Buildings 2.0
In this episode of Buildings 2.0, Jose speaks with Gary Ceder, Managing Director of Transaction Advisory at Cushman & Wakefield. Gary shares his journey from a marketing and advertising student to a leading commercial real estate broker. He shares his insights on the challenges commercial landlords face with class B or C buildings, particularly how they can make smart investments that will make their properties feel more welcoming without breaking their budgets.
Gary also offers strategic advice for startups transitioning from remote work to physical office spaces, and tips for young brokers on creating a competitive advantage in a commoditized industry.
Topics discussed:
- How probing questions help brokers understand client needs and navigate complex real estate deals.
- Unique challenges for landlords, especially with class B or C buildings, and how to address them.
- Tips on leveraging market know-how and technology to stand out in a commoditized brokerage industry.
- The role of business development in the day-to-day activities of a commercial real estate broker.
- Exploring options like fully enclosed suites with shared amenities for companies needing flexible office space arrangements.
- The importance of in-person interactions for mentorship, coaching, and career advancement within the real estate industry.
- How technology can provide competitive advantages and help brokers better serve their clients.
Guest Quotes:
#1.)
“Really, at the end of the day, what makes us tick is, what challenges are you facing? It's never just simply find me space, whether it's companies going through reorganization, maybe we just raised a round of venture capital money. Maybe we have new management that wants to take the company in different directions. Just being able to find creative ways to connect with people on that level, I think has helped tremendously.” (1:26-1:49)
#2.)
“Some owners are doing even very creative, out-of-the-box things like drilling through slab in the center of the core of the building itself and creating additional light wells, whereby all of a sudden now you can have kind of interior-facing bedrooms that have access to windows. So we are seeing some landlords take those proactive steps.” (12:53-13:10)
#3.)
“Yeah, so one question we get asked often is what I guess, kind of what constitutes a critical mass? Meaning if I have five people in Seattle, ten people in Chicago, 22 people in Raleigh, whatever city it might be, at what point does it kind of justify having an office?” (14:46-15:03)
#4.)
“Not in the old traditional co-working sense, but absolutely, I'd say the majority of our conversations with clients are, hey, what are my short-term options? What are my long term options? So in that sense, I think flex will always be at least a significant part of that conversation.” (18:53-19:08)
Get in touch with Gary Ceder:
Email: gary.ceder [at] cushwake [dot] com
Get in touch with your host, Jose Cruz:
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