Zell’s Job Creation Quote Wins Top Honor

NEW YORK CITY-Sam Zell, already voted the most iconic figure in the poll, also took top honors (at 69% of the vote) in the Globest.com survey “Top 10 Quotes” of the past decade.

Typically frank, Zell, who is chairman of Equity Residential, noted earlier this year that, “We should just call a time-out and say that we won’t work on anything else but creating jobs. We’ve wasted nine months screwing around, with things such as health care, and other distractions.”

Besides Zell’s top-vote-getting quote, Kurt Photenhauer of the Mortgage Bankers Association, rather prophetic statement in 2007 earned second place (35%): “Be careful what you wish for. You don’t want the government in your business.” The survey of real estate executives was conducted as part of Globest.com’s 10^th anniversary.

Third-place honors (34%) went to Ray Torto of CB Richard Ellis, who told Globest.com in 2009: “The economy is like a patient who has gone through a trauma and is now in intensive care. “

Philip Blumberg of Blumberg Capital Partners came in at No. 4 with his quote earlier this year: “If the Obama administration reinstates Glass-Steagall, that’s a good thing. It might make banks act like banks instead of real estate companies.”

Survey respondents voted in Kyle Gore of RBS Greenwich Capital at No. 5, who shared three years ago: “Will we have boom times again? Of course. People treat every event like a soap opera; we go from giddy to the world coming to an end when in fact neither was true.”

Steven Siegel of CB Richard Ellis comes in next at No. 6 for his pre-election thoughts in 2007 that ran on the pages of Globest.com: “The saddest part of this election is that I don’t have anyone who causes enthusiasm. Never have I been this unexcited.”

Doug Bibby of the National Multi-Housing Council follows at No. 7 with this 2007 quote: “Without Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the industry literally would be dead in the water.”

Last year Tony Thompson of Thompson National Properties offered these thoughts that earned him the No. 8 spot on the survey: “We’re in for some pretty rough years, and I’m excited to see how that plays out. We need to be patient.”

From the early days of Globest.com, comes the No. 9 selection, Larry Silverstein of Silverstein Properties, who shared this back in 2003: “It is critical for the recovery of lower Manhattan that 7 World Trade Center be rebuilt and I am committed to making sure the building is completed on time.”

At No. 10 is some analysis from Andrew Merin of Cushman & Wakefield, who told Globest.com back in 2008: “All the major players are lining up and buying debt. This is a phenomenon that happens once every 10 or 12 years.”