Executive of the Month: Roberts, COO of CPEX Real Estate Services - Working as the conductor of the firm's orchestra

CPEX Real Estate Services may not be the most musically gifted brokerage firm in the commercial real estate industry, but with its product type specialization with a team-based approach, the company does strive to emulate a symphony orchestra. Much like the philharmonic's dozens of musicians - each with their unique sound on violin or viola, cello or clarinet, flute or French horn, trombone or timpani - CPEX has its specialized sales and leasing teams, each focused on one particular commercial property type, all working in concert. And at the head of the CPEX orchestra is the conductor, COO Gregory Roberts. "Greg's tireless efforts see to it that everyone is playing the right instrument at the right time," said CPEX managing partner Timothy King. "He's the one who keeps everyone in harmony and marching forward to the same beat." Roberts was hired as a managing director at CPEX in 2010, two years after the company was founded. He was promoted to COO within a year of joining the firm, and he now conducts the firm's day-to-day operations, interfacing with CPEX's managing partners and ensuring the smooth operation of all divisions to allow each business line to work in sync. Since joining CPEX, Roberts has overseen the company's relocation to a new, upgraded office in Downtown Brooklyn and helped CPEX grow its revenue by nearly 900%. In short, King said, "Greg does everything." As COO, Roberts is habitually the first one in and the last to leave as he makes sure CPEX's unique operating platform keeps humming along. With each team specializing in one specific asset class, Roberts brings the teams together under the CPEX umbrella, spearheading initiatives such as the company's published research reports, assisting the sales and leasing teams with business generation and execution, and, most notably, overseeing CPEX's in-house operations team. It has been under Roberts's tutelage that CPEX has followed through on its promise to provide the strongest, most comprehensive support for its sales force. Whereas most firms in the real estate industry have an operations employee working to support several licensed salesmen, CPEX strives to hire a support staff member for every two real estate brokers. Such strong support is instrumental to CPEX's ongoing growth, as it allows CPEX to offer proprietary reports produced by the research department, custom marketing materials designed in-house by CPEX's graphic design team, and other overall support such as social media outreach and email marketing campaigns, while still allowing the sales force to remain focused exclusively on working to achieve client objectives and building relationships. Roberts brings his background in hospitality to CPEX, making him well-suited to lead in an industry that at its heart is a relationship-driven business. Upon graduating from Johnson & Wales University with AAS in Culinary Arts and a BS in Hotel Management, he worked at the St. Regis Hotel and the Ritz Carlton Battery Park Hotel, among other hospitality ventures. "Greg recognizes the value of enduring relationships," said managing partner Brian Leary. "Each person who comes through CPEX feels like a guest at the Ritz, derived from Greg's 'How can I help you?' attitude that he has instilled in the company DNA." That extends to both the CPEX clientele and workforce. After each completed transaction, CPEX sends a tray of cookies to every party involved in the sale, lease, or acquisition as a token of thanks. At Roberts's behest, CPEX also orders fresh fruit for its own office to keep everyone well-fed and healthy throughout the week. Fresh fruit is far from the only program Roberts has put into motion at CPEX. He has designed and instituted systems to track sales and leasing statistics, handle compliance issues, and provide health care and other benefits. He has also been at the forefront of the company's recruiting efforts, developing and implementing both the CPEX Mentorship Program and Sales Training Program. Started in 2010, the CPEX Mentorship Program just finished its fifth summer. The program has grown immensely under Roberts's supervision, from just a few mentees that first year to over 20 participating college students this past summer. CPEX has expanded its program to give students professional experience during the fall and spring semesters as well, and Roberts has interviewed several thousand candidates over the years to find the right students for the program. "Greg is a role model and mentor for countless college students who have come through our program," said Leary. "It is a testament to his character that even years after leaving, former mentees continue to stay in touch and ask Greg for advice on their future careers and other endeavors." The CPEX Sales Training Program is a more recent development of Roberts's, and just finished its second iteration this fall. This brainchild of the CPEX COO provides proper training to incoming associates at CPEX, immersing them in the CPEX culture and operating platform in addition to lessons on commercial real estate brokerage in general. CPEX plans to run another Sales Training Program in 2015 to keep up with its growth. CPEX has also brought in outside experts to further the professional development of its current employees, including a 10-week seminar taught by Dale Carnegie Training that is currently underway. Roberts said, "There is always more that we can do to grow and improve. This course through Dale Carnegie Training was an opportunity to improve our in-house training, and is an investment that will certainly pay off in our business. These are the opportunities and advantages I'm looking to capitalize on." The hiring of Roberts back in 2010 has certainly paid off for CPEX, not only in dollars but also in areas that are hard to quantify such as professional development, building relationships, and furthering operations support, among the myriad other contributions he has made to CPEX. "Both Brian and myself are known to say that we don't run the company, because we still get to do what we love best - meet new clients, see transactions through to the finish line, inspire the troops, anything and everything brokerage-related," said King. "But even though we're not waving the baton, we can sleep well at night knowing Greg is poised on the podium at the front of the band, conducting business with his unique combination of incredible energy and impeccable integrity. And CPEX is far better for it."