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The Real Deal
Business Philosophy: Client first, always When and how did you become involved in commercial real estate? I became involved in real estate in 1981. I was living in Houston, TX and a relative introduced me to the manager of a brokerage operation in need of a "runner". What has been the most challenging project to win so far and how did you close the deal? 1200 Morris Drive in Chesterbrook was the most challenging listing to win. Very few people believed we would even be considered for the work due to the fact that CBRE already had the listing on most of the Park. However, we "went the extra mile" and employed every available resource to prove ourselves worthy to the owners. What project have you enjoyed working on the most and why? Radnor Court in Radnor is the listing I have enjoyed most. It is perhaps the most desirable office property in the region and representing a property like that is a pleasure. When my partner, Mike McShane and I first acquired the listing, we re-negotiated every existing lease in the building and filled all vacancies in a little over a year. In the process, we removed a number of unfavorable clauses from the leases and in doing so returned control of the building to the landlord. We made a great deal of money and added tremendous value for the owners. If you could change one thing about the current real estate market, what would it be and why? I would like to see deal velocity return to 1999-2000 levels. The trend line is steadily upward so there is reason for optimism. What do you like most about your job? The real estate business presents different challenges every day and I enjoy finding creative ways to meet those challenges. Just as importantly, I derive great pleasure from working with an exceptional team of people which includes my long-time partner, Mike McShane, and Steve Kriz. If you decided to change careers, what would you be doing instead? I love history and I love art so I suppose I would become an art historian.
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Name:
Steven J. Cousart
