Charlie Harrison

Ending the year with lunch at Brandi’s World Famous Hot Dogs in #Marietta. Look at these prices…

Most people don’t get just how badly Helene smoked Augusta, GA and greater CSRA. My in-laws live in Augusta - this is their street earlier today, five weeks post-storm. 🤦🏻‍♂️ 😞

Mid-am golf healing itself! A guy who goes to an office 5x a week and doesn’t practice much away from tournaments comes out on top. 💪🏻

🎩 🎩 🎩

🔥Contrarion Take 🔥 In tenant rep brokerage, NEVER EVER try to change a prospect's mind when/she tells you they work with another broker. 95% of the time a prospect will tell you that they already work with a broker. Negative selling your competition - and/or pushing a decision maker to reconsider their choice or take a meeting with you - is an awful look. Instead, say (something like) the following: "I'm glad to know you work with (Broker's Name). He/she is one of the best in our business. I write a quarterly newsletter and would love to add your email to the distribution list in case (Broker's Name) wins the lottery in the next few years and gets out of the business."

One problem for Office LLs in 2024 --> TI Allowances on lease renewals. Previously, LLs shelled out for big TI packages to win tenants' biz, understanding renewal TIs were 25-50% of initial. Today, tenants can get $100/SF+ on 10Y term, and many expect this in a renewal.

Client of mine here in ATL makes a ton of dough - pays his employees unbelievably well, too. At lunch last week, he told me he didn’t understand why, despite taking care of this team, this one employee “wears shoes that have been run over by a car and must cost $12…”

Charlie (9:02a): "Floor above you is available; tenant early terminated, if you're looking at expanding." Tenant (9:17a): "Thanks for the heads up. Circulating internally now and will get back to you." Tenant (9:19a): "Just realized you're a broker, thought you were with our LL; we don't work with brokers, just deal directly with LL." Charlie: .....

LinkedIn in Jan for CRE brokers... "I'm pleased to share that I've been promoted..." "So well deserved..."

4x PGA Tour winner sitting a few rows ahead of me - in basic economy, NOT first class - on Delta flight. Guy’s made $30M career, made $4M last year. He knows the tap can turn off at any time.

In the Class B and C office space in ATL, outside broker commission incentives are emailed almost daily. “Double procurement fee…” “100% commission paid at execution…” “$1psf bonus on top of commission…” “10% commission paid 100% @ execution…”

How much heartburn does this give you?

I’m having lunch in NYC next week with CEO of one of the nation’s largest office REITs. What should I ask him / what do you want to know?

I played professional golf for four years after college with very little success despite grueling hours/effort. In pro golf, it didn’t matter how hard I worked. No amount of effort was going to put me level with golfers like Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm. Luckily, I realized this sooner versus later. It’s why I love RE brokerage so much - generally, there’s very little (if any) god-given ability in this biz. And almost nobody starts out ahead bc of “re talent”. If you commit to doing the little things that others don’t want to do, day after day, month after month and year after you, you’ll be brokerage top producer. It takes no talent - just discipline and commitment to do what you often don’t feel like doing. Rory McIlroy can’t explain why he’s so good at golf. Sure, he works hard. But he came out of the womb a step ahead - simple as that. @BobKnakal, however, can explain step-by-step exactly why he’s an industry leader.

Just saw a “Class AAA” office rating - didn’t know that was a thing?

Talked with veteran broker this morning who said: "I've survived multiple C-Suite transitions, but not once - in a 30+ year career - have I survived the company I represent being acquired by a larger firm. The larger firm calls the shots."

I once asked a dominant cre broker for his secret. “Have more friends than your competitors…”, he answered. “People do business with their friends. And most people would rather leave money on the table than disappoint their friends by working with someone new.”