Each year, Midwest Real Estate News runs its Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame issue, highlighting the careers of the most successful CRE pros in the region. This year, we are also running those profiles online. Today, we look at the busy career of Joe Messina, managing director with the Cleveland office of JLL.
Making an impact: How important has JLL’s Joe Messina been to the Cleveland commercial real estate market? During his career of more than 15 years, Messina has closed more than $800 million in real estate transactions for his clients. And these clients often boast the biggest names. Messina’s list of clients includes McDonald’s, AT&T, Kellogg’s, Lubrizol Corporation and Beltmann Group.
An award-winning career: Thanks to his big numbers, and his commitment to earning the best results for his clients, Messina has landed some of the biggest industry honors during his career.
He has been recognized multiple times as a JLL Top Producer and CoStar Power Broker. Messina has also been a multiple recipient of the NAIOP Deal of the Year honor.
The secrets to his success? Like most top-producing commercial real estate brokers, Messina follows a not-so-exciting path to success: He works hard, every day, putting in the long hours that CRE professionals need to log to thrive. He listens closely to his clients so that he clearly understands their goals. Then he does everything he can to make sure that his clients reach those goals.
This is an old-fashioned formula. But it has worked for Messina.
It’s also what Messina enjoys most about this business. When asked what he finds most rewarding about commercial real estate, he said, “Helping clients with strategy and problem-solving related to their occupied global real estate portfolios.”
Doing the right thing: Messina says that there is little secret to keeping clients happy. And when clients are happy? That equals a successful real estate career, Messina said.
“I was told early in my career that if you always do the right thing for the client and put them first, success will come,” Messina said. “This has been 110 percent fact.”
