Why NKF Capital Markets Financial Analyst Scott Gordon Is One Of Commercial Real Estate's Next Market Leaders
When a Major League Soccer player enters the world of commercial real estate, he can’t help but bring a competitive spirit along with him. Newmark Knight Frank Miami Capital Markets Financial Analyst Scott Gordon is a prime example.
Gordon and his team represent high net worth individuals and institutions in South Florida by developing investment strategies and advising clients on asset qualities. So far this year, Gordon has taken part in negotiations for roughly $40M in investment sales for nearly 490K SF of mostly office and retail space, and $20M in debt origination. Another $85M in sales and $24M in debt origination are in the pipeline, he said.
Prior to his career in commercial real estate, the 30-year-old Gordon spent most of his time on the soccer field training with the former MLS team Chivas USA and also a former North American Soccer League team, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
He decided to walk away from the pros a few years ago.
“I was living in LA and got released by a team playing on MLS,” Gordon said. “I had other opportunities to play. I could have been bouncing around teams every year. I couldn’t have had the consistency of living in one place. I saw some guys in their early 30s who got injured and had no fallback.”
Gordon's pivot to commercial real estate was not completely out of left field. Thanks to his dad’s career as a landscape architect, Gordon grew up immersed in the South Florida real estate market.
“That’s what attracted me to it. He gave me a lot of insight on deals," Gordon said.
His mom’s side of the family is more athletic and academic-oriented, which Gordon said also influenced his decision to enter real estate.
“Once I left L.A., I made that decision to take my GMAC and see how it went. I scored pretty well, so I figured it was a good idea.”
At 30, lessons he brought from the soccer field to the Miami-based world of real estate investment include full-throttle effort — no cheats.
“You can’t disguise hard work. It’s easy to tell when someone’s cheating or going around that,” Gordon said. “You eat what you kill in sales and real estate.”
Strong Reviews
NKF Capital Markets Executive Managing Director Michael Lapointe has been on the team with Gordon for a few years.
“He’s very ambitious, he works really hard and he’s always available,” Lapointe said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday night or midday on a weekday, he’s always there. He has the work ethic from his sports background probably, and applies it really well to real estate.”
Lapointe said Gordon doesn’t talk too often about his background in pro sports. “He’s pretty humble about it. I try to embarrass him as much as possible, to make his face red — [but he knows] I’m kidding.”
NKF Vice Chairman Greg Katz said in the company’s office of about 40 people, only a few stand out — and Gordon is one of them.
“He’s exceptionally talented technically but also extremely likable. He definitely stands out not only in the office but the industry,” Katz said, remembering a time when he lost a family member and Gordon immediately sent a gift.
“We are very far apart in age, but he had the human graciousness — and also the business presence — to know that would be a nice gesture. That stood out,” Katz said.
As Gordon looks ahead, he said the brokerage business is becoming increasingly commoditized due to both advances in technology and new players entering the commercial real estate space.
“Pulling from my experience as a competitive soccer player, I will outwork the competition and continue to carve out my growing role and influence in the South Florida market,” he said.
Gordon plans to continue honing his roles as both broker and owner and his understanding of capital markets.
“I look forward to continuing to sharpen my skills as an adviser to current and new clients on the best strategies for navigating the inevitable twists and turns that come with real estate investment," he said.
A Bit Of Fun
The former athlete is still making strides to get out of the office to remain fit. His normal routine includes waking up at 5:30 a.m. for a daily run and he has recently started running half marathons. Gordon also enjoys CrossFit, where he said he can keep pushing, competing and improving.
“I like to pretend I'm still in shape," he said.
He also travels as much as he can, internationally if possible. Gordon much prefers outdoor adventures such as skiing and hiking to more stationary pastimes. With so much of his daily focus being on work, Gordon said he appreciates the escape into fresh air. While in graduate school, he visited Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an in China and Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil.
