Bill Ritter
Vice Chair
Colliers
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Bill Ritter, often referred to as the Godfather of Minneapolis industrial real estate, is known for his client-focused, humble approach to business. Not only has he consistently delivered value and results to his clients over his 40-year career, Ritter also mentored an entire generation of Minneapolis-St. Paul real estate professionals.
Over the past three decades, Ritter has represented thousands of clients, arranging more than 100 million square feet of transactions including the sale of more than 2,000 acres of land. According to one of his proteges, Ritter was an absolute beast in industrial real estate.
His market knowledge and vision allowed him to anticipate market trends and successfully navigate large, complex transactions and his contributions were transformative for the companies he worked with. If there was a market-setting transaction in any given year, Ritter was probably the broker on the deal.
Notable deals include:
- Lockheed Martin’s 623,000-square-foot headquarters disposition in Eagan, Minnesota.
- The sale of Premier Banks’ 510,000- square-foot corporate office/manufacturing/distribution facility on 109 acres in Shakopee, Minnesota, to Opus.
- Digital River’s 143,000-square-foot headquarters lease in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
- And the sale of General Mills’ 350,000-square-foot Riverside Technology Center in Minneapolis.
As a colleague and mentor, Ritter is second to none. Around the office he is approachable, fun to be around and has a great sense of humor. In pitches, he teaches by example the importance of asking good questions and listening to clients and prospects.
Ritter’s down-to-earth nature, coupled with his success in brokerage, allowed him to build a team of brokers that would be, at one time, the largest industrial team in the Twin Cities. His lasting impact on the industry lives on in the sheer number of people Ritter brought into the business.
“For me it’s really about winning the business and everything that comes along with that — meeting the client, demonstrating market expertise and committing to the assignment, earning their trust and partnering to achieve their goals,” Ritter said. “It’s about who you are and what you believe in. True distinction in our business lies with people. Developing trusting, long-lasting relationships is what I enjoy the most.”
Ritter believes that success also comes from focusing and building on your strengths. For him, as a morning person, this meant he would wake up at 3:45, take about 15 minutes to think about what he planned to accomplish this day, leave home once ready and drive to the office arriving at work by 5:00 or 5:15.
“With few distractions for two to three hours, the quiet time allowed me to focus on my current business, next steps and on how to be successful,” Ritter said.
Ritter also had a recurring, Client Breakfast (7:00-8:30) and Client Lunch (11:30-1:00) in his Calendar for every Thursday. He kept these time slots open to be available to meet with past, current and new clients.
“I think my work ethic has been the secret to my success,” Ritter said. “I also had the privilege to hire, train and mentor numerous brokerage professionals throughout my career and am confident that they concur that integrity means everything.”
In recognition of their colleague, Colliers officials created the Bill Ritter Excellence in Brokerage Award, which recognizes an individual who best demonstrates the values and ethics with which Ritter approaches the business, someone who always puts the client first, who is a trusted steward of the company and who is admired by his peers.
Ritter’s peers have recognized his talents. In 2013, he received MNCAR’s Industrial Transaction of the Year Award, which recognized Premier Banks’ 510,000-square-foot corporate office/manufacturing/distribution facility sale to Opus.
