Vincent Ewing found success quickly in the residential real estate market before making the switch to commercial real estate in October 2020, when he joined Anthony Hardy’s new team, Multifamily Investment Advisors at Keller Williams ONEChicago.
One reason Ewing made the transition to the six-agent commercial real estate team was to pursue larger deals. “The commercial sector has bigger fish,” he says. “The commercial investors I’m working with are whales, so to speak.” Although he concentrates his business in the greater Chicago area, “I’m working with investors who have properties nationwide,” Ewing says.
Many sectors of the commercial market have been hit hard by the pandemic. But Ewing says the brokerage he’s affiliated with has suffered a softer blow than most. “We’re a full-service commercial firm, so we’re here to advise clients on profitability,” he explains, “meaning as an adviser I’m working with investors, whether or not they’re actively buying or selling real estate.”
Mentors Help Breed Success
Ewing says Hardy’s dedicated mentorship has been invaluable. “As an agent, you always want to have a guiding hand, especially when you’re starting out,” he says.
Wright expressed a similar sentiment toward her team leader and mentor, Katie Wethman. “In this tough market, it is important to have a mentor who can be a sounding board for the tough decisions needed to help guide buyers,” says Wright, adding that Wethman has helped her craft winning offers in bidding wars and to navigate the challenges of working with first-time home buyers. “I’m very grateful that I started doing real estate on a team,” Wright says.
Rogers, in Columbus, says the pandemic has had a positive impact on her real estate career. “I had to think outside of the box to generate business,” she says. “It’s taught me how to survive in the real estate world,” even under difficult circumstances.