Broker Spotlight – Tyler Rollema
Tyler Rollema started his career in commercial real estate in 2012 when he landed a position with Coldwell Banker Commercial in Long Beach after earning his degree from Westmont College in Montecito. Calif. One might think that while at Westmont, Tyler focused his studies on economics and business or something more applicable to real estate. It was quite the opposite. Tyler was a pre-med student and aspired to be a doctor.
After graduating from Westmont College, Tyler began the process of applying to medical schools. It was during this time that he started to have doubts about a future in medicine, and he began to think hard about real estate, something that always fascinated him. Tyler had a roommate at Westmont whose father was in commercial real estate. They would converse about the industry, which only fueled Tyler’s fascination.
Tyler met a number of real estate professionals through family friends, and at the time, his interest was in the retail sector. He secured an interview at the Coldwell Banker Commercial branch in Long Beach and was offered a position, not in the retail division, but to be a part of the industrial team.
“Considering where I’m at now and seeing the trajectory industrial has taken over the last few years, I feel incredibly fortunate to be specialized in such a thriving asset class,” said Tyler. “The future of industrial continues to very bright and it’s fun to be a part of such a growing and evolving part of the industry.”
After three years at CB focusing on smaller industrial buildings in Long Beach and along the I-605 corridor, Tyler wanted to branch out to expand his reach into the larger South Bay industrial market and have the opportunity to compete for larger transactions. He knew he did not want to go to one of the big brokerages and over time, Tyler continued to see The Klabin Company name associated with the types of clients and properties that most appealed to him. As luck would have it, Tyler obtained a listing for a building in Long Beach and It was through this listing that Tyler met Matt Stringfellow, SIOR, of The Klabin Company who had a client interested in the building. This led to a conversation about Tyler joining Klabin, and the rest is history as they say.
Today, Tyler works closely with Matt on generating business at The Klabin Company. He credits Matt and all of the veteran team members for being incredibly generous in not only sharing transactions, but also in providing valuable information and resources that are crucial to the younger brokers—like Tyler—in growing their own portfolio.
“All of the senior members of the Klabin team are willing to invest in those of us that are still early in our careers,” said Tyler. “Everything here is inclusionary. The culture in our office is casual but extremely motivated. This is a great group of people with similar goals and work ethic that appreciate the important balance between personal and professional life.”
Tyler is well aware that relationships are key to success in the industry and as someone still in his formative years in the business, knows that cracking through to some industrial owners can be challenging. He overcomes these challenges by listening to and learning from his colleagues, many of whom have been at Klabin for decades, on the best practices to serve existing relationships and develop new ones. One example Tyler points to is his relationship with Warren Resources, an owner of valuable land in Wilmington. Tyler has been fortunate to sell several land parcels for the company which has established him as a key source for future land and industrial transactions in the port city.
Keep an eye out for Tyler. He’s active in closing transactions and landing news ones, and if he keeps it up, you just might see him behind the wheel of a McLaren, his lifelong dream.
To discuss your industrial real estate needs or the finest luxury super cars, contact Tyler directly at TylerR@Klabin.com and learn more about him on his profile page.
