Q. How did your career start, and how did you get into leasing?

A. When I graduated from the University of Wisconsin, I went to California with dreams of working in film. Well, those dreams didn't fully manifest, and instead, I found myself in a red-hot real estate industry and eventually started a company with some colleagues. We were involved in all facets of real estate: financing, listing, buying, and investing. When I moved back to the midwest in 2009, a friend asked me to help him fill up a new apartment building they had just opened in Uptown Minneapolis. The rest, as they say, is history.

Q. What drives your passion for leasing?

A. A big part of my passion for leasing stems from my love for sharing knowledge and teaching. I know this doesn't come naturally to everyone, and not everyone is meant to be in sales. I'm not exactly an exception to that. I've spent many years studying, researching, practicing, and learning what works and doesn't work the hard way. Through those years of experience, I've discovered the fundamentals of sales and the soft skills to be successful in this industry. I think it's natural (at least for me) to want to share the things I've learned to be successful and help others do the same. I have that opportunity with my team and the clients that I work with. Plus, it's fun to do things when you're good at them.

Q. What appealed to you about the Corridor team?

A. Easy. Brad Baar [Corridor Owner & Broker] and I are cut from the same cloth. We have similar values, principles, and driving forces. It's not just a money, status or accolade thing, and it's not an ego-driven company. That speaks to me.

Q. What makes Corridor different compared to other leasing teams?
A. It will be really hard to find another company like ours out there. Our experience in the multi-housing world is unmatched, and I say that confidently. Our resume includes a director of sales and marketing for multiple property management companies, sales managers, leasing agents, and property managers. We understand the challenges that property management companies, asset managers, and owners are facing. We've been in those meetings. We speak the language. And we work through solutions.

Q. How does Team Brodie operate in conjunction with Corridor?

A. I like to think of us as partners. We have similar but different skill sets. We all lift each other up!

Q. What are some of the biggest challenges in multifamily leasing?

A. As with any industry today, I think the biggest challenge is staffing and holding onto talent. A lot of the people we work with today are struggling with that, and that's why they've brought us on, quite frankly. There's also a ton of competition between buildings, and it's challenging to keep buildings stabilized.

Q. Has leasing changed since you entered the field?

A. Yes and no. There are all kinds of great tools out there for consumers and leasing agents alike, so technology has certainly changed. But when it comes down to it, the fundamentals of leasing an apartment haven't changed a bit. You still need to be responsive, engage the prospect, and close. With so many buildings that are so similar these days, the leasing agent is often the compelling reason to go with one place over another. It's not a role to be taken lightly.

Q. Is there anything you want developers/property managers to know?

A. We're not looking to work with everyone out there. We want to work with like-minded people that view us as partners in what they're trying to achieve. When we get that collaborative relationship, that's when the magic really happens.

Q. What do you envision for Corridor's future?

A. It's very apparent there's a significant need for what we do. Combine that with the opportunity and lifestyle that we offer agents that work with us, and there's a winning recipe here. Steady and controlled growth is the idea, but really, the sky's the limit.