabling success… individually and collectively. As younger team members become more established, the mentoring transitions to a col- laborative effort with industry veterans working with them to establish goals and action
contractors, clients, and other engineers really changed my perspective of the industry and made me a better designer. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduat- ing from college today? Ask questions and really digest the What was the most defin- ing moment for you? Mak- ing my first investment sale by convincing the investors to underwrite the asset much more aggressively than they had been. They were new to the market and did not think rents could achieve the high rates I expected. I made them a deal: I’d bring them an offer at MY projected rates, before we signed the Purchase and Sale Agreement, and if I did that, they would increase their offer to the number the Seller was demanding. I followed through, then they followed earn their trust and as a result have a client for life. There is no better advertising then word of mouth and when you provide exceptional services, news spreads fast with poten- tial clients. When I spend time on a small deal with a cus- tomer who someone else might consider a waste of time, and they grow, they appreciate that and realize how hard I had to work for them when they were small. As a result, when they grow big as a business, most of my clients stay with me. Keep Growing -- Everyone can learn something new every day and no one knows it all in any industry. By continuing to do exactly what I’ve been doing, but trying to add at least one new skill, new idea, or learn about a new owner or company on a daily basis, I will continue to grow and mature ahead of my years. I am dedi- cated to working extremely hard with integrity while cu- mulatively learning more as I move forward. I also plan to join other organizations to donate more time to charities, and to attend CCIM classes to earn that certification and add another level of expertise. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to be- come as successful as you are today? Not getting caught up in the day to day stress, and using failures as a way to motivate and learn. I gain value with every deal I work on; many close, some don’t, but each one add to my skill set and experience.
responses. No one expects you to know everything coming out of school. Take this time early on to ask good questions and learn as much as you can from your mentors. The more you learn now, the better; you don’t want to be asking rookie ques- tions five years from now. I had an obsession as a child with NBA basketball and would wait outside of the NJ Nets parking lot at the Meadlowlands arena to meet and become friendly with the players. Eventually they all knew me by name, they would get me locker room passes, and I have every player’s game worn, autographed sneakers, from the 1996-1999 NJ Nets teams. I guess you can say I was a mover and shaker even back then… Now those skills get me through the front door to company executives to help them make smart industrial real estate choices! through, and we have now completed over half dozen transactions where I sell them assets and then achieve or ex- ceed the rents I’ve underwrit- ten. That first deal confirmed what I had believed: that I am an expert in my market, and that I can create things by showing intent, underpromis- ing, and overdelivering. Who do you feel was most influential in your lifewhen choosing this profession? My grandfather/father. What charity or nonprofit do you support most and why? I tend not to give to large charities, as I feel much of the funds are diverted. I try to lend a hand wherever pos- sible. My grandfather taught me an important lesson: The true measure of a man is how he treats somebody that can do him absolutely no good. I help out at the Hoboken homeless shelter, especially on Thanksgiving. I help vari- ous homeless veterans, and some people with physical dis- abilities. I choose to help these people directly, not through an organization. This way, I know that everything I do is going to help them, and only them. Three things people would be surprised to know about me: I’m somewhat of a shy person, but when I meet you I will open up and I look to make lasting relationships with people all over, from every spectrum of life. I have two brothers, both start with the letter J, and we are all two years apart.
continued from page 28D This complex project really taught me the importance of understanding the physical characteristics, installation logistics, and cost impacts of what we put on paper. Being a part of solving construc- tion issues in the field with Referrals and Repeat Busi- ness – By treating every client as a priority, I have given my clients every reason to keep retaining my services, to refer people they know, as well as continued from page 34D What were some of your early goals and did any- thing happen to change them? My early career goal has been the same as my goal today: to be the “go to” guy for industrial real estate in NJ, providing clients exceptional results but just as importantly, to be recognized for my hon- esty, loyalty, integrity, and sincere underlying interest in servicing my clients’ needs. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? The principles noted below which I live by might sound cliché but I truly believe you have to follow them in order to be a leader and successful in commercial real estate: Integrity, Honesty, Persis- tence, Follow-up, Resource- fulness, Creative & Critical Thinking – I follow these prin- ciples as well as thinking of solutions under pressure -- “on your feet”, by putting yourself in your client’s shoes are and then acting in their best in- terest. These are the keys to success. Career Goals -- You have to set higher and higher goals as you achieve your goals to stay your best. For me, one of my goals is to continue my upward trend of getting involved in larger and larger deals, while staying true to the simple philosophy which has earned me success to date: treat every single deal/customer/client as a priority regardless of the commission. Because of this, I am successful working with companies that 5 years ago were small and not a broker would work with them, that today have grown significantly. Some of these clients are sign- ing large 80,000 and 100,000 sf leases or buying properties in this size range. As they’ve grown, these clients have re- membered me when they need to move.
continued from page 30D Mark Thomson, Jones Lang LaSalle
continued from page 19D NAI Mertz surges past 40 . . .
Anthony Bifano, AKF Group . . .
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