Tyler Sharp currently serves as Senior Associate in the Chicago office of Marcus & Millichap, a leading national commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in investment sales, financing, research and advisory services, where he focuses on the acquisition and disposition of single-tenant and multi-tenant industrial assets across the Midwest.
Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?
I grew up in Rockford, Illinois, and went on to Saint Xavier University in Chicago. I always had a passion for meeting people and understanding their story. This led to me wanting to get into some sort of sales opportunity after college.
How did you get your start in the CRE industry?
When I was exploring careers in college, I was looking at getting into stock brokerage. I had a passion for finance and everything that went into the markets. As I approached graduation, however, I realized I wanted to shift into a face-to-face sales opportunity and started networking with a lot of commercial real estate contacts. I ended up taking a curiosity to brokerage, as I believed it best encompassed my skills and passion areas, and the rest is history.
My parents, who started their own industrial supplies distribution company 20 years ago, were instrumental in helping me launch my commercial real estate career. Working for them most summers gave me the familiarity of being in and out of industrial warehouses. It was the main reason I decided to specialize in that asset type.
Did you have a mentor who helped you get on your feet, or is there someone you turn to now for support?
I have a few of mentors in my life, including my father. From a very young age, he taught me what hard work, dedication and trust looked like. When it came to sales, he would always say, “If you take a pencil and hit a rock over and over again, it eventually will break.” He would also go on to say, “All you have is your word in sales, so be honest and transparent on what you are able to deliver.” These are lessons I carry with me daily.
Another mentor is Joe Powers, the Regional Manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Chicago Downtown office. About five years ago, he interviewed me and gave me a shot at brokerage. Since then, he has helped train me, answer an infinite number of questions and be a voice of reason when needed. Another mentor within the company is Adam Abushagur, the founder of our team, TAG Industrial. I joined Adam’s team a little over four years ago and, from day one, he has been a major part of my success. What has been the most rewarding over the years is how our mentorship has turned into a partnership and, more importantly, a friendship. He has taught me more than I would have ever thought I could’ve learned in a short amount of time.
What does an average day at work look like?
I’m an early riser and usually get up around 5 a.m. I always want to know what is going on in the world, so I typically watch a few different news channels and read some market data. On days when I am in the downtown office, I typically arrive by 7:30–8 a.m. Most days consist of meeting with my team in Chicago—we have six other brokers who cover the local market. The majority of my time is spent meeting and talking with clients, focusing on ways to grow our team’s inventory and helping our younger agents develop business.
What do you like most about your job?
My current role gives me the opportunity to help coach and train our new agents when they first come aboard. Supporting their professional development is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career. The other part of the business I enjoy most is meeting new people and learning how they have achieved success. We are very lucky to be in such a great industry where so many of our clients have unique stories of how they have gotten to where they are today.
Looking to the future, what do you hope to achieve/work on that you have not already?
Our team continues to grow, so I look forward to being able to help us expand and add new agents. Mentoring others and seeing new agents achieve success is one of the most rewarding parts of my day-to-day, so the ability to offer the same level of support to the next generation of brokers excites me. I also hope to implement new strategic ideas for our team to build upon what we have already accomplished.
How do you spend your time away from the office?
I love traveling and playing golf. My wife and I are always talking about where we should travel and explore next. We are also very family-oriented, so we spend most of our weekends with our families or hanging out with our friends.
