Each year, Midwest Real Estate News elects a new class into its Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. Last year was no exception. Here’s a look at one of these new inductees, Tim Kalil, now senior managing director at Huntington National Bank in Troy, Michigan. At the time of his induction in our Hall of Fame, Kalil was serving as commercial real estate group director for TCF Bank in Detroit.
Banking is in Tim Kalil’s blood. This commercial financing veteran grew up in a banking family. And Kalil himself now boasts more than 28 years of experience in the banking world, including 25 in commercial real estate financing.
Today, Kalil is the senior managing director at Troy, Michigan’s, Huntington National Bank, a position he took in July of this year. Before that, he led commercial real estate teams in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Cleveland that offer construction, bridge, mini-permanent term, acquisition and repositioning loans for commercial properties while at TCF Bank.
“I enjoy helping to build a successful commercial real estate portfolio,” Kalil said. “However, it is really about the people. I really am fortunate to have such a great team. I enjoy the people I work for, those I work alongside and the many great real estate clients I’ve worked with over the years.”
As with most successful CRE professionals, Kalil relies on a steady stream of longtime customers. Kalil has built relationships that stretch back to the mid-1990s.
“Someone I previously worked with once said something to a prospect of ours that has always stuck with me: ‘Our jobs are not about doing good loans but are about building good relationships,’” Kalil said.
Kalil credits his banking family, especially his father, with serving as role models that he could follow when building his own career in commercial finance.
“Early on in my career, I stuck to a couple simple pieces of advice my father gave me,” Kalil said. “The first was ‘there is no magic formula to success, only hard work.’ The second was, ‘Aways make tough decisions as if your boss is sitting next to you.’”
Kalil said that it is important, too, to build teams consisting of talented individuals who bring diverse viewpoints and experiences. He also says that it is important to build a culture that welcomes open, honest debate among team members and partners.
“Sometimes the best solutions we find for our clients come from this kind of debate,” Kalil said.
Before joining TCF, Kalil led commercial real estate teams for Flagstar Bank, Fifth Third and Bank One.
Despite building a busy career, Kalil has also found time to contribute to his profession and community. He is a member of the ICSC and a board member of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion.
Outside of working hours, Kalil says that he spends most of his time with his family. He says he is fortunate to have a wonderful wife, two active high school boys and two dogs.
“Like most of us, 2020 forced our family to slow down outside of our work life and enjoy some of the simpler things,” he said.
This has meant cooking together, being outdoors, walking the dogs and taking bike rides.