CORPORATE TOP PRODUCER: Arie Salomon
Arie Salomon is a Principal at NAI Puget Sound Properties (PSP) where he has been based since 1998. Arie’s specialty is industrial sales and leasing, and – in collaboration with his partner Jeff Forsberg – he has made that a primary focus for NAI PSP. Over the years, he has achieved numerous accolades, including 11 nominations for the SIOR Industrial Broker of the Year (Washington state). He has won that coveted award twice. In addition, Arie serves on the National Board of Directors for CCIM and has been named an NAI Global “Top 10 Producer Worldwide” four years in a row. Arie takes the greatest pride, however, in leading a business with a strong reputation for ethics, integrity, and client dedication.
Arie has been named one of NAI Global’s top producers for 2021, as part of our annual showcase and celebration of brokers handling top business volumes in the group. The Top Producers awards will be presented at the NAI Global Convention in New Orleans, LA which is planned for September 2021. They are also being profiled in a series of Q&As on the blogs, of which this is one (see below).
“Another well-deserved nomination, Arie. Your continuing hard work, integrity, and excellence are both inspiring and aspirational,” says Jay Olshonsky, NAI Global President & CEO
Q&A
Q. What does a typical workday look like for you?
A. A lot of my day is spent calling potential clients, as we are currently working on one of the biggest industrial projects in Puget Sound. I also often spend time using our database to put together lease or sales comps for clients.
Q. Tell me something you love about your job?
A. Everything. I love the constant learning – after 30 years in the business I’m still learning and improving. I love that there’s room to think outside of the box and to find creative solutions to meet a client’s requirements.
Q. How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
A. What differentiates me is that I work on a team. I’m not by myself. We are a team of five people including a dedicated executive assistant. That definitely helps with the level of service we are able to provide because we can be much more nimble, reactive, and responsive to our clients. Also with over 30 years of experience, there is so much vast knowledge among our team. We can find creative solutions where others don’t believe it can be done.
Q. What CRE trend or change are you keeping an eye on at the moment?
A. I think the emergence of the last mile aspect of ecommerce, the need to be in close proximity to the end user, definitely affects the real estate market. Over the last year or so, Covid restrictions have expedited this change exponentially. It was the only way to do any retail in the first few months. Now even those who were hesitant before will continue to use it because it’s hard to go back.
Q. Where will I find you on a typical Saturday morning?
A. Watching the Premier League (European soccer) on TV – especially if there is a Liverpool game.
Q. What do you think is your secret to success?
A. I take my work very personally and seriously. I treat my clients like family. The advice I would give my client is the advice I would give to my best friend. I also try to encourage my clients to think two steps ahead. ‘What do you expect four years from now? What’s the next step?’ I try to solve not just the immediate need, but the long-term need as well.
Q. What is your best advice on growing a team?
A. When choosing a partner, find someone who is compatible and complementary to your skills. There also has to be 100% complete trust because it is a long-term relationship and investment. I would equate it to marriage; you need to make sure you are with the right person because you invest a lot with your partner.
When choosing a runner, you need to have a lot of patience and, again, invest. It is not a one-year project, hopefully it is a multi-year commitment by both mentor and trainee. You want to make sure that that person learns the business right. The way we see it, we not only expect runners to assist with the client, but hopefully take over in the future. We pick runners who have a strong work ethic and desire to achieve. I believe in creating an environment where it’s ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and persist.
