Meet a NAIOP Chicago Developing Leader | Tyler Ziebel
Name: Tyler Ziebel
Company: Colliers
Position: Vice President, Midwest Investment Sales
Age: 33
Education: Bs Finance, University of Illinois
Years in Real Estate: 11 years
1. What led you to work in the Real Estate industry?
I grew up in a small blue-collar town in northern Illinois with very few examples of what a career in commercial real estate could look like. However, growing up, I watched an uncle successfully start and operate a small entrepreneurial commercial firm on the north side of the city. His experience and mentorship are really what pushed me to pursue a real estate track at the University of Illinois and eventually led me to Duff & Phelps (now Kroll) upon graduation. I met Steve [Disse] and Jeff [Devine] three years later and the rest is history.
2. Who has been the biggest influence in your career?
I mentioned that my uncle, Tom Fencl, had a profound impact on my career and was really the conduit to Chicago Real Estate for me early on. When I came to Colliers in 2016, I was extremely fortunate to land on a great investment sales team and Steve & Jeff have proven to be incredible mentors and partners over the last 8 years.
3. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
In a much more liquid market; 100 – 200 bps lower on the 10-year treasury, I hope.
4. How long have you been involved with NAIOP and what do you view as the benefits of your NAIOP Developing Leader membership?
I became a NAIOP member almost immediately after starting at Colliers and it has proven to be profoundly beneficial. I had very few connections to the industrial world when I joined our team in 2016, and NAIOP was instrumental for me to get to know everyone in our business early on. When I think back on it, many of my closest friends in this business were first introduced at a NAIOP function.
5. What was one thing that has surprised you about your career?
I’m always surprised when I look back at my career thus far and think about how simultaneously fast and slow things have seemingly moved. I think it’s natural when you start your career to be impatient and want to advance as quickly as possible. But along the way you realize how much goes into learning this business, building relationships and getting the number of necessary reps. I had to learn how to be patient, and I still have to remind myself of that. Then you blink and you’re one of the ‘old’ guys on the DL Board and have a wife and a kid and a dog and wake up at 7am on Saturdays…
6. What is the most important lesson you have learned during your career?
Early on I learned the power of personal relationships. People want to work with their friends, and we are all fortunate to work in an industry full of great people, so you might as well take advantage of that.
7. What characteristics do you consider most important in your role and in the industry?
I think the beauty of our business is that there are such a wide range of different personality types and people that make up our industry and have found success. That said, I’ve generally found that those people share some common characteristics – they work hard, they never stop learning, and they typically love what they do.
8. Outside of work, how do you enjoy spending your time?
With an 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old herding dog in our household, my wife and I spend a shocking amount of our free time pushing a stroller/holding a dog leash. When I’m not chasing a baby or dog around the city, you can generally find me at a Cubs game, on a golf course in the summer or a ski hill in the winter.
9. What’s the funniest story from your time working in CRE?
At this point, I could probably write a novel of Steve Disse stories, most of which are better discussed outside of a NAIOP newsletter.