CHICAGO—Much of the talk at the SIOR 2013 Fall World Conference in Chicago revolved around branding. And in an afternoon session on Friday, Steven H. Podolsky, the managing broker of Podolsky Circle CORFAC International, challenged attendees to build their own personal brand by becoming what he called a “networking broker.” Above all, a networking broker avoids passivity.
“Do not assume [clients] are reading your promotional material,” such as the bios most firms put up on their websites. Instead, actually tell clients what professional organizations, such as SIOR, you belong to so they fully understand your qualifications. And even after a deal gets finalized, “ask if you can serve their real estate needs elsewhere.”
Podolsky seems like he asks that particular question of everyone, especially those he meets through a transaction, even if it was a lawyer working for the other side. He hopes that those lawyers say to themselves, “'next time, I want that sonofabitch on my side.'”
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Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
