Christian Dedvukaj, Brix Real Estate Advisors

Name: Christian Dedvukaj

Title: Associate

Company Name: Brix Real Estate Advisors

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2020?
While the transactions are important, and they put food on the table. I am most proud of how we were able to help our clients in ways other than buying or selling during the early stages of the Coronavirus lockdowns. We were able to guide our clients to successful outcomes who were unsure on what steps to take regarding Forbearance, non-paying tenants, refinances coming due and new mandates from local Government. Having our finger on the pulse and speaking to hundreds of owners a week gave us insight on how to navigate the toughest scenarios during the lockdowns. The relationships that were cemented during this time have proved and will continue to prove invaluable in years to come.

What was the most challenging part of working during the pandemic?
As a commercial real estate broker, I believe it is imperative to be meeting clients face-to-face to build trust and form a relationship. In person is my favorite way to communicate because over the phone and zoom calls don’t give you the same interpersonal connection as looking them in the eye and shaking their hand. With the Lockdowns that went into effect in March we were unable to meet with clients in person, so we had to shift exclusively to online and over the phone communication. This presents a unique challenge for selling a building for a new client because it takes a lot of rapport and conviction for the client to trust us with their (in many cases) largest asset.