Based in Bluffton, South Carolina, Geoffrey (Geoff) J. Block manages RLB Squared, a company that invests in commercial real estate properties. At the firm, Geoff Block supervises daily operations and manages employees.
Here are four tips for a successful career in commercial real estate:
- Choose a specialty. Commercial real estate has many subspecialties, including urban offices, industrial facilities, hotels, and retail spaces. While many newcomers operate as generalists, specializing in one area is important.
- Learn everything about your niche. Read relevant industry magazines, attend meetings with other professionals in that field, and periodically visit your area economic development director to learn relevant happenings in your city. Get aerial maps of your city from the director’s office and study them, and stay on top of property listings in your area. The goal is to become the most knowledgeable person in that niche in your area.
- Build relationships. Network with people who may be interested in buying, selling, or leasing your properties as well as those who may invest in properties with you. Connect with your target clients or partners at organizations where they are members, on LinkedIn and other social media sites, at local and neighboring cities’ chambers of commerce, and at charity fundraisers and ribbon cuttings. Position yourself as a commercial real estate expert.
- Be persistent. Building a successful real estate career takes time.
