The Great Broker

The Great Broker is a podcast featuring honest conversations with top commercial real estate brokers about their careers, decisions, and deals that define greatness in the business. Hosted by a seasoned CRE professional, the show goes beyond headlines to explore what it really takes to build a durable, respected brokerage career — through cycles, competition, and change. No hype. No scripts. Just real stories from real brokers.

The Great Broker is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 8 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Great Broker, a business show with 8 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #8

  James Nelson - Principal & Head of US Investment Sales, Avison Young

  Sep 8, 202632 min

  James Nelson: What Makes a Great Broker? James Nelson is one of the country’s most accomplished investment sales brokers. Over 25+ years, he has been involved in more than 500 property deals and loans totaling over $5 billion. He was Avison Young’s #1 broker globally and its top U.S. producer. Today, James is Principal & Head of Avison Young’s U.S. Investment Sales (USIS) platform , building a national investment sales business across the country. He is also a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, investor, and guest lecturer at Columbia, Wharton and NYU . In this conversation, James and David talk about: Being the second choice for his first brokerage job The 90-day territory training program at Massey Knakal that helped launch his career Why time is a broker’s most valuable asset Why working harder isn't necessarily enough to grow your business What separates great brokers from everyone else Why handling failure may be the best predictor of brokerage success Building a team around shared information and shared commissions His national USIS platform and the future of investment sales His real estate investment funds and what investing taught him about brokerage Mentoring, teaching and giving back And, in the lightning round, we find out what drives James nuts about other brokers, what he'd be doing if he weren't in real estate, and what he hopes people mean when they say: “James Nelson is a great broker.” His answer? “That I always do the right thing.” Real Brokers. Real Stories.

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  Episode #7

  Jeff Woolson - Vice Chairman, CBRE

  Aug 24, 202641 min

  What does it take to build one of commercial real estate's most specialized brokerage practices? In this episode of The Great Broker Podcast , David Houck sits down with Jeff Woolson, Vice Chairman & Managing Director at CBRE , who leads the firm's Golf & Resort Properties practice. Jeff has spent more than three decades specializing in the sale of golf courses, luxury resorts, ski resorts, marinas, master-planned communities, and development land. His career has taken him across more than half the United States and more than 10 countries, with more than $3 billion in transactions. Jeff shares how he went from being an industrial broker in San Diego to building a national niche in golf and resort properties—and the advice that helped him make that leap: "Be known for something." We discuss the challenges of selling "big game," why some transactions take years to close, how Jeff values golf courses and resort properties, and what it takes to build credibility in a highly specialized market. Jeff also shares advice for young brokers, including why specialization can be a powerful career strategy, why relationships become increasingly important over time, and why hard work, tenacity, communication and the ability to build trust remain the fundamentals of great brokerage. ️ The Great Broker Podcast Real Brokers. Real Stories.

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  Episode #6

  Lou Christopher - Executive Vice Chairman & Partner, Stream Realty Partners

  Aug 10, 202645 min

  What does it take to build a successful commercial real estate career over nearly four decades? In this episode of The Great Broker Podcast , David Houck sits down with Lou Christopher , Executive Managing Director at Stream Realty Partners and one of Washington, D.C.'s most respected office brokers. Lou reflects on a 37-year career advising many of the region's leading law firms and corporate clients, sharing the lessons he's learned about relationships, negotiation, mentorship, and navigating changing markets. In this episode: • How Lou built one of Washington's premier brokerage practices • Why trust and long-term relationships matter more than ever • Negotiating complex office transactions for law firms and major occupiers • The outlook for Washington's office market • How AI will change brokerage—and what it won't replace • Lou's advice for the next generation of great brokers Whether you're just starting your career or have decades of experience, Lou's practical advice on client service, negotiation, and professional growth is timeless.

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  Episode #5

  Curt Holcomb - Vice Chairman, JLL

  Jul 27, 202646 min

  How AI and Data Centers Are Reshaping Commercial Real Estate Artificial intelligence is creating one of the biggest opportunities in commercial real estate—and few people understand it better than Curt Holcomb. Curt is Vice Chairman of JLL's Global Data Center Solutions practice and one of the industry's pioneers. Over more than 25 years, he has advised hyperscalers, Fortune 500 companies, developers, investors, and operators on some of the world's largest and most complex digital infrastructure projects. In this episode of The Great Broker Podcast , Curt shares: How he built one of commercial real estate's first data center brokerage practices Why today's site selection starts with power , not land How AI has transformed demand for data centers What young brokers need to know about entering this fast-growing specialty How technology, brokerage, and client service come together in one of CRE's most dynamic sectors Why trust, curiosity, and continuous learning have defined his career Whether you're a broker, developer, investor, or simply curious about the future of commercial real estate, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the industry powering the AI revolution.

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  Episode #4

  Mark McGranahan - Principal, Avison Young

  Jul 13, 202640 minS0

  <p><b>What separates the top commercial real estate brokers from the "mighty middle"?</b></p><p></p><p>Mark McGranahan, Principal at Avison Young and one of San Francisco's most accomplished commercial real estate brokers, joins David Houck on The Great Broker Podcast.</p><p></p><p>Over more than 30 years in the business, Mark has navigated the dot-com crash, the global financial crisis, COVID, and now San Francisco's AI-driven office resurgence. He shares lessons from his mentor, legendary broker John Cushman, and explains why the best brokers never stop reinventing themselves.</p><p></p><p>Mark and David...

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