S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

I had a disturbing conversation with a 35-year-old small businessman yesterday. He confirmed what I have observed. We seem to have produced a generation of young folks who have little desire to own and build their own businesses.

For some of us old-timers it is déjà vu. The commercial real estate market is sliding or crashing, depending on your perspective. Many brokers have been through a few minor downturns but this could get really serious so what do we learn from those that experienced the 1980s? Here is what I learned from the 1980s crash in real estate values…

Some of us remember quite clearly the economic collapse of the 1980s. We all need to recognize that we are facing a similar time. Some of our clients, friends and maybe we personally could face some huge financial issues. What knowledge might be timely?

In over thirty years of the real estate business it becomes evident to me that sometimes we real estate professionals are the problem, not the solution. Many of us spend so much time on our real estate education that unintentionally we think we know everything. [...]

After months of planning and homework, the Society’s Education Foundation has implemented the “Legends of the S.E.C.” program. [...]

As the Education Foundation works to implement the “Legends” program, numerous discussions have been held on who might deserve “Legend” status. Our purpose is to use the “Legends” program to educate the public and those in our profession on how important new ideas and creativity can be to our industry. We wish to memorialize Members, [...]

In any situation it is less difficult to create new advances when there is knowledge of our history and the key people who may have contributed the ideas to get us to this point.
As the Education Foundation finalizes the details of the “Legends of the Society” program the above statement, in my opinion, is the [...]

The Board of Directors of the S.E.C. Education Foundation has been very successful in fund raising the past few years. The society members have fulfilled their pledges and our Farley Fund Auctions have been quite beneficial. Now your Education Foundation is looking for more ways to promote the types of education that have made our [...]

I don’t mean this headline in any ominous way. In recent years the national economy has given the opportunity for most in the real estate industry to reap huge financial rewards with little downside risk. The last few years we have seen the following:

Huge amounts of cash were searching for real estate. Most attendees at [...]

Almost 30 years ago I walked into a big national marketing session at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago. Over 100 brokers were marketing properties, brainstorming complicated solutions, and proposing to exchange equities to solve problems. It was exciting and new to me and at that moment I caught the “bug.”
Today marketing sessions are still a [...]