The Importance of Networking in Real Estate: Leveraging Brevitas’s Professional Community
In the competitive world of commercial real estate (CRE), success often hinges on who you know as much as what you know. Building and maintaining a strong professional network has always been a cornerstone of the industry – and in today’s digital-first environment, it’s more critical than ever. From uncovering off-market deals to gaining trustworthy referrals, a robust network can significantly accelerate your real estate career.
This article explores why networking is essential for CRE professionals and how you can leverage Brevitas’s professional community to expand your connections and boost your deal flow. We’ll look at the benefits of networking, and then dive into how Brevitas simplifies networking through features like chat messaging, email invites, professional search, and a polished profile. By the end, you’ll have actionable insights to grow your network and your business.
Why Networking is Essential in Real Estate
Real estate is often described as a relationship business. Deals are frequently born from relationships – a chance meeting at a conference, a conversation on the golf course, or an introduction through a mutual colleague can lead to your next big opportunity. In fact, a recent industry survey found that 79% of CRE professionals consider networking critical to their success (source). It’s no surprise, then, that many professionals invest time in networking; the same survey noted that 87% of respondents attend industry events or conferences to expand their professional circle.
Networking isn’t just about finding leads – it’s about building trust and credibility. Regularly engaging with peers, clients, and partners helps establish your reputation. When people know you and have positive interactions with you, they’re more likely to trust you with deals and refer business your way. Your network is also a pipeline to insider knowledge. According to one study, over 65% of commercial real estate professionals stay up-to-date on market trends and news through networking with their peers (for example, hearing about local developments or regulatory changes through discussions) (source). In an industry where timely information is power, the insights gained from your connections can give you a competitive edge.
Here are some key benefits of cultivating a strong network in CRE:
- Off-Market Opportunities: Many commercial deals never hit public listings. With a broad network, you can hear about off-market properties and opportunities via word-of-mouth before others do. A tip from a connection about an upcoming sale or a quiet listing can be gold for investors and brokers alike.
- Trust and Credibility: Consistent networking helps establish your professional reputation. When colleagues and clients recognize your name and face, they’re more likely to trust you. This credibility means smoother transactions and a greater likelihood that others will want to partner with you on deals.
- Market Insights: Your contacts can share valuable market intel that isn’t readily available in reports or online. A fellow broker might alert you to a new corporate tenant searching for space, or an investor friend might share insight about which neighborhoods are heating up. Such inside information can inform your strategy and help you act quickly on opportunities.
- Referrals and Leads: A significant portion of new business in real estate comes from referrals. Nearly half of agents say that client referrals from their professional network are their primary source of new clients – meaning every relationship you nurture could lead to your next deal (source). By expanding your network, you expand your pool of potential buyers, sellers, investors, and partners.
- Access to Partners and Capital: Networking can connect you with potential business partners or investors. For instance, you might meet a developer looking for equity partners, or an experienced mentor willing to co-sponsor a deal. Having these connections can open doors to financing and joint ventures that you wouldn’t find on your own.
As these points show, networking touches every aspect of success in real estate – from finding deals to closing them. In the past, building a network meant swapping business cards and attending countless meetups. Those in-person interactions are still valuable, but today they’re powerfully supplemented by online platforms. This is where Brevitas’s professional community comes into play. Brevitas enables you to extend your network digitally, maintain relationships more efficiently, and tap into a global pool of CRE professionals without always having to travel or pick up the phone.
How Brevitas Simplifies Networking Through Its Platform
Brevitas is a modern online marketplace and networking platform built specifically for commercial real estate professionals. It provides a suite of tools that streamline how you connect and collaborate with others in the industry. Instead of juggling business cards, emails, and phone calls across various channels, Brevitas centralizes your professional interactions into one digital hub. With over 200,000 members worldwide, the Brevitas community gives you a ready-made network to tap into.
Brevitas makes it easy to initiate and maintain conversations with other professionals. The moment you log in, the platform encourages engagement – you might even see a prompt inviting you to “Start a conversation!” with other Brevitas members. In the sections below, we’ll look at a few key features Brevitas offers to simplify networking: its real-time chat system, the email invite tool for bringing in new contacts, and how your connections on Brevitas help boost your listings’ visibility.
Brevitas Chat: Real-Time Deal Conversations
Brevitas Chat is a built-in messaging tool that lets buyers, sellers, and brokers connect instantly on the platform. Instead of relying on external emails or phone tag, you can have real-time conversations with other CRE professionals right within Brevitas. This means all discussions about your deals stay organized in one place for easy reference. You can quickly send messages to ask questions about a property, negotiate terms, or follow up with a prospective investor – just like texting, but in a professional context.
Brevitas Chat isn’t just basic messaging – it’s designed for deal-making. You can share documents and listings directly in chat threads, so all relevant files (brochures, NDAs, financial statements, etc.) are exchanged right where the conversation is happening. No more digging through email attachments; everything stays in the chat history. The interface also keeps a list of all your contacts and ongoing chats (as shown above), so you can easily find past conversations or reconnect with someone you spoke to weeks or months ago. Essentially, Brevitas Chat centralizes your communications and relationships: every message, file, and contact is saved and accessible, helping you stay organized and responsive. By streamlining communication in this way, Brevitas Chat makes it simple to nurture relationships and move deals forward quickly.
Email Invites: Expanding Your Network with Ease
Brevitas also helps you grow your network by enabling you to invite outside contacts onto the platform. Let’s say you have a client or colleague who isn’t on Brevitas yet – you can send them an invitation to join your network with just a few clicks. The Email Invite feature (pictured above) lets you enter someone’s email address (and an optional name) and send a personalized invite. Your contact will receive an email prompting them to join Brevitas and connect with you.
This feature is powerful because it bridges the gap between your existing network and the Brevitas community. You can bring in long-time clients, investors, or co-brokers and have them start collaborating on Brevitas alongside you. Once they join, you can chat with them on the platform, share documents securely, and loop them into deal discussions. You’ll also be notified when they accept your invitation, so you know when your connection is established. In short, the email invite tool makes it effortless to expand your professional network online – you’re not limited to just those already on Brevitas. Every new person you invite and connect with becomes part of your Brevitas network, strengthening your presence and reach in the industry.
Amplify Your Listings via Your Network
Another networking perk that Brevitas offers is enhanced visibility for your deals through your connections. When you connect with other members on Brevitas (for example, when someone accepts your chat invitation or you mutually add each other as contacts), those connected members will see your listings in their property feed. In other words, your network becomes an audience for your deals. If you post a new property listing on Brevitas, your connections are more likely to have that listing surface prominently in their personalized feed or search results.
This is a big advantage of networking on a platform: as your Brevitas network grows, so does the exposure of your deals. A broker with 50 connections on Brevitas potentially has 50 more people seeing and sharing their listings than a broker with no connections. Your connections might even forward your listing to their own contacts or reach out to you if they see something relevant. By actively connecting with investors, brokers, and other professionals on Brevitas, you’re not just exchanging contact info – you’re effectively building a marketing boost for your properties. The platform’s network effects help amplify your deal marketing without any extra effort. The takeaway: the more robust your Brevitas network, the more visibility (and inquiries) your listings can generate.
Using Brevitas Professional Search to Build Your Deal Flow
A great network isn’t built by accident – you often have to seek out the right contacts. Brevitas makes this easier with its Professional Search tools. On Brevitas, you can switch the search mode between properties (deals) and people. By selecting the “People” search, you can actively find and connect with other members on the platform. This search function lets you look up professionals by name, company, location, specialty, and more. For instance, if you’re an investor looking to acquire self-storage facilities in Texas, you could search Brevitas for brokers in Texas who specialize in industrial or self-storage properties. Or, if you’re a broker with a retail plaza to sell, you might search for investors who have indicated an interest in retail assets.
The Professional Search is essentially a directory of CRE pros at your fingertips. You can discover agents, brokers, developers, and investors worldwide and then reach out to them directly through the platform (via chat or by sending a connection request). This proactive approach to networking helps you build your deal flow. By identifying and connecting with people who fit your business goals, you increase the pipeline of opportunities. For example, you might find a buyer for your listing by connecting with an investor who has a matching want (buying requirement) posted. Brevitas even has a feature for posting “Wants” – buyers can list what they’re looking for – which you can search to find potential matches for your properties. By using these search and matchmaking tools, you ensure you’re not just waiting for deals to come to you; you’re actively cultivating relationships that lead to deals.
In short, Brevitas’s Professional Search allows you to be strategic about networking. You can quickly find the right people – whether it’s local experts in a market you’re targeting or investors focusing on a niche asset class – and start conversations with them. Every new connection is a chance to generate business, either now or down the line. Over time, this deliberate networking will significantly expand your deal-making opportunities.
Optimizing Your Brevitas Profile for Visibility and Success
Your Brevitas profile is like a digital business card and resume rolled into one. It’s often the first thing someone clicks on when you reach out or when they see your listing, so it pays to make it as strong as possible. An optimized profile not only makes a good impression but also improves your visibility in Brevitas’s member search results. Here are some tips to ensure your profile stands out:
- Complete all your profile information: Fill out your name, title, company, and location, as well as a brief bio. Providing a clear description of who you are (e.g., “Commercial broker specializing in multifamily and retail in the Southeast”) will help like-minded professionals find you. You can also add links to your personal website or LinkedIn page for those who want to learn more about your background.
- Add a professional photo: Profiles with a friendly, high-quality headshot tend to attract more views. Use a recent, professional-looking photo of yourself. Putting a face to your name builds trust and makes others more likely to engage with you. It doesn’t have to be a formal studio shot, but it should look polished and appropriate for business.
- Showcase your specialties and experience: Brevitas allows you to indicate your specialties (property types, services, etc.) – take advantage of this. Check off the real estate sectors you focus on (office, industrial, land, etc.) so that you appear in relevant searches. Additionally, use the profile sections to list any notable deals you’ve closed or your years of experience. For example, mentioning “10+ years experience, $50M in closed transactions” or highlighting a few marquee deals can add credibility. This information helps establish you as an expert in your field.
- Make yourself discoverable: In your profile settings, ensure your profile visibility is enabled to show up in searches. Brevitas lets you choose whether to appear in member search results (you can even set it by city or hide it, but for most professionals looking to network, you’ll want to be visible). By keeping your profile public to the Brevitas community, you greatly increase the chances that potential clients or collaborators will find you when they search for someone in your market or specialty.
- Keep it updated: Treat your Brevitas profile as a living resource. Update it regularly with new accomplishments or changes. If you close a big deal, add it to your past transactions. If you earn a new certification or join a new firm, reflect that on your profile. An active, up-to-date profile signals that you are engaged in the platform and in the industry. It shows others that you’re responsive and serious about doing business.
Optimizing your profile in this way increases your credibility and visibility. A complete and well-crafted profile not only attracts more connection requests and messages, but it can also improve your ranking in Brevitas search results (so someone searching for an “industrial specialist in California” is more likely to see you if your profile is filled out with those keywords and specialties). Think of your profile as the first impression you give to the online community – make it count. When other members stumble upon your profile through a listing or a search, they should immediately understand your expertise and feel confident reaching out to you. By investing a little time in your profile, you set yourself up for networking success on the platform.
In summary, building and nurturing a network is one of the most powerful things you can do for your real estate career. Networking opens doors to opportunities, information, and partnerships that simply aren’t available otherwise. Brevitas’s platform is designed to help you leverage this truth in the modern era. By combining traditional relationship-building with Brevitas’s digital tools – from real-time chat and easy invites to targeted search and a strong online profile – you can supercharge your networking efforts. The result is more connections and more deals.
Ready to grow your network and unlock new opportunities? Brevitas’s professional community is waiting for you.
