Meet Land & Industrial Senior Advisor Riley McKee

When we think of Riley, we think of the words “precision, comprehensive and meticulous”.  We think about a young man with a desire to succeed and be the best in his chosen field.  If you know much about Riley, you know he is relentless in his pursuit of perfection, persistent in his attack on the task at hand, and above all else, he is one of the most decent human beings any of us has ever been privileged to know.  Riley crossed the threshold from Advisor to Senior Advisor, and has done so with grace and honor and integrity.  He’s also a pretty cool dad, which basically trumps everything else.  Please join us in congratulating Riley on a job well done.

To celebrate this tremendous achievement we sat down (virtually) with Riley to learn a little bit more about his thoughts on Commercial Real Estate and who he is inside and outside of the office.

Q:     What did you do before your career in commercial real estate, and what skills or experiences have transitioned with you?

I was a project manager for a home health care company. In that type of role, I was always working on something new which helped me learn to adapt to various challenges. It’s a skill that definitely has come in handy in my career in commercial real estate.

Q:     What made you choose commercial real estate over other opportunities?

There are many reasons I chose to get into commercial real estate. Foremost is the freedom it offers. As an independent contractor I have more control over my day to day life than a more traditional source of employment would offer. The stakes may be higher—my pay is linked directly to my performance—but the ability to forge my own path in life is priceless.

Q:     What part of being a new broker and new to the industry did you find most challenging?

The most challenging part of being a new broker is sorting through the “fire hose” of information you receive. There’s so much you don’t know early on and its easy to get discouraged. Fortunately, there are a lot of veterans in the industry who are more than happy to lend a helping hand.

Q:     Who has influenced you the most?

My two mentors, Jim Wible and Keith Meyer, have influenced me the most. They’ve guided me from being a raw upstart to where I am today, and I am incredibly grateful for their mentorship.

Q:     How do you approach risk?

My personality is very risk averse, which I’ve learned to overcome to an extent through careful research and examination. Success in life—whatever venture you’re pursuing—requires taking risks. Doing your homework is critical, but at some point you simply have to take a leap of faith.

Q:     How have you remained successful and hurdled the COVID challenges in your real estate world?

Staying disciplined. Back in March when the initial lockdowns occurred, it would have been easy to give up on the year. At the time, it was hard to imagine anyone being willing to invest significant sums of money into real estate amidst all the chaos. However, the commercial real estate market proved fairly resilient as deals continued to cross the finish line. When uncertainty abounds, the best thing to do is keep working.     

Q:     What advice would you give someone considering a career in CRE?

Understand what you’re getting into. It’s a career that is equally rewarding and demanding. If you have a solid grasp on the “demanding” part and are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be successful, it’s a fantastic career.

Q:     How do you spend your time outside of work?

My favorite place is simply being home with my wife and daughter, the two best things in life. Outside of that I am very involved with my church, and I enjoy running, reading, and learning new things.

We are proud to have such a talented and driven broker among our ranks.

Riley McKee is a Senior Advisor in our Office Division. For more information on his properties click here.