The Not-So-Glamorous Secret to CRE Success: Just Keep Showing Up

There’s a secret to making it in commercial real estate, and deep down, we all know what it is. But instead of leaning into it, most of us spend way too much time chasing every shiny new thing that promises to level us up overnight.

Most brokers are out here hunting for a cheat code. The perfect script. The “right” market to pivot into. A Virtual Assistant that’ll make the calls for them. There’s always another tactic being sold as the thing that’s going to unlock the floodgates.

But here’s the truth:

It’s just showing up. Every. Damn. Day.

Especially when it sucks. Especially when no one’s calling you back.

That’s the difference-maker. And because it’s slow, repetitive, and offers zero instant gratification, most people tap out before it kicks in.

This Isn’t a Puzzle — It’s a Punching Bag

We act like success in CRE brokerage is some complex riddle waiting to be cracked as if we’re Nicholas Cage in National Treasure.

Like there’s a secret strategy that, once unlocked, suddenly makes the phone ring and the deals flow. But this business doesn’t consistently reward cleverness, it rewards persistence.

It’s not a puzzle. It’s a punching bag. And the ones who last are the ones who keep swinging.

You can have the cleanest BOV template in the office. You can rehearse your cold open until it sounds like a TED Talk. You can build the best-looking “personal brand” on LinkedIn and rack up likes from people who’ll never do more than cold DM you about what they’re selling.

None of it matters if you’re not doing the work. What you need is grit. The kind that doesn’t flinch after a bad day. The kind that keeps calling when nobody’s calling back. The kind that shows up again and again, even when the rest of the office is taking off for whatever the new holiday of the month is.

CRE Success = Groundhog Day with a Cold Call Script

If you’re looking for instant gratification every day, you picked the wrong career.

Most days in this business? It’s rinse and repeat. Over and over and over again. The brokers who make it? They’re not waking up with breakthrough strategies or some genius new pivot. They’re just doing the work, every damn day.

They make the calls.

They push for months and years for meetings with the property owner everyone says,

They tour the prospects no one else will touch because the requirement sounds “too unrealistic”, until one day, it quietly turns into a six-figure commission.

They’re driving buildings in their target submarket on the weekend because you never know when you’ll run into a building owner, the ones who work a 9-5 and just popped by to check on their building.

They’re cleaning out all the dead numbers in their CRM and finding the real ones, while watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall for the 48th time
(side note: I’m pretty sure I hold the world record for most times a person has rewatched this movie…don’t @ me…phenomenal film)

It’s repetition without reinforcement.

Success in brokerage doesn’t come from one big swing. It comes from thousands of small, boring, unglamorous reps that stack over time.

You don’t win by being brilliant once…You win by being consistent.

One of the best lines of advice I ever heard about this was from a client who told me this in passing during my second year in the business:

Whales Are Cool, But You Still Gotta Pay Rent Next Month

If you’re consistently prospecting, cold calls, emails, walking buildings, whatever, you will find opportunities that turn into deals.

We all daydream about that one magical call. That random conversation in the grocery store parking lot that somehow leads to a seven-figure, life-changing commission.

But here’s the truth: building a career in brokerage isn’t about hunting one or two whales that change your life. It’s about giving yourself as many at-bats as possible. Yes, you eventually land a few whales, but more importantly, you build a roster of clients and a steady flow of deals that keep you alive, thriving, and feeding your family.

And once that baseline is covered? You’re playing with house money.

You’re not stressed about whether that one deal in escrow will close, or what happens if it gets pushed another 60 days. You’re free to go after bigger opportunities without constantly teetering on the edge of burnout.

Why Most Brokers Flame Out

It’s not because they’re not smart. It’s not even because they’re not working hard. It’s because we’re wired to crave instant gratification.

They keep waiting for that one deal that’ll set them up for life. They start counting themselves out before they even try, because every deal they’ve touched in the last six months has blown up.

They think momentum is something you get, not something you make.

Then a cold streak hits. A deal dies in escrow. The pipeline goes dry. And the spiral begins. They start wondering, “Am I cursed or something?” instead of shaking it off and leaning back in to create new opportunities.

This is the point where most people quit.

They don’t realize that even the top brokers hit dry spells. The difference? Top brokers don’t treat it as a signal to stop; they treat it as noise.

They don’t sit around comparing themselves to other brokers in their market who seem to have it easy. They stay locked in, focused on building their own business the way they want it to be, and they keep moving.

They lean the f@ck in.

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I’m stoked to have them as a sponsor, because it’s a product I use daily. I might not be a 1,000 call a month person, but it has been huge at helping get more calls in on a daily basis than I was able to before with the constant distractions in our day to day lives.

The Funda-Mentals of CRE Brokerage

Let’s be honest…no one wants to do the fundamentals. But the fundamentals are the job.

• Make the calls — This is the job. Not optional. Do it anyway.

• Update your CRM — Because guessing sucks and memory fades.

• Follow up with the ghosts — Your future deals are hiding in your inbox.

• Walk more buildings — Photos and flyers lie. The real story’s on-site.

• Stay in front of people — Face-to-face still wins deals, even in 2025.

See the People. See the Properties.

Final Thought: Channel Your Inner Rocky Balboa

The best brokers I know, They’re not always the sharpest. Not the most charming. But they never stop swinging.

Even when the deals fall apart. Even when the market feels frozen.

Even when everyone else is pivoting into the current 🔥 asset class.

They show up. They make the calls. They keep going.

And eventually? The damn dam breaks.

So, if you’re still waiting for the perfect timing, this is your sign. You don’t need another course. You don’t need a new logo. You don’t need to start waking up at 4:30 AM.

You just need to keep showing up and keep finding your daily wins (even if they’re small).

That’s all for now! I appreciate everyone who’s been part of this community across all the different social media platforms. My goal with this newsletter is to dive deeper into various aspects of the CRE industry, with a focus on the brokerage side. I aim to bring the same levity and reality to these insights as I’ve done with the memes.

If you have any input, feedback, or questions, feel free to reach out. The DMs, emails, and real-life connections have been some of the coolest experiences along this journey.

-CapRateCraig