Cold calling has been a major part of Bob Knakal’s commercial real estate career. Here’s how one of the industry’s most successful brokers approaches the phone and what other brokers can apply to their own prospecting.
In this episode, Aviva Sonenreich and Bob Knakal break down the mindset and strategy behind successful cold calling in commercial real estate. Bob explains how he approaches property owners without being intimidated, why understanding your probability of success changes how you handle rejection, and what brokers should bring to a call if they actually want an owner to listen.
They also discuss how Bob learns from lost pitches, why specialization matters in brokerage, and the three traits he believes consistently separate top commercial real estate brokers from everyone else.
Key Topics Discussed
- Bob Knakal’s approach to cold calling commercial real estate owners
- How understanding your probability of success changes the way you handle rejection
- What to say when calling sophisticated or high-profile property owners
- Bringing market information and real value to every prospecting conversation
- Why getting rejected repeatedly is part of successful commercial real estate prospecting
- How Bob uses lost pitches to improve his brokerage strategy
- Why brokers should ask prospects why they did not win an assignment
- The importance of choosing a narrow commercial real estate specialty
- How expertise helps brokers become the go-to authority in their market
- The three traits Bob sees consistently in top producers: expertise, passion, and discipline
- Bob’s advice for brokers starting a commercial real estate career today
About the Guest
Bob Knakal is the Chairman and CEO of BKREA and one of the most respected commercial real estate investment sales brokers in the industry. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has brokered thousands of investment property transactions across New York City, co-founded Massey Knakal Realty Services, and helped build one of the nation’s most successful investment sales firms. He advises property owners, investors, and developers while sharing educational commercial real estate insights with hundreds of thousands of professionals through his widely followed social media platforms.
About the Host
Aviva Sonenreich is the Managing Broker and Owner of the Warehouse Hotline, a Denver commercial real estate brokerage specializing exclusively in industrial properties. She leads the firm’s brokerage operations, negotiates industrial sales and leasing transactions, advises clients on acquisition and disposition strategies, and oversees the company’s marketing and business development efforts. Through Commercial Real Estate Secrets, she interviews leading investors, brokers, developers, and industry experts to provide actionable insights on commercial real estate investing, brokerage, leasing, development, and market trends.
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