What One Broker Learned in the Last Crash

ATLANTA—John Grim has seen the best of times and the worst of times in commercial real estate. The senior vice president of leasing and development at

Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers has been in the field for over 10 years, working the office and retail sectors.

Grim was the company's top broker by volume in 2014—but not without pressing through some of the worst times in the industry. GlobeSt.com caught up with Grim to discuss his commercial real estate beginnings, challenges and victories in this exclusive interview.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get your start in commercial real estate?

Grim: Real estate is a natural fit with my background. Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in geography with a concentration in business location analysis. I have work experience with a major shopping mall developer, a site selection consulting firm, as well as zoning and urban planning on the government side.  I really can't image better preparation for this job.

GlobeSt.com: What have been some of the key turning points in your career?

Grim: I think the turning point is when I started to get referrals from my clients. It takes a few years of grinding to make a name for yourself. When you do a good job, the referrals start. I think that is when you know you have turned the corner in your career.

GlobeSt.com: What was the biggest challenge you've had to navigate in the commercial real estate industry?

Grim: Certainly the economic downtown of a few years ago really disrupted the industry in historic ways. Banks became landlords, tenants needed rent relief to survive, the future seemed uncertain and businesses didn't know what the next move would be. Providing appropriate guidance during this time to clients was difficult because we didn't quite know the direction the market would go either or what was best for their company given the situation.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get through that challenge?

Grim: I believe that nothing is new under the sun, so I started looking at real estate trends from the depression and other economic downturns to see how long they lasted and where they ended up. Knowledge is power and I did everything I could to get true prospective in the situation we were in. I passed this knowledge on to my clients which, at least in a small way, helped them make appropriate real estate decisions. Fortunately, many locked in historically low lease rates that they still benefit from.

ATLANTA—John Grim has seen the best of times and the worst of times in commercial real estate. The senior vice president of leasing and development at

Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers has been in the field for over 10 years, working the office and retail sectors.

Grim was the company's top broker by volume in 2014—but not without pressing through some of the worst times in the industry. GlobeSt.com caught up with Grim to discuss his commercial real estate beginnings, challenges and victories in this exclusive interview.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get your start in commercial real estate?

Grim: Real estate is a natural fit with my background. Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in geography with a concentration in business location analysis. I have work experience with a major shopping mall developer, a site selection consulting firm, as well as zoning and urban planning on the government side.  I really can't image better preparation for this job.

GlobeSt.com: What have been some of the key turning points in your career?

Grim: I think the turning point is when I started to get referrals from my clients. It takes a few years of grinding to make a name for yourself. When you do a good job, the referrals start. I think that is when you know you have turned the corner in your career.

GlobeSt.com: What was the biggest challenge you've had to navigate in the commercial real estate industry?

Grim: Certainly the economic downtown of a few years ago really disrupted the industry in historic ways. Banks became landlords, tenants needed rent relief to survive, the future seemed uncertain and businesses didn't know what the next move would be. Providing appropriate guidance during this time to clients was difficult because we didn't quite know the direction the market would go either or what was best for their company given the situation.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get through that challenge?

Grim: I believe that nothing is new under the sun, so I started looking at real estate trends from the depression and other economic downturns to see how long they lasted and where they ended up. Knowledge is power and I did everything I could to get true prospective in the situation we were in. I passed this knowledge on to my clients which, at least in a small way, helped them make appropriate real estate decisions. Fortunately, many locked in historically low lease rates that they still benefit from.