When people ask me, “What’s the best part of your job?” my answer is immediate. Hands down, it’s the people I meet.
Dave and Pam Cook are a perfect example. For 58 years they owned and ran The Trading Post, a sporting goods store in Plymouth, my hometown. At the age of 8, I bought my first baseball glove from the Cooks. Later, my first hockey stick. Much later, my kids’ first bikes.
So when Dave called me and said it was time to retire, would I sell the building for them, I hesitated. Of course I wanted to help, but I didn’t want to see The Trading Post close. It was as if a part of me was going to close.
We marketed the building for five months and found a buyer willing to pay just shy of their asking price, in cash. The buyer was a local businessman looking for a new project. The Cooks were happy their building would stay in local hands.
It was a bittersweet sale for both the Cooks and for me. Although I was sad to see a 58-year old local business close, Dave and Pam Cook are enjoying some long-earned rest. And I’m more convinced than ever that my clients are the best thing about being a CRE broker. I’d love to start a conversation with you about your CRE needs. Contact me today at 248.476.3700 or svalli@thomasduke.com
