The Time is Right for a Big Push

IRVINE, CA—On a macro level, the US economy is improving and the number of transactions is increasing, so now is the right time in the cycle to be bullish, David Rowley, Colliers International's newly appointed managing director, tells GlobeSt.com exclusively. We spoke with Rowley about his new role, shifts at Colliers and what he feels are the essential traits of successful brokers.

GlobeSt.com: What are your goals in your new role with Colliers International?

Rowley: My goals are to align our clients' needs with Colliers resources and follow through to ensure client satisfaction. More specifically, I will be growing the real estate management-services business on the West Coast, while at the same time connecting opportunities with solutions across our other service lines, including brokerage and capital markets. I think it's important to note that real estate users have business issues related to brand, culture, productivity, efficiency, recruiting and other strategic and operational needs. Truly understanding these business drivers gives us a competitive advantage.

GlobeSt.com: Is this a paradigm shift for Colliers?

Rowley: In a word, yes. Business development in the commercial real estate industry has historically been handled by local market leaders with multiple responsibilities. Colliers has made a strategic decision to integrate business development into the leadership structure of the company in order to better identify opportunities across all service lines and enhance its already-strong client-centric culture.

As an observer, before joining the firm—and I am talking for about 15 years—I always thought Colliers was the most responsive of the big brokerage firms. But I thought that was just limited to maybe the people I dealt with there. It is part of the culture here. They are entrepreneurial, and they stay hungry. At its core, we are focusing on four main areas. We want to foster and develop professional empathy skills, which deliver a deeper understanding of our clients' needs. Then, we can develop an expertise for the user of real estate in our clients' strategies, planning and execution. This is what is at the heart of providing the client a great experience that will be remembered long past the time the deal is done. It's kind of like going to a restaurant time and again, as long as the service remains outstanding. It's something you will recommend to your friends. It's a value-added situation. That's our goal. We want our clients to spread the word about their experiences with us.

GlobeSt.com: Why was now the right time for the firm to introduce a managing director for business development?

Rowley: On a macro level, the US economy is improving, the number of transactions is increasing, and it is the right time in the cycle for a big push. Internally, Colliers has devoted significant capital toward creating a dynamic, fully integrated real estate platform. This is geared toward providing its commercial real estate professionals with the tools and resources required for competitiveness and to exceed client expectations. With the heavy lifting completed, the Colliers platform is ready to take it to the next level. That's why I and other regional business-development executives have been recruited.

GlobeSt.com: It seems that many brokerage firms are focusing a lot on the level of service they offer clients. Why is this becoming more important?

Rowley: Customer service is a differentiator. As an international real estate services firm, we can keep pace with the expanding needs of our clients, which are expanding rapidly. We want to not only keep pace with our clients' expectations, but also exceed them. And those expectations have evolved rapidly over the last five years, largely as a result of technology. Brokerage firms need to innovate rapidly and evolve their ability to execute or risk not being competitive, and that's where Colliers has been on the leading edge. Again, that's why the company has really committed itself to a living, breathing, client-centric model. We are constantly adding to it when we see a need and making it more responsive and reflexive. And it's developing quickly across all our service lines, from brokerage to property management to asset valuation and any other areas where our expertise can be utilized on behalf of our clients.

GlobeSt.com: What traits do you think are essential for brokers to be successful today?

Rowley: That's a very loaded question, and it could be a long list. But critical thinking and the ability to understand changing market conditions is essential in today's brokerage world. It is not enough simply to call on prospective clients and offer them the traditional menu of services that brokerage firms have always offered. There has to be a value-add proposition to any services we provide, including brokerage, and that's one of the main reasons Colliers has made a major commitment to bringing in experienced business-development executives. The days of cookie-cutter solutions are over. Brokers must demonstrate market knowledge and an ability to analyze a client's short-, medium- and long-term goals, and then offer solutions based on that.