Originally found in the June 2018 issue of Nashville Real Producers.
Tyler Cauble, The Cauble Group
Growing up in Nashville, I’ve witnessed this city change quite a bit over the years. We’ve come a long way from the small town where everyone knew each other but have been able to maintain that small-town feel. I’ve always loved this city and how people you haven’t met yet are quick to treat you like family. There truly is no place like home. My passion for Nashville lead me to a career in real estate, where I am able to positively impact our city’s growth every day.
History in Real Estate
I immediately went into commercial real estate as soon as I got licensed. In 2013, I joined a boutique developer and focused on leasing their in-house properties for the first couple of years – a Target / Kroger anchored shopping center in Hendersonville and a 6-story midrise in Midtown. I was quickly exposed to the joys of working with passionate entrepreneurs and small business owners, where I still find my specialty today. By the time 2016 rolled around, I was also working on behalf of tenants and other landlords on buying, selling, and leasing commercial real estate. Since then, I’ve helped business owners plan their expansion throughout Nashville and beyond, from 1 location to 21+ for a national franchisee. We advise developers and landlords on how to best monetize their assets and have dealt with everything from ground up new construction, to renovations, to refilling existing spaces with tenants.
Development & The Cauble Group
Working with that company gave me the opportunity to witness residential development and construction, and in 2016 I put together my first development deal – The Bristol Creek Townhomes in Bellevue (42 units). This past February, I founded my own brokerage, The Cauble Group, following a successful launch of my best-selling book, Open for Business: The Insider’s Guide to Leasing Commercial Real Estate. We’re currently looking to expand our footprint and are exploring redevelopment deals in East Nashville.
How I’ve Differentiated Myself
Differentiating yourself in real estate can be tough. There are so many agents out there, how could you possibly stand out in the crowd? That’s what I’ve focused my entire career on – being different than everyone else. Most commercial real estate brokers you’ll see are clean shaven, so my beard has definitely garnered me unexpected attention. It’s become somewhat of a brand, because who wouldn’t remember the big guy with a beard?
I did plenty of cold calling when I first got started and quickly decided I didn’t want to make a career out of that. Yes, it can be effective, but I can’t stand sitting behind a desk calling a list. So, I decided I had to go against the grain – against the traditional commercial real estate path. I made my own website, started Facebook and Instagram pages, started networking heavily, and wrote a book on commercial real estate. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “those are basic rules of starting in real estate,” and you wouldn’t be wrong. But in commercial, no one does that – I had found my blue ocean.
Instagram has by far been the pinnacle of my marketing success. As of this writing, I have over 11,000 followers, the majority of whom are in Nashville ages 25-44. I’ve worked on deals with well-known music producers, start-ups, and local businesses – they truly run the spectrum of industries.
I was told by someone I used to see as a mentor that I would never make any money off marketing on the internet – “Commercial real estate is too much of a relationship business.” Well, I’m working on a $3.5 million deal at the moment thanks to my presence online. Why? Because our world has shifted to online relationships. Instagram gives potential clients the ability to vet with whom they wish to work. My page gives a behind the scenes insight into my world and personality, which has brought me strong relationships. How have I been able to do this? It’s taken time. I started working on it nearly two years ago. But 99% of Realtors get everything wrong on social media. Here are a few tips:
Don’t post only pictures of new listings. Think about it: why would anyone follow an account that only posts homes for sale? After they’re out of the market, they don’t care to see your posts anymore.
Post more “lifestyle” photos. Instead of new listings, get pictures of you walking through the listing on a listing appointment, or walking through showing clients. People want behind the scenes!
Take high quality photos. I can’t emphasize this enough! Unless you have the iPhone 8+, which has an outstanding camera, you need to have your photos professionally taken. Instagram is a game of beautiful images, and that blurry selfie pic with half your face in it isn’t going to cut it. However you approach it, be yourself and be genuine.