Welcome to Ten, CORE founder and CEO Shaun Osher’s rapid-fire interview series with prominent CORE figures. Read on to find out how this week’s subject deals with being on the hot seat.
David Beare has been with CORE for six years. He has built a solid reputation as a top young agent who is trustworthy, hard working, and always eager to learn and grow his business in the residential and commercial field. It was time we chatted for Ten.
1) How did you get into the business?
I got into the business in 2006, when I graduated from college. My mother Emily had gone into real estate a few years earlier. I was very intrigued with the business. It was the summer, she suggested that I try it out, so I got my license and the rest is history.
2) Who is your mentor?
My mentors are all members of my family. My grandfather Eric, who turned 83, is still at the helm of his business, and he taught me the 4 C’s that lead to success in business: communication, cooperation, coordination and collaboration. My father Brian also is a great mentor to me. He came to this country as a foreigner and started his own business from nothing. My mother Emily has an incredible work ethic – workaholic is more like it – and she is proof that success doesn’t just come to you, you have to want it and work for it.
3) You’ve become very successful in a short time. What do you attribute this success to?
Success for me really boils down to hard work, determination, developing/maintaining relationships, and following through (cliché I know, but it’s the truth). Having a good personality, being able to converse, and having a sense of humor are also very important – that is another thing I learned from my mentors.
4) You work in both residential and commercial real estate. What do you think is the fundamental difference between the two?
The most fundamental difference between residential and commercial is that commercial is less emotional, and more about the numbers. You can usually create whatever you want, as long as it’s cost effective. Residential is very personal, the criteria are tailored, and a decision is usually based on an emotional reaction to a property versus how it will pan out as an investment.
5) What is the most fundamental similarity?
To me, commercial and residential real estate are very connected. You can sell a building to a developer, who would then need to sell or lease the ground floor retail, and apartments or offices upstairs. I take a vertical integration approach to real estate, and try to connect as many dots as possible. At the end of the day, no matter what deal I am working on, the parties to the transaction need to be comfortable and confident.
6) What is the one value you admire most in a person?
It’s difficult to narrow down one value but, if I had to, I would say authenticity.
7) What is the deal you are most proud of?
That is a tough one! The first deal I ever did on my own was a very proud moment. I was 22 at the time, and I represented a buyer in a bidding war for a loft in the Flatiron District. I negotiated the final points of the deal while at the dentist in the chair, and I remember being really stressed, and then really excited. Maybe it was the medication.
8) You are part of a new generation of young brokers who grew up with technology as part of their everyday lives. What is your most important tool?
The iPhone, which is more than just a cell phone, is probably the most important technological tool I use. Connecting to your audience is key. I use Facebook and Twitter a lot as well, but there are also a whole slew of Apps that I use on a daily basis when navigating the city, or making recommendations for clients. I try to not be too dependent on e-mail when it comes to communicating; nothing compares to meeting with someone face to face, or at the very least speaking on the phone. It takes away from the ambiguity, and my confidence instills confidence in the people with whom I am interacting.
9) Where do you get your news?
I watch “Morning Joe” on MSNBC in the morning when I wake up. I find it entertaining and informative, and it usually hits all of the top stories of the day. Aside from that, Twitter and certain blogs are great sources of news for me.
10) Do you have a question for me?
What has been your proudest moment professionally? What has been your biggest disappointment?
My proudest moment professionally was reaching the 5 year mark of CORE, knowing that we were a reputable brand and known as being the most innovative company in real estate, while remaining profitable through the worst market the city had ever seen. My biggest disappointment was having a plan abandoned by the developer of “Jasper” in Murray Hill after we had successfully put a large part of the building into hard contract to buyers who really wanted to live in the building.