On this episode of The Massimo Show, Rod sits down with 2021 Massimo CRE Elite Member of the year - Mark D. Bratton. Hear how Mark Bratton,  SVP of Colliers International, Hawaii, and Massimo CRE Elite member of the year transformed his business from slumlord to yacht owner by applying specific principles to his brokerage practice.

Mark grew up in Westlake Village in Southern California. His neighbors that he used to sail with were architects and he thought this would be a great path for him. He took drafting classes and interned at their firms but “then I kind of looked at the business side of it and said, architects kind of make their money later in life, maybe I want to go more into finance and development. So I switched my major to real estate for the last three years of school” Mark tells Rod. 

With this switch to real estate, Mark had charted a new course for himself. Consequently so had his father. At the same time that Mark was going to college at San Diego State, his father had gone from marketing to becoming a real estate developer. He had the pleasure of working during his summers helping clean up after the construction crews and getting first-hand knowledge of the sweat equity that goes into the construction side of things. 

Mark got his foot in the door in Hawaii by partnering with a friend of his dad and selling residential real estate at a resort. When this partner retired he knew it was time for him to make the transition to his originally intended market - commercial property. 

Mark started out doing retail shopping center leasing. He got a job at the same firm he is with now and on day one they said “See this nice lady Judith, you're going to shadow her for 60 days and then you're going to go out and do it on your own… in the 80s That was training!” Mark jokes with Rod. 

Today Mark and his team, Capital Markets Investment Team, sell, consult, and advise on all property types within the state of Hawaii. 

Mark and Rod spend the rest of the interview discussing strategy, breakdown of responsibilities on his team, Mark’s evolution as a broker, and why coaching at the Massimo Group is right for him.