Happy New You - by Rod Santomassimo

I have not witnessed a season with as much anticipation for a New Year since December 1999. We couldn’t believe we would live during a time period when the calendar’s odometer was about to turn over to 2000! We were all certain the millennium was the mark of an incredible future. Oh, what wonders we would experience. 

Fast forward to today, and it seems everyone was counting down the end of 2020. We all couldn’t wait until these 365 days had passed. Welcome 2021! No more pandemic, no more market collapse, employment droughts or a never seen before democratic process. Of course, all those challenges still exist, but there has been a sense of light in what most consider a very dark year. 

However, it would be inaccurate to state that 2020 was a horrific year overall. We have seen the best of so many. Healthcare workers, neighbors, and even acquaintances have stepped up. Don’t believe me? Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place. Teachers, retailers and restaurateurs have all made incredible sacrifices to keep their students, customers and communities safe.

Many solopreneurs, especially in the commercial real estate industry, have adapted and excelled. They turned their attention, not to their client’s real estate positions, but to their client’s lives, dreams and nightmares. They stopped focusing on the transaction and more on the relationship. They positioned themselves more as a resource and less as a facilitator. In return, they also had some of the best business results of their lives, and more so, are positioned for a stronger 2021.

Happy New Year and Happy New You.

Rod Santomassimo, CCIM, is the founder and president of the Massimo Group, LLC, New York, N.Y.