Episode 053: Brad Gerla

Introduction:   Today's guest is Brad Gerla, an Executive Vice President at CBRE and the 2014 award winner for REBNY's Sales Brokers Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award for 11 Madison Avenue. Given the manner in which Brad exudes a youthful yet passionate and relentless nature to make a difference for landlords and tenants alike, he reminds me of what Albert Einstein was conveying in his quote "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."   Episode Notes:   At 1:49, Brad Gerla discusses finding the balance between having fun and the business of real estate. At 3:28, Brad notes the importance of "doing your homework" on your clients as you are negotiating on behalf of them. At 5:27, Gerla stresses to know the business inside and out, and advises not to go half-assed into anything – whether that be a pitch, presentation, or meeting. At 6:57, he dives into his start in the business, and elaborates on his mentor Jim Gross. At 9:43, Brad speaks on leasing office buildings and knowing the product, as well as space tours being your time to impress. At 12:17, Gerla highlights CBRE's platform and the firm's resources. At 13:51, he touches upon the Harlem Lacrosse charitable initiative. At 15:54, Brad informs us of being a voracious reader, and the opportunity one can receive through reading. At 19:10, Gerla credits networking to being a key in business, and recollects meeting Larry Haber at the ICSC convention in Las Vegas a couple of years ago. At 21:35, he shares how he approaches the "game of life" – family, health, and business. At 23:17, Brad talks about the over 60 lacrosse team in which he plays on. Gerla also notes that it's easy to stay focused when one is on a winning team in business. At 25:24, he discusses Leasing REality's and AGMB's David Byrne January event, and how he goes about making a difference in the community. At 27:53, Brad reminisces about winning REBNY's Sales Brokers Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award for 11 Madison Avenue in 2014. At 30:21, Gerla dishes on being a "glass half full" guy, and how he confronts challenges. At 31:35, Brad Gerla closes out the podcast mentioning how his real estate stories would make for great reading.