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“SIOR at its core is a charitable organization,”
Conte said.
“We’re there
to give back to
the community,
not just take,
and during
Tom Vetter’s
presidency, that
was one of the
main things we focused on. While people were in need, this was a good time for us to step up and give back.”
Crimmins has continued that focus as the chapter’s 2021 president, Conte said, along with the kind of shift to virtual programming that has helped other organizations stay connected over the past 17 months. That began with a traditional video call in January for the chapter’s annual kickoff event, before it tried a new format altogether: In February, SIOR New Jersey launched a series of “fireside chats” in which Crimmins interviewed everyone from Robert Thornburgh, the recently appointed CEO of SIOR’s global parent organization, to renowned photographer DeWitt Jones.
Crimmins noted that the topics were both practical and philosophical, ranging from economics and global trends to technology and social media. The chats have been meant “to encourage people to go beyond their boundaries and to continually train their technique, put them in a place of most potential and leave themselves open to all possibilities,” Crimmins said.
With Thornburgh, a key theme was the concept of adapting and resisting the urge to say “we’ve always done it that way.”
“That approach, unfortunately, just doesn’t cut it anymore,” Crimmins said. “Real estate is constantly evolving in technology and to be successful you’ve got to be confident (and) hardworking, and have a desire to continually learn and improve your market knowledge.”
The programs seemingly struck
a chord with members of SIOR
New Jersey and those outside the organization, Crimmins said, noting that the association’s Chicago chapter took up the format.
The New Jersey chapter was due to hold its sixth and final fireside chat in August, but also resumed in-person programs as statewide restrictions
were lifted during the spring. Those included an event in mid-May at Top Golf in Edison, where SIOR welcomed prospective members to learn about the organization, along with the recent Welcome Back Event at the Montclair Golf Club, where it honored Gross, Ken Crimmins and Hanson.
The association is also planning other in-person events through the final months of 2021, including its annual Investor Forum on Oct. 28 and a holiday party in December. As for what’s coming in 2022, Crimmins joked that Conte “is being really tight-lipped about the events, but ... I have a sense
of some of them and it’s exciting.”
In the meantime, SIOR New Jersey members will remain a key part of the state’s still-booming industrial sector and an office market that has shown signs of turning a corner. Crimmins noted that “people that are putting in the effort are thriving,” which is no surprise for an organization that is inherently made up of top producers in their field.
Conte added that learning how to operate during the pandemic, using videoconferencing and other technology, has also helped
SIOR members do their jobs more efficiently.
“If you’re trying to do the same thing you did in 2019 in 2020 or 2021, you are not going to be successful,” he said. “Businesses that reinvented themselves and thought outside the box about how they can be successful during a pandemic or a COVID-era economy, they were successful.
“Similar to a restaurant that went to catering or went to outdoor dining, every industry had to reinvent themselves. And the commercial real estate broker is no different.” RE
Alex Conte
PROPERTY THAT PERFORMS
Rockefeller Group is dedicated to excellence in the built environment. Over the past five years, our development team and capital partners have completed more than 5 million square feet of industrial and logistics property throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
With more than 30 years of industrial development experience, our projects connect products with customers as efficiently as possible, delivering ease-of-access from major ports and inland distribution hubs to the nation’s largest population centers.
10 Edison I Edison, NJ Completion and sale: 2020
NJ/PA DEVELOPMENT
Mark Shearer | 973 448 3594 mshearer@rockefellergroup.com