Meet Todd Leinberger!

What is a favorite book you’ve read that has impacted your success?

“I don’t know if there is a favorite, but I have currently enjoyed reading through Ulysses S. Grant’s memoirs. One thing that struck me about Grant and his leadership, was that in the midst of battles he had the ability to communicate his orders clearly, effectively, and succinctly. One of my takeaways was the value of clear, concise, and compelling communication; in our business when things get tense and there are time pressures, Grant’s value of communication is pretty evident.”

Why did you choose this career path?

“I had a background in doing some form of property development and relationship-based sales and fundraising. Commercial Real Estate is a combination of each of those, which was very appealing to me.”

What has helped you overcome hardships in Commercial Real Estate?

“I think the support that I get from my family, especially my wife, has helped me navigate through different hardships. I also have an optimism that when things are challenging they’re never as bad as they seem, and when things are great they may never really be as great as they seem in the moment. Also, the importance of faith, family, and perspective have helped me rise above hardships.”

How have you been able to successfully network yourself?

“I’m by nature a relationship-oriented person who enjoys connecting to people and getting to know others. I see networking as an opportunity to understand people, who they are, what they’re looking for, and what their needs might be. As well as knowing how to add value to whatever others want to accomplish, whether or not there is anything in it for me. I enjoy seeking out those opportunities!”

How do you keep yourself from getting burnt out?

“I think for me it’s the matter of prioritizing what is really important in life. Who I am as a person doesn’t rest on a deal, a client, a relationship, or a situation. It’s deeper than that. Certainly, as a competitive person there are times where I am prone to being disappointed or discouraged if things don’t work out the way I hoped. Yet it’s a matter of perspective in realizing there are more important things in life than a deal.

If you had one piece of advice for someone starting out in commercial real estate, what would that be?

“I would say, be prepared to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your entire life for less compensation than you’ve ever received when you start out. Don’t focus on commissions, commissions are the outcomes of doing the right things. So, spend your energy focusing on the inputs, which would be creating a plan, sticking to it, working it, being disciplined, and persevering. The outputs (commissions) will come when you focus on those inputs.”

What do you enjoy the most about working for NAI Wisinski?

“Despite the structure of brokerage where each agent is essentially running their own business, there is an openness for collaboration, support, and idea sharing within the office. To me that indicates that there is a level of trust that brokers can talk with each other about opportunities as well as experiences and how to utilize them.”