Director of Acquisitions Ryan Maher identifies opportunities to acquire properties and furthers relationships with brokers on behalf of Clear Height Properties to facilitate dealmaking around Chicagoland.
Prior to joining Clear Height, Maher worked in the Chicago offices of NAI Hiffman, working with a brokerage team recognized by Crains as a Most Influential Brokerage Team in Chicago. The team was the 2017 NAIOP Office Transaction of the Year Award Recipient, 2017 Chicago Food Depository Real Estate Award Brokerage Transaction of the Year Nominee, 2018 and 2019 Chicago Food Depository Real Estate Awards Office Broker of the Year Finalist, and a CoStar Power Broker Recipient. Maher represented private companies, financial institutions, investors, and developers in the leasing, acquisition, and disposition of commercial assets and was involved in 250+ transactions at NAI Hiffman.
Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up, where did you go to school?
I was born and raised in Elmhurst, Illinois. I attended college at the University of Iowa, which unfortunately just suffered a heartbreaking upset loss in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. I have one younger brother and one younger sister. My brother Dylan is also in the commercial real estate industry working as an industrial broker at Lee & Associates.
I live in Lincoln Park and try to enjoy everything downtown Chicago has to offer.
How did you get your start in the industry?
My dad has had a career in industrial real estate, so I’ve been hearing about warehouses and logistics well before I ever decided to pursue it as a career. Driving through industrial pockets of the broader Chicagoland area on weekends and walking warehouses was a regular occurrence.
My career in commercial real estate stemmed from an internship with NAI Hiffman during my junior year of college. The internship was rotational, and I am thankful to have experienced multiple facets of the industry, from property management, tenant-rep brokerage, agency brokerage, office, industrial, and everything in between.
I decided brokerage was the route I wanted to take and subsequently accepted a full-time position at NAI Hiffman shortly after graduation.
Did you have a mentor who helped you get on your feet, or is there someone you turn to now for support?
Without question, my family has always been my strongest support system. Given that three of the five in the family are in the business, our dinner table has morphed into a conference room table where all things commercial real estate are discussed. I feel the need to credit my mom and sister for trudging through that.
NAI Hiffman was equally integral to my development within the industry. The well-curated culture and group of people who put in hard work, day-in-day-out, laid a great framework for learning. I could not have asked for better mentorship than what I received from the brokerage team I joined and worked with: Dan O’Neill, Jim Adler, and Pat Kiefer.
What does an average day in the life of Ryan look like?
Tactfully navigating the trek from Lincoln Park to our office in Oak Brook marks the start of every morning. Being in such a fast-paced and constantly changing industry, no day is the same. Some of the daily tasks could include touring buildings, driving the market to identify new opportunities, meeting with brokerage teams, sending/receiving/negotiating offers, and traveling to markets Clear Height has identified outside of Chicago where we’re looking to grow our presence.
What do you like most about your job?
I enjoy collaborating with brokerage teams to identify new acquisition opportunities that provide our investors and partners with favorable returns. That coincides with watching Clear Height grow its footprint and prosper as a company.
As a lifelong fan of playing and watching sports, I also really appreciate the competitive nature of the business. In the words of the infamous Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”
Looking to the future, what do you hope to achieve/work on that you have not already?
I hope to further all the great relationships I’m lucky enough to already have, develop new longstanding connections with those I haven’t had the chance to meet, and do everything I can to make all those around me successful through hard work, reliability, and trust. I also want to have some fun along the way.
What kind of changes do you hope to see in the industry in the near future?
With COVID-19 being in our rearview mirror, I hope that we see the industrial real estate market continue its red-hot track record of success and the metaphoric “bubble” we’re in endure for years to come. I’m also hopeful we see the supply chain stabilize so construction can meet the incessant demand.
How do you spend your time away from the office?
With a few notable exceptions, most of my family and friends live around the Chicagoland area and I spend most of my free time with them.
I also enjoy watching and playing sports, everything outdoors from running to biking to camping to hunting to grilling, seeing live music at the various venues throughout Chicago, and traveling.
