MWM STL is excited to present our first St. Louis Broker Spotlight, featuring Ben Albers with Newmark Grubb Zimmer (NGZ).
Albers joined NGZ in 2015 and currently serves as managing director of office brokerage in the company's St. Louis office, where he focuses on representing tenants and landlords in office property transactions.
Albers attributes his early success to mentors, marketing, momentum and more. Here are the details of our MWM Broker Spotlight interview:
Rachel Treanor (RT): What was your lightbulb moment to get into commercial real estate?
Ben Albers (BA): I was always interested in development, but it took me some time to realize that brokerage was perfect for me. I spent a lot of time getting coffee with people in the industry before I made the leap. The lightbulb moment actually came when I learned that brokerage had an entrepreneurial component that other roles did not.
RT: Who is your mentor and why?
BA: My father has always played a role in my development as a professional. He is in the healthcare industry, so his influence taught me to approach problems from a completely different mindset. We don’t spend a lot of time on the real estate market, but hearing his approach and perspective on bigger picture issues has always taught me to not be so insular in my business.
RT: What gets you excited to get to work every day?
BA: I’ve always been a social person, so I enjoy getting up every day to talk to clients, prospects, other brokers, etc. This career offers the ability to meet new people every single day, so I make the most of it by getting out as much as I can.
RT: When did you get your CCIM /other continuing education and how has it affected your career?
BA: I’m currently working on my CCIM designation and am over halfway there. It’s been valuable to sit in class with other real estate professionals who work in different sectors. Their approach to a deal can be very different, so I’ve learned a lot by picking up tips and tricks along the way.
RT: How do you keep your skills sharp in this competitive climate?
BA: One of the benefits of the digital age is that there is a never-ending stream of information. I try to soak up all the latest trends and market info by talking to clients, furniture vendors, attorneys, architects, etc. If I get to the point where I feel like I’ve learned it all, it’s time for retirement.
RT: Tell us about your current projects.
One of the benefits of working on a team is that we get new ‘irons in the fire’ almost daily. However, there are handful of projects that I am ultra-focused on in 2020. The disposition of an office portfolio in Wildwood, the leasing of a 90,000 SF call center building in Berkeley, and a handful of tenant rep clients are a few examples.
RT: What does a St. Louis CRE Comeback look like to you?
BA: St Louis needs to build on its momentum in the city. Areas like the Cortex, the Grove, Midtown and little pockets of downtown have all seen tremendous growth and investment over the years. The key to a comeback will be connecting those neighborhoods to attract young talent to come to the city. When that happens, large companies that are looking for those employees will follow.
RT: What leads do you look for?
BA: As an office broker, I focus on representing both tenants and landlords. Anyone who needs help figuring out their office lease, whether they are growing, shrinking, or renewing, is someone I can help.
RT: How can prospects contact you for more information?
BA: You can email me at balbers@NGZimmer.com or call me at 314.628.0439.