What Commercial Real Estate Can Learn from a Seahawks Super Bowl Win
Yesterday, I sat on our daughter’s sofa festooned
with big game regalia. You see, it was Super Bowl Sunday, they coined “Harper
Bowl.” A cute and effective way to frame the big game. The decibel level was
akin to an Elton John concert, not because of the TV volume but from the
excited youngsters born from close to twenty families.
As the LX logo appeared, what dawned on me was this.
I have watched EVERY Super Bowl since its inception in 1967 as the Packers of
Green Bay squared off against the Kansas City Chiefs.
But as my thoughts drifted to the week ahead, I
wondered what commercial real estate lessons would be learned from this year’s
extravaganza. Stay tuned, there were several.
For this exercise, I looked at the game through the
lens of the Seattle Seahawks. Not the pageantry. Not the commercials. Not the
halftime show. But the way championship teams are built and how that mirrors
success and failure in commercial real estate.
Here is what stood out.
Championships Are Built Long Before Game Day. No Super Bowl is won on Sunday alone. It is the product of years of
drafting, development, coaching continuity, discipline, and systems. The
Seahawks’ success, has never been about a single star. It is about preparation
and patience.
Commercial real estate is no different. Deals do not
close because of one heroic phone call. They close because of months or years
of relationship building, market knowledge, repetition, and process. By the
time a transaction reaches the finish line, the real work has already been
done.
Defense Matters More Than Flash. The Seahawks’ identity has long been rooted in defense,
controlling the line, limiting mistakes, and forcing the opponent to earn every
yard. It is not glamorous, but it wins games.
In commercial real estate, defense is underwriting,
due diligence, lease language, timelines, and managing expectations. It is
knowing when not to do a deal. The brokers who last are rarely the flashiest.
They are the ones who protect their clients and their reputations.
Systems Beat Talent Alone. Every Super Bowl roster is filled with talented players. What
separates champions is how those players perform within a system. Assignment
football. Do your job. Trust the structure.
This is where many brokers wash out. Talent without
structure leads to inconsistency. Systems, how you source, qualify, control,
execute, and close, create repeatable success. The best brokers do not rely on
memory or motivation. They rely on process.
Special Teams Decide Close Games. Games often turn on field position, penalties, clock management, and
execution when no one is watching. Special teams do not get headlines, but they
swing outcomes.
In our business, special teams are follow-ups,
summaries, documentation, communication cadence, and closing logistics. Clients
remember how a deal felt. Sloppy execution at the end can undo months of great
work.
The Team Always Wins or Loses Together. No one wins a Super Bowl alone. Coaches, players, trainers,
scouts, and support staff all matter.
The same holds true in commercial real estate. The
most durable careers are built with transaction coordinators, analysts,
mentors, partners, and cooperative brokers. Lone wolves burn out. Teams endure.
As the last confetti fell and Monday arrived, the
Super Bowl faded quickly. But the lessons do not have to. Whether on the field
or in the marketplace, success is rarely accidental. It is built deliberately,
patiently, and with discipline.
And that is a game worth studying.
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