Each December as Latitude Commercial prepares to turn the page to the new year, the full-service commercial real estate firm hosts an annual retreat for its employees. Everyone on the team breaks away from the office and gathers at a conference hall elsewhere in the Region, escaping their day-to-day workloads and reviewing the year gone by as they prepare for the year to come.
Every topic from every department at Latitude is on the table for discussion – property managers share their property’s milestones, brokers discuss the latest market challenges, the marketing team reflects on its messaging. Every team member from the co-founders to the newest hires bring insights that help shape Latitude’s approach in the upcoming year.
“The retreat is a chance to speak not only about what’s working well but also our weaknesses,” Michelle Czysczon, office manager at Latitude, said. “We can look at the opportunities we have and what we’re missing. For instance, we want to explore more opportunities in Porter and La Porte counties. It’s instrumental to get everyone in the same room, put their ideas on the table, and discuss how we can do that.”
As Latitude’s office manager, Czysczon, who joined the team in April, was in the unique position of planning the very first retreat she would ever attend. She was not the newest face at the event, however. That honor went to Associate Broker Rob Beardsley who joined the team in late November.
“I didn’t know too much of what to expect since I was just two weeks in, but I noticed that the culture here is very collaborative,” Beardsley said. “We rely on each other and are focused on helping our community and growing the business. We work together to fill in the gaps.”
Beardsley is a new broker, having graduated from Indiana University this year. He specializes in industrial and investment real estate and was inspired to be a part of the industry after having seen Northwest Indiana’s rapid development firsthand.
“It’s been amazing to be surrounded by supportive brokers and people like Michelle who I can go to if I have questions or need help,” Beardsley said. “It’s helped me gain confidence and insights into the market. This kind of environment is instrumental to the growth I’ve seen in just a month and a half.”
He appreciated that Latitude’s team members did not shy away from discussing 2024’s challenges and struggles.
“The retreat showed me that we’re not a company that just sits on what we’re good at and doesn’t look at what we can improve on,” Beardsley said. “We really focused on identifying what we can improve on, and we’re scheduled to go back and review those takeaways in two weeks to see if we’re on-track.”
The retreat’s ultimate goal is to turn those discussions into concrete goals – both as a company and for each team member individually. For Czysczon, the retreat reaffirmed her commitment to earning a real estate license and deepening her understanding of commercial real estate’s ins and outs.
“I start real estate classes next week, and I’m excited to get that under my belt,” she said. “Beyond that, I told our partners that I want to be part of a couple of transactions from start to finish. Even though I’m not directly part of the brokerage side of things since I’m managing the office and operations, I want to really understand the whole process. I want to know what it looks like when someone wants to find a space.”
Beardsley, on the other hand, plans to spend the year building out his foundation in the Region. He wants to create connections, build relationships, and make moves that can help solidify his reputation in the industry.
“I’m looking to expand my network and develop relationships that’ll lead to transactions in the future,” he said. “I want to do at least eight transactions, either leases or sales, to build out my experience in the market and learn more about what investors are looking for in this area.”
To learn more about Latitude Commercial and its team of expert real estate professionals, visit latitudeco.com.
