What CRE Clients Really Want

Moderator: Geoffrey Kasselman. Panelists: Brad Manns, Cummins; Rob Pericht, Saddle Creek; Scott Alexander, BlueScope Properties.

CHICAGO—Last week at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s annual Industrial Strength Connections Summit in Chicago, a ballroom filled with brokers listened to a diverse group of clients explain just what they needed from their broker relationships.

Geoffrey M. Kasselman, executive managing director of NGKF’s national industrial practice, led the Thursday afternoon session, and at one point told a story from early in his career, when after failing to win the business of a prospective client, he went back and asked why. That individual told him that although his firm’s bid was solid, the ultimate choice wasn’t that important, because “all brokers generate the same result, plus or minus 10%.”