Des Moines broker to lead Society of Industrial and Office Realtors in 2005

When Kevin Crowley entered the Des Moines commercial real estate business in 1979, he discovered little opportunity for a formal education in the profession. A college graduate with a degree in leisure services and some restaurant experience, Crowley looked to the leading brokers in the field for guidance and found they had one thing in common: They were members of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors.

“They always seemed to be the ones doing some of the more interesting deals,” said Crowley, chief operating officer of Iowa Realty Commercial. “So I went to an SIOR class just to see what they were like, and I instantly fell in love with the people and the course content – everything clicked. I said, ‘This is a road map I can follow.'”

Crowley’s love affair with the SIOR has blossomed over the years. He has served on numerous committees and helped recruit new members. Last week, the organization he credits for providing him with the knowledge and principles he needed to build a successful commercial real estate career named him president for 2005. The first Iowa broker to lead the international group, Crowley said it seems like yesterday – actually, it was 1988 – that he received his SIOR (specialist, industrial and office real estate) designation as an office-leasing specialist.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Crowley, who will take over the president’s office Jan. 1, 2005. “I remember when I aspired to be a member, so to be president of an organization like this will be a great, rewarding experience and I’m really excited about it.”

Crowley’s SIOR leadership position is a great opportunity for Des Moines and the state as well, and he is anxious to talk about Iowa with anyone who will listen.

“I’m going to have the opportunity to bark to the world about how great Iowa is,” he said. “I hope to raise the radar of Greater Des Moines and the state of Iowa. I’m happy to do that while carrying the torch for SIOR.”

Crowley said he is inspired by leaders like Michael Blouin, nominated last month by Gov. Tom Vilsack to head the Iowa Department of Economic Development, who have a track record of helping to bring Iowa into a global market.

“Michael has done a great job over the years selling Iowa,” Crowley said. “Maybe in my role in this national organization, I can help bring home some bacon like Michael and other people have. I’ll be carrying the message of Iowa wherever I travel because you never know where business is going to come from.”

Crowley’s associates agree there are benefits to having someone from Des Moines lead the SIOR.

“It’s a huge deal to have a national president from Des Moines,” said Tim Sharpe, vice president of CB Richard Ellis/Hubbell Commercial. “The local chapter is very excited about that, and we’re looking forward to the coming years.”

Morey Knutson, senior vice president of Grubb & Ellis/Mid-America Pacific, serves as chairman of the SIOR’s admissions committee. In his new role, Crowley is uniquely positioned to help draw attention to the commercial real estate industry in Des Moines, he said.

“The upside for us is Des Moines will be on more people’s lips,” Knutson said. “It’s a great opportunity from a networking standpoint.”

Founded more than 60 years ago, the Washington, D.C.-based international organization has more than 2,200 members in 450 cities in 20 countries. Last year, designated SIORs closed more than 68,000 transactions involving more than 2.4 billion square feet of commercial space. Those transactions totaled more than $51 billion, or an average of $25 million per member.

Despite the group’s success, its members are focused on growing the organization. Lynn Schenck, current SIOR president and a broker for Grubb & Ellis in St. Louis, said she is confident in Crowley’s abilities to guide the organization.

“I’ve seen him operate on committees, and he has done a tremendous job and exhibited great leadership,” she said.

“My mission is to shepherd the next generation of people in SIOR,” said the 47-year-old Crowley, who has created some initiatives to strengthen the group, including the hiring of a full-time recruiter. “I don’t want to leave it to chance. I want to see the organization grow and become stronger in terms of quality and size.”

His peers believe he’s the right man for the job.

“Kevin has been very active in SIOR since I’ve been involved, and he’s worked very diligently to further the membership to assist the operation of SIOR,” said Sharpe, who retains designations as CCIM and SIOR. “He’s to be credited with doing an outstanding job in that respect.”

Crowley said he hopes to boost the group’s membership to 3,000 members by the end of his term. He also wants to create a universal language of measurements and standards that can be shared by brokers and clients worldwide.

“I want to make everything apples-to-apples,” he said. “We’re in a global market, and it’s important to create some standards.”

Crowley will have plenty of opportunities to unify the industry during the next three years as he travels the country talking about commercial real estate and meets with industry experts, as well as business leaders outside his field. When he becomes president in 2005, he is scheduled to make numerous trips to conventions and economic summits around the world.

“It’s busy,” Schenck said of the presidential duties. “It’s kind of like having two jobs.”

Crowley said he wouldn’t be on the fast track for the presidency if he didn’t have the support of his wife, Sally, and their two children. “My wife’s excited for me,” Crowley said. “This is a big buy-in for the family.”

To prepare for the public speaking he’ll have to do, Crowley is in the process of hiring a speech coach. “The biggest challenge for me will be getting my presentation skills for large crowds down pat,” he said.

Schenck, the first woman to be president of the SIOR, said her leadership role in the organization has helped her better understand her market and how it fits into the industry worldwide.

“It gives you perspective on how your market relates internationally to business opportunities,” she said.

Crowley said a local competitor told him his role with the SIOR would take him out of the local market. “I said ‘I disagree, it’s only going to make me better in the market,'” he said. “I’ll come back from conventions with new ideas on how to do business.”

Jim Pastore, a spokesman for the SIOR in Washington, D.C., concurs.

“In the past, that representation has focused interest on the home market of the president,” he said. “I’m sure Kevin being president of SIOR will help business people in other parts of North America understand Des Moines a little bit better. If nothing else, it will do that.”

Because the SIOR is the largest network of commercial real estate professionals in the world, its members regularly consult with colleagues around the globe on behalf of their clients. Pastore said if clients have specific needs outside their broker’s geographic market or field of expertise, the broker can reach out to other SIOR members around the world and know that they will bring a high level of professionalism, knowledge and integrity to the conduct of the transaction.

“You’ll find that SIORs are the top brokers in their market in terms of volume, knowledge and expertise, and ethical professional practices,” Pastore said. “These are the pillars of the SIOR designation: productivity, knowledge and professionalism. So if you’re an SIOR in Des Moines, you serve as a portal to SIORs in other markets in the country.”

Crowley said he is focused on supporting Schenck and her efforts to keep the group moving forward. This year, he will begin to meet with industry leaders in his role as vice president, laying the groundwork for what he hopes will be a successful presidency in promoting the SIOR, the commercial real estate industry and the state of Iowa.

“It’s part of the path I’m on,” Crowley said. “It’s endless where you can go and what you can do.”