Executive of the Month: Greene, president of brokerage services at Murray Hill Properties, "Why isn't it you?"

Q: What was your life like before you became president of brokerage services at Murray Hill Properties? A: A couple of years ago, as our firm began a natural transition to the next generation; I was a happy, successful broker. As an executive managing director at Murray Hill Properties, I understood the concept of "all I have is my time." I worked from early in the morning into the evening, frequently on weekends, and on vacations with my family. I lived and breathed our business. Life was good. Q: What led to you becoming president? A: In the beginning of the transition, I watched as worthy candidates were interviewed for the top spot at brokerage. One day, a partner walked into my office and asked, "Why isn't it you? Why don't you run brokerage?" A couple of people in the firm had thrown their hats into the ring along with several people from the outside who had been interviewed for the position. "Why didn't you throw your hat in the ring?" My answer was, "Because that's not me." It's not my style to walk into founding partner, Norman Sturner's office and say, "I should get the job and here are the five reasons why." Norman is a friend, a gentleman, and a mentor to me. He has successfully navigated our firm for more than 40 years, purchasing more than 150 properties worth more than $10 billion. I admire people who lead by example. So, though I had been keeping an eye on the "show," I decided to just press on, doing what I did best. Then, one day, in less than 16 hours, including sleep, we made a deal, I became president, and everything in my life changed. Q: Any other individuals play a part in your new role? A: Perhaps the reason that I enjoy what I now do so much is that for many years, my office was just two doors down from Neil Siderow, the second founding partner and a friend. Over the course of my 14 years at Murray Hill Properties, I noticed what we did well and where I thought we could improve. The difference perhaps, was that I was a broker and I had a different perspective. After all, who knows better than a former broker how difficult it is to make a living in our business. You walk on a tightrope without a net and try to make something out of nothing, every day. Neil Siderow has retired from the day to day affairs but he taught me a lot. Q: So, once you took over the brokerage department, what was your focus? A: As a "non-playing captain," my first decision was to invest in the services that make a broker's life easier and more efficient. I am a bit of a tech geek and I love research. I wanted our brokers to be fully prepared for every meeting. We also invested in more research tools, a lot more technology, and hired a market research analyst; we even created our own comp database. Our 2011 brokerage business was up 36% over 2010 and 82% of that business was tenant rep business, we're on our way. Q: What is your main goal at Murray Hill Properties? A: My job is to empower people, to recognize the person with the "fire in the belly" and help them succeed, and to find more just like them. Q: What is the future of brokerage at Murray Hill Properties? A: I see a shop of 35-40 highly skilled, entrepreneurial brokers. Our firm is one of just a handful of "true" full service firms. We own, lease and manage about 6.5 million s/f of office space in New York. In addition to brokerage, we have other important departments including acquisition/disposition, asset management and project management. We are a collaborative firm and we are vertically integrated which means that we are all tightly knit together and if someone needs an answer about something vital, they will get a swift response from senior management. There is no bureaucracy here. Every day all I think about is how to put our brokers in a position to succeed and how to attract more brokers to our firm. Q: Who is your ideal broker? A: I use my own career as a broker as a model for what our brokers are empowered to do. A partner once called me a "generalist" because I was a tenant rep broker, I was a building agent on numerous buildings and I sold many office buildings. I encourage all of the brokers to work on whatever they'd like to work on, wherever they'd like to do that. If they want to represent a landlord in the financial district, go ahead, if they want to sell a note on a building in the Bronx, go ahead, if they want to find 10,000 s/f for a tenant in the flatiron district, go ahead. I take great pleasure in watching people succeed and I go to great lengths to help clear the path. Every broker has access to me at any time. When asked, I will accompany brokers on appointments. I often participate in "pitches," I make "that" telephone call, whatever it takes. I want brokers to know that I am on their side; I remember what it was like. Q: Now that Murray Hill Properties has significantly improved its brokerage department and bulked up with more agents, what else do you focus on in the office? A: One of my favorite things to do is teach. Every other week, I shut the door in a conference room and what is "said there, stays there." We discuss everything from how to read a financial statement, to the most effective ways to canvass, how to manage a tenant's expectations, every aspect of the business, the stress; the politics, all of it. Q: Do you like being the president, now? A: So, here I am, a non-playing captain who "had it good" as a broker, working his own hours and now all I want to do is work towards making others successful. We've come a long way and I have been humbled by the trust the partners and our brokers have placed in me.