Each year, Midwest Real Estate News inducts a new class into its Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. Today we look at the busy career of Steve Levitas, vice chairman with the Chicago office of Newmark.
During a commercial real estate career that has lasted more than two decades, Steve Levitas has coordinated the leasing of more than 13 million square feet with transaction values of more than $5 billion.
Those are big numbers. How has Levitas, vice chairman with the Chicago office of Newmark, hit them? It’s about doing the research necessary to truly understand his market. It’s about logging the long hours necessary to close the best deals on behalf of his clients. And it’s about being honest with his clients.
This combination has helped Levitas build a roster of repeat clients. The clients appreciate Levitas’ top-level customer service. They come back to him when they’re ready to make a real estate move.
It’s not exactly a secret formula. But it’s a successful one, and one that has helped Levitas become one of the busier CRE pros in the Chicago market.
During his career, Levitas has earned several key honors. He won the Chicago Commercial Real Estate Innovative Deal of the Year and Redevelopment of the Year award in 2013 and the NAIOP Downtown Office Transaction of the Year honor in 2012. In 2005, Levitas won the Suburban Office Transaction of the Year award.
“I place an extremely high value on my client relationships. They are the reason that I am successful,” Levitas said. “Much of my success in this business I attribute to the fact that I listen; I work to help my clients solve real estate problems in a way that will enhance their business and generate more revenue.”
Levitas says that his goal is to always be responsive to his clients’ questions or concerns while working on a transaction, even if it is after business hours or over the weekend, and to respond with answers and solutions quickly.
Clients remember this kind of service and come back to CRE professionals because of it.
“The greatest challenge and reward, whether selling or leasing commercial real estate, is earning the trust of clients and developing strong relationships based on that trust,” Levitas said. “I’ve been successful in this business by working hard and generating creative solutions for my clients’ real estate needs.”
When he’s not working with his clients, Levitas likes to golf, ski, play paddle tennis, walk his dogs and spend time with his family.
