I am penning this column from the bridge of a fishing charter.
Our oldest grandson is beside me, wide eyed, focused and convinced that fishing is the highest and best use of any waking moment. I am not entirely sure where his passion for the sport began, but I can say this with certainty: when I was his age, I loved to fish as well.
The difference is simple. I grew up roughly a thousand miles from the closest ocean. My angling adventures were confined to small freshwater creeks and quiet Midwestern lakes. The biggest variable was usually the weather, not whether a 12-pound yellowtail might decide to make your morning interesting.
You may be wondering what any of this has to do with commercial real estate. Indulge me for a moment while I draw a few parallels.
Fishing, at its core, is an exercise in patience.
You prepare your gear, choose your bait, study the water, and position yourself where the fish are most likely to be. After that, you wait.
Brokerage works the same way. We research the market, gather the right tools, identify promising targets, and then we work the phones and email lines with steady persistence. Sometimes the activity is nonstop. Other times the sea goes quiet and nothing seems to bite.
Successful fishermen and successful brokers share the same understanding. You cannot force a fish to take the hook and you cannot rush a deal that is not ready to happen.
Another similarity is the importance of reading the conditions.
Fishermen pay attention to tides, currents, water temperature, and the behavior of the birds above the surface. Brokers pay attention to interest rates, construction costs, vacancy levels and tenant demand.
Both professions require situational awareness because the environment affects the outcome more than most people realize. A fisherman who ignores the tide will come home empty handed. A broker who ignores the market will do the same.
There is also the matter of preparation.
On a fishing trip you tie knots, organize tackle, check fuel, pack food and make sure you have everything from sunscreen to a functional radio. In brokerage the preparation involves research, financial analysis, property tours, marketing materials, and countless conversations in advance of any signed agreement.
When the moment finally comes and a fish hits or a client is ready to move forward, preparation determines who lands the opportunity and who watches it swim away.
Finally, there is the thrill of the catch.
Whether a fish is on the line or a deal is in play, you feel the same surge of energy. Your focus sharpens. Your movements become precise. The stakes rise, but so does the satisfaction of knowing that your patience and preparation are paying off.
The best brokers and the best fishermen know that the reward is not only in the result. It is also in the process of showing up, putting in the work, and staying ready.
As my grandson reels in yet another bonito, I am reminded that fishing, like commercial real estate, is never about guaranteed outcomes. It is about persistence, awareness, and a willingness to cast again even when the last few attempts came up empty.
The ocean does not owe you a bite and the market does not owe you a deal. But if you prepare well, put yourself in the right waters, and keep your line in play, good things will happen.
That is as true out here on the Pacific as it is back at my desk in Southern California.
Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, is a principal with Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Orange. He can be reached at abuchanan@lee-associates.com or 714.564.7104.
