CRE Broker: Becoming a CRE Authority Starts with This

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CRE Broker: Becoming a CRE Authority Starts with This

Two professional men in button-down shirts sit at a table in a modern office with large windows, engaged in a discussion. A blue gradient overlay across the bottom features the bold white text, "5 STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PERSONAL PRESENCE." A minimalist white "M" logo is positioned in the upper right corner.

I was featured on the TreppWire podcast, one of the largest commercial real estate shows out there. One of the most important things we touched on was a harsh reality that most CRE brokers are facing (whether they know it or not) – most CRE brokers are seen as a commodity.

The truth is, positioning yourself as an authority in this ultra-competitive CRE market isn’t a luxury anymore; it’s a must-have.

Let me share a personal story to demonstrate what I mean:

 

Many years ago, I got a call in my home office from a woman who said she was Steve Forbes’ (CEO of Forbes, Inc) executive assistant. I’d never spoken to her or Steven before – I didn’t even know that they knew who I was! As it turned out, Mr. Forbes’ daughter was exploring a career in commercial real estate and wanted to find the best place to buy my book “Brokers Who DOMINATE,” the first of my four best-selling books.

The reason I’m telling you this is because I knew about Steve Forbes, but I had no idea that he knew about me.

It isn’t who you know; it’s about who knows you.

In essence, that’s what presence means. More specifically, personal presence.

It’s one of the three core pillars of the Presence Pyramid™, a system we developed after analyzing how successful clients achieved market presence (Massimo clients will know all about this).

A 3D illustration of "The Massimo Presence Pyramid," a blue three-tiered pyramid outlined with two upward-pointing arrows on either side. The left arrow is labeled "EFFECTIVENESS" and points to the top, while the right arrow is labeled "COST" and points toward the base. The pyramid's tiers are labeled from top to bottom: "PERSONAL" (featuring an "M" logo inside a circle at the apex), "PHYSICAL," and "DIGITAL."

In other words, to stop being grouped in with “the rest” where every call you make is met with “who’s this, and why are you calling me?”.

Instead, start receiving inbound calls like I did with Steven Forbes all those years ago (and it’s but one example of the many times where investing in my own personal presence has paid off).

Now, there’s no use talking about personal presence without showing you how to increase yours.

Five steps to improve your personal presence:

  1. Assess Your Current Presence: Identify how many people you are top of mind for by making a list of people outside your immediate circle. Then, ask yourself if you are on their list.
  2. Target Key Influencers: Identify 100 influencers in your market who can significantly impact your business. These are not necessarily prospects but connectors who can refer you or raise your profile.
  3. Create Opportunities to Meet: Set up 1-on-1 meetings (like coffee or lunch), attend small networking events, or participate in larger functions to build relationships with your Top 100.
  4. Focus on Consistency: Aim for 2–3 personal meetings a week, investing your time wisely. Track and update your Top 100 list quarterly to ensure you’re building relationships with the right people.
  5. Think Long-Term: Don’t expect immediate returns. Personal presence is an investment that compounds over time through consistent networking and relationship-building.

In future editions of the Broker Blueprint, I’ll dive into the other two crucial parts of building your presence as a broker: physical presence and digital presence.

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Massimo Group

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