For Bisnow Regional Sales Consultant Blake Zack, Connecting CRE Professionals Is Second Nature

The Midwest commercial real estate market, particularly Detroit and Minneapolis, is showing signs of optimism. As the largest city in Michigan, Detroit’s rental market is experiencing record-high rents, along with increased demand for more units. Retail giants like Whole Foods and household tech names like Microsoft and Pinterest are bringing about more business in the region. Minneapolis, another one of the region's largest cities, has experienced a 265% net migration increase thanks to younger generations taking advantage of the city's potential.

Chicago, as it traditionally has been, remains the major driver of Bisnow’s Midwest presence, but Detroit and Minneapolis are brimming with plentiful real estate opportunity. Bisnow Regional Sales Consultant Blake Zack is leading the charge by bringing together CRE professionals across the Midwest. 

At Bisnow, we help commercial real estate professionals stay up to speed with industry knowledge and connect them to do more business with each other. Bisnow sat down with Zack to learn how his passion for helping others influences his career and what he looks forward to most about the evolving CRE industry. 

Bisnow: Why did you take this job at Bisnow?

Zack: I love connecting clients together in one space to do more business, so the job description was a perfect fit for me. I realized, from my past experiences of being involved in various organizations at Eastern Michigan University, that I had a knack for connecting people together. I graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in communications and a minor in marketing. My collegiate experience has helped me prepare for working daily with different people from all backgrounds, learn new skills by being a go-to leader on my campus and by being a big fish in a small pond. 

During the summers of my college years, I worked as an intern in different fields, including an insurance industry startup, freelance production work in sports media and attending different events. All of these experiences have allowed me to gain invaluable knowledge to better understand business development and how to connect with people, specifically, shaking hands with everyone in the room and making connections.

Bisnow: What about the commercial real estate industry interests you?

Zack: Seeing the global reach of commercial real estate, coupled with my skill set of bringing people together, makes me best suited to help brokers, general contractors, architects and developers get proper exposure to their targeted clients. This includes obtaining financing, development and market projects, and closing deals with our 400-plus events around the globe by speaking with various companies' marketing and business development teams about why working with Bisnow will help them generate more business moving forward. 

One of my main objectives is to focus on growing our Midwest market presence in Detroit and Minneapolis by expanding the footprint of Bisnow and discovering new ideas. Bisnow successfully hosted its inaugural Metaverse in CRE event a few months ago, and I am very proud of my team for making this happen. I love wearing different hats every day since I get to cover all different asset classes and lead the charge of making these events successful for our attendees and sponsors.

I am in the center of the CRE space and work for one of the largest news and events companies in the industry. Always keeping up, reading current trends in the market, allows me to gain knowledge and understanding who I can connect my clients to.

Bisnow: What makes you unique?

Zack: I am unique because of the fearlessness, determination and energy I bring to activate a room. I come to work every day by being an inspiration to others around me, creating a positive environment for everyone and having a smile on my face.

In my free time, you can find me traveling the world with family or friends, attending sporting events and spending time on the golf course. Also, while I am originally from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, I relocated to Chicago last July to start a new chapter in my life and expand my network. I have worked on giving back to my community by creating the first-annual Bisnow three-on-three basketball tournament with my team by helping local Chicago charities raise money in a fun, competitive way. 

Bisnow: When thinking about the future of CRE, what do you look forward to most?

Zack: When I think about the future of CRE I look forward to the new building developments and places to work, live and play with top-notch amenities. I also think of technology, since we are at the forefront of innovation and making things easier for the end users. Additionally, I enjoy the opportunity of building my network in the CRE space by giving my clients introductions to gain more business.

Blake Zack can be reached at blake.zack@bisnow.com