Jason West’s real estate career began with a summer internship at The Rose Group in 1995. After he graduated from Indiana University with a Finance-Real Estate degree in 1996, West went to work for The Rose Group as an industrial broker, and never left the business.
“I enjoy every aspect of the business,” said West, SIOR, Senior Director of Industrial Brokerage Services, at Cushman & Wakefield of Illinois, Inc. “The people, the properties, and the variety of industries I am exposed to. This business provides tremendous flexibility to be entrepreneurial and to control your own destiny. The Chicago industrial market is massive, and provides tremendous opportunities that many of the smaller markets cannot match.”
Although Cushman & Wakefield is a large global company, according to West, the company operates like a smaller, more entrepreneurial company.
“Our brokers collaborate, communicate and share best-in-class ideas better than most of our competitors,” He said. “We believe in teaming, and we pursue opportunities with a wolf pack mentality because we understand that the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts.”
The company, as a whole, is having a record year in terms of revenue, growth and profitability, West noted. “My team is fortunate to have a number of great clients, and has been able to close several nice transactions so far this year. Our largest transaction year to date was a 747,000-square-foot long-term lease with Ferrara Candy Co. in Bolingbrook, Illinois. We represented Heitman, the property owner in the transaction.”
After more than 15 successful years in the industry, West said that he can’t point to one specific mentor, as he has learned a lot from many people, and continues to learn new things every day. Yet, the biggest lesson he has learned by what he calls, “The wild ride known as a real estate transaction”, is to be patient.
“There are factors and variables in most deals that are outside my control, and sometimes nature has to take its course, which is frustrating.”
Patience is key, and certainly is worth the effort in the end for West’s most rewarding part of his job—visiting clients shortly after they have moved into a new building. “They are happy, proud of their new workspace, and appreciative of my effort to help them get there, which is very rewarding.”
As long as the market is healthy and the transactions keep closing, sanity is easy for West! “Exercising, weekends, and spending time with my wife, and three daughters helps keep me balanced,” he said. “In my free time I enjoy playing poker, riding my bike, swimming, and watching my kids’ sporting events.”
One thing West would like to do, that he hasn’t already, is travel to Europe. “It’s definitely on the bucket list for when I have the time to get away for at least two weeks.”
Although the Chicago Bears aren’t in the best position right now (they’ve won two games and lost three). West said he has to root for them—which can be painful at times. “I’m hoping that the 1985 Bears will be back for another Super Bowl victory in my lifetime.”
