Jefferson Title CEO Bruce Bright doesn’t just bring a wealth of commercial real estate knowledge to the table.
On top of his years in the Birmingham business community, Bright also served nearly three decades in the U.S. Marine Corps.
His leadership and management skills were a perfect fit for the real estate industry which he joined in 2007.
On Aug. 25, Bright will present at the second annual IREM (Institute for Real Estate Management) Alabama Real Estate Management Summit at Burr & Forman in Birmingham.
The event is powered by the Alabama Center for Real Estate
Click here to register for the Alabama Real Estate Management Summit
We recently caught up with Bright to talk about leadership and the qualities it takes to lead in the real estate industry today.
ACRE: The title of your presentation is ‘Leadership & Motivation.’ Can you talk about the importance of these two characteristics when it comes to real estate and management?
Bright: The ability to lead others begins with the ability to lead ones self. My speech is not about real estate or management, it is about being the most powerful human being you have ever been in your entire life…when we are powerful everything we touch gets better. So many leaders think that the road to success begins with being stern, tough, and strict on followers. I believe that in order to lead (Execute in life) you must first have peace in you own life, understand and apply the correct level of Energy to situations, and most importantly be in control of your own Emotions. Tools and techniques are important but in order to bring power to those tools and techniques you must possess the ability to inject Energy and Emotional Intelligence into the relationship/situation/deal, etc.
ACRE: I read that you served in the U.S. Marine Corps. for nearly 30 years. What are some of the experiences and lessons you learned from those years in the military that transferred most easily to the real estate profession?
Bright: In my 28 years of service in the Marines I learned foremost to be humble. The Marines are the most fierce and feared fighting force on the planet…ask the enemy. All throughout my career but especially as I became a senior Officer I prayed about and worked toward being humble in all that I did. In my role at Jefferson Title and Closings as the President & CEO I try to hold to the same standard of humbleness. I have been blessed with being able to be here today (to be alive after two combat tours), to have an awesome position at JTC, to have wonderful people to work with, and last and most important to have a family that supports each otherACRE
ACRE: What are some issues that are rising in real estate that today’s and tomorrow’s professionals need to be aware of? i.e. regulations, technology etc.
Bright: Dealing with Federal and State regulations continues to increase the workload of everyone involved in the real estate business. The smart companies that sort out the new processes will win in this industry. Technology is the way of the future and is already having a large impact on competition. Wire Fraud is a growing issue and the bad guys are getting better at it. There are typically large sums of money changing hands in a real estate transaction so that is where the bad guys go to commit the fraud.
ACRE: Going back to question number one, what are some characteristics you look for when identifying leaders in the real estate industry?
Bright: Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful, thrifty, brave, humble, and reverent.
