WHY!?

The why of things is very important.

As I write this, it’s Friday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend. I’m sitting, well, standing, at my desk. The sun is shining in that uniquely Alaskan way. Out my window to the east, the mountains are still lightly dusted with snow, while the plants in the foreground are vibrant and green. It’s a truly beautiful day in the Last Frontier.

For a variety of reasons, I’ve been asking myself why? lately.

Why do I do what I do?

Why did that person say, or do, that?

Why did they react the way they did?

Why chicken vs. beef?

Maybe it’s just my introspective nature, but I’ve always been curious. I hope to stay that way, to be a lifelong learner.

In reflecting on these questions, I’ve stumbled on one answer to why I enjoy being a commercial real estate broker:

This stuff matters.

On any given day, I might:

• Eat lunch with a friend.

• Sit beside a new friend as they buy that million-dollar warehouse of their dreams, in cash, then move their business in and thrive for years to come.

• Get yelled at, or be the one raising my voice during a high-stakes, emotional call.

• Lose a client to death while still working for them.

• Work with clients to sell their business, something they’ve poured their blood, sweat, and tears into.

• Represent a landlord trying to fill a vacancy, helping them pay their mortgage, grow their asset value, or send a kid to college.

• Watch as a buyer takes out a multimillion-dollar loan for the first time because something tells them they need to build that thing, or blaze that trail.

• Sell real estate that’s been in a family for generations.

• Help a nonprofit secure its financial future by selling a property, allowing them to continue their mission.

• Help a multinational secure its future in Alaska, while guiding a startup to open its first retail location, both of which make a real impact on our community.

• Represent a bankruptcy trustee to sell real estate and make creditors whole.

• Have honest conversations about life, death, kids, succession, and legacy.

These are all things that have happened, and there are plenty more that aren't coming to mind.

Before I started this career, I never expected to be part of such moments. Now, I look forward to them. I look forward to the ways I can make a meaningful impact on the things that matter.

Seems like a pretty great way to learn, grow, and be a part of my community.

Still, for now, maybe the most important why is:

Why am I not outside?

– Ryan