Member of the Month: November 2013
David L. Reed
Each month, ICBR honors one of its members as Member of the Month. This month, we recognize our newest board member, 2014 Secretary/Treasurer David L. Reed. David is a broker with RE/MAX Ability Plus.
ICBR: Why are you an ICBR member? What do you look to gain out of your membership?
Reed: I think ICBR gives me the tools I need to be successful. In addition to ICREX, I also appreciate the access to commercial real estate continuing education and networking with peers. The NAR has a huge legislative war chest and closely monitors legislation that affects commercial real estate. The NAR is one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington.
ICBR: How did you start your career in commercial real estate/development?
Reed: I began selling apartments with a boutique firm in Cincinnati in 1985. I owned a small apartment building where I lived and was fascinated with commercial real estate. I moved to Indianapolis in 1993 to work for Duke Realty Corporation and in 2003 moved to CB Richard Ellis. In 2010, I struck out on my own. Commercial Real Estate has provided a wonderful career path for me.
ICBR: Do you have any mentors? If so, who? How has he/she inspired you?
Reed: Over the years I have had a number of mentors, both personal and professional. They have made a tremendous impact on me. I hired an executive coach a year ago who gave me some great insights into my career and ideas in marketing. This is somewhat ironic, since part of my business is executive coaching. I love mentoring and coaching and it an important part of my career. Some of the pearls of wisdom gleaned from my mentors over the years;
• buy a home and continue to invest in real estate (long before I made CRE my career)
• start an IRA and invest with every paycheck
• reputation is everything
• give back to the real estate community that has richly blessed you
• There is an abundant supply of business, don’t sweat it, just keep pounding the phone. God will provide.
ICBR: What is the most important thing you have learned by working in commercial real estate?
Reed: The most important thing I have learned is that your reputation is everything. People judge you and trust you based on your integrity. If you do what you say you are going to do in the small things in the beginning of a relationship, they learn to trust you with bigger responsibilities.
ICBR: What is your current professional goal?
Reed: My practice is focused in two areas, commercial real estate brokerage and executive coaching. This is not as homogeneous as I would like. My coach suggested I find a niche for my coaching practice, so I am building a national group of commercial real estate executives to form a Peer Advisory Group online in the webex portal. I work with a company called Vistage which has 16,000 member executives world wide. I have a face to face Peer Advisory Group in Indianapolis, and a national group that meets online. By defining my coaching niche as commercial real estate, I want to bring my brokerage practice and my coaching practice (and the marketing of these) together.
ICBR: What is your most recent accomplishment?
Reed: To become the first Virtual Vistage Chair in Indiana. Working online to provide the coaching and facilitation that Vistage has provided face to face for 50 years.
ICBR: Do you have any special skills, interests or hobbies?
Reed: I like to ride my bicycle, and walk my new springer spaniel puppy on the Monon Trail. I enjoy reading, cooking, and playing my guitars. I played in a band for a while last year. I would love to find a new garage band.