Best Bosses
Here are Real Estate Forum‘s picks for Best Bosses in 2023.
By Erika Morphy | April 03, 2023 at 03:51 PM
The last year has not been easy for the head of a commercial real estate company. Inflation and the Fed’s response, as well as trends that emerged from the pandemic, have clearly had an impact on the industry across all of the sectors. Besides the effect of, say, ongoing remote work on the beleaguered office asset class or the slowing pace of rent increases in multifamily, these executives have also had to navigate an increasingly difficult capital markets environment. I have some bad news for this group: the near-term future doesn’t look any easier. Enter our selection of Best Bosses this year. This year’s picks were made at least in part based on their resiliency and ability to position their companies for future growth, whenever that might occur. We are confident these strengths will see them through what could be choppy waters ahead.
Individual: Ed Hanley
Inspired by the Navy SEAL code, Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors’ core values include loyalty and commitment to the team and clients. Founder and president Ed Hanley strives to live out those core values every day. Hanley holds 33 years of industry experience advising clients on acquisition and disposition strategies. In 2021, Hanley led the HIG team to achieve a record number of closings and sales volume, completing 221 deals totaling nearly $1.1 billion in 27 states, including completing 90 transactions in Q4 2021, which equates to closing one transaction per day. In 2004, Hanley founded HIG on the principles of teamwork, collaboration and the importance of an open, shared database. He holds weekly company meetings and Zoom calls to share the latest market data and trends and discuss buyer and seller needs, best practices and comparable listings and sales. He welcomes new ideas and supports continuing education. Hanley is dedicated to supporting both local and national philanthropic efforts, especially those that benefit men’s health programs in memory of his father who died of prostate cancer. EVP Bill Asher, who has worked with Hanley for more than two decades, suggests that what makes him a great boss is the careful thought he puts into every relationship at the company. “Ed genuinely cares about each person’s success, whether you just started at the company a week ago or have been working with him for decades. Ed implemented company core values several years ago that he exemplifies every day – ‘we always add value’ and ‘we invest in relationships’ – which are some of the values that resonate daily throughout the company.”