Straight from the top: a conversation with the leaders disrupting commercial real estate.

• Author: Welch, Bryan
• Position: Interview

The C-Suite at CBC Advisors is not your ordinary executive team. The ride started a long time ago. Some entered the field at a very young age, while others enjoyed careers in government, politics or just couldn't cut it as an emergency room doctor. Whatever the reasons, they have created a thriving commercial real estate business. Identified as the fastest-growing brokerage in the mid-size market nationwide, the team collectively acknowledges that CBC Advisors could, one day, be one of the Top 5 commercial real estate firms in the nation. Current trajectories show extreme promise, but why all this growth with Coldwell Banker Commercial?

We sat down with CBC Advisors' executive team to discuss strategy, motivation, success and the future of CBC Advisors. The conversation left two apparent impressions. This group believes in what they are doing, and camaraderie highlighted with lasting relationships ultimately set CBC Advisors apart from other commercial brokerages. Sentiments were similar--after nearly 20 years together. It's clear that CBC Advisors is on the path to great things.

YOU ALL HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER AND ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY CLOSE. HOW DID THIS GROUP COME TO BE?

Fugal: In 1998, I launched the CBC brand in Utah because it was what the market needed. I believed in the brand. When the opportunity was presented in 2013 to acquire the Intermountain operation, I was determined to provide a platform that offers the best of all worlds--institutional-grade tools coupled with a dynamic, quick and nimble leadership approach that creates extraordinary results.

Simonsen: Our story is that together, we've built the strongest Coldwell Banker Commercial platform in the entire world.

Thain: Tim and I ended up at CBC by default. Things happened and when opportunities came around to purchase the franchise from CBC, Brandon, Tim and I were thinking "no way". Then we thought about it for a while and realized that we'd been with some of these people for over 25 years, and there was a lot of respect built up. There is nothing I'd rather be doing than what we're doing right here. It's a great ride.

YOU'RE BUILDING ONE OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FIRMS IN THE NATION; WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CBC ADVISORS' GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE?

Long: (Very long pause.) That's a really difficult question. The most important thing to our management team is the firm's relationship with its employees and agents. It's trite, and it is way overused--even...