Four Things I Learned in my First 90 Days in Commercial Real Estate

Bryan Richardson joined First Capital Property Group at the end of 2021 teaming up with Austin McWillams as a Sales & Leasing Analyst. He brings with him experience from both profit and non-profit sectors in accounting, finance, customer service, marketing and project management. With no commercial real estate background, Bryan went through a CRE crash-course within his first 90 days – read on to hear his main takeaways.

I recently had my 90-day review after starting here at First Capital Property Group in December 2021. Here are some thoughts on what I’ve learned in the last 90 days as I’ve transitioned away from the non-profit world and into Commercial Real Estate:

1. You can be a hardcore introvert and succeed in sales. You do not need to constantly attend networking events and schmooze people, unlike the financial planner recruiting seminars I attended coming out of college told me you MUST do. Instead, the key is building relationships intentionally, one-on-one. Credit to Sean Ward’s post on LinkedIn, which you can view HERE – it was immensely helpful to me.
2. Working closely with an extrovert has helped me move out of my comfort zone. Austin McWilliams and I couldn’t be more different, but I think that is why we work well together—our personalities and skills complement each other well. While I live for organizing spreadsheets and digging into the details of an opportunity, Austin is a natural connector of people and casts a compelling vision for what can be done. He’s also shown me the wisdom in the saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
3. The people you choose to surround yourself with make all the difference. Working at a place like FCPG, where people truly care about one another, has blown away my expectations. The negative stereotype of the sleezy salesman that will stab you in your back to get a deal doesn’t exist here.
4. Commercial real estate is first and foremost a relationships business, not a transactions business. I realize this is cliché, but that’s because it is true. I’ve witnessed it over and over again these past 90 days. In the CRE business, as it is in most aspects of life, it is the lasting relationships built on mutual respect and trust that will lead to long-term success.

Here’s to the next 90 days and many more lessons learned and experiences to be had!

First Capital Property Group, Inc. is a Full-Service Real Estate company leasing and managing over 2 million square feet of commercial property in Central Florida. The information contained herein is believed to be reliable; however, First Capital makes no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, regarding its accuracy. ©2022 First Capital Property Group, Inc. – Licensed Real Estate Brokers.