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Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame: Block Real Estate Services’ Zach Hubbard – REjournals.com

Each year, Midwest Real Estate News inducts a new class into its Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. This year is no exception. Today, we look at the busy career of one of our new inductees, Zach Hubbard, senior vice president with Block Real Estate Services in Kansas City, Missouri.

Zach Hubbard has logged some impressive numbers during his more than 20-year career in commercial real estate. This senior vice president with Kansas City’s Block Real Estate Services, has now completed transactions worth more than $400 million.

With such an impressive number of transactions, it’s not surprising that Hubbard has represented several big names during his career. This includes Seaboard, Central Garden & Pet, Virbac Corporation and Hostess Brands, as well as institutional owners such as Colony Capital, the Missouri State Employees Retirement System, Nationwide Realty Investors and the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association.

This success doesn’t mean that Hubbard hasn’t faced challenges. Like all CRE professionals, he faces the reality that his industry is one that is filled with uncertainty.

“Uncertainty. It comes during big economic swings and little everyday decisions,” Hubbard said. “Real estate is a quirky, sometimes unpredictable business. Things happen that don’t always make sense. First identifying then effectively articulating risks and opportunities to clients with different core competencies is always the challenge, but that’s what makes it fun.”

And Hubbard isn’t content with being one of the busiest brokers in the Kansas City market. After 15 years as a senior broker and top producer with Block Real Estate Services, and two decades in real estate, Hubbard has diversified to include corporate services, investment brokerage and development, while remaining active in tenant/buyer representation nationally and landlord representation in the Kansas City market.

Since joining Block Real Estate Services, Hubbard has continued and enhanced his investor and user services. He has also been involved in real estate development projects for both users and investors that have ranged from the redevelopment of second-generation, functionally obsolete buildings to ground-up development of Class-A single-tenant buildings and multi-tenant business parks. Those projects have included both speculative development for investors and build-to-suit projects for user clients.

“I’ve continued to improve my understanding of the motivations that move the market,” Hubbard said. “That education has been fed by a genuine curiosity in people. There are so many interesting people that impact the real estate markets. Listening to them and trying to understand their unique challenges and motivations helps me better understand and anticipate the opportunities and risks my clients will face.”

Despite building such a busy career, Hubbard has found time to serve his community and profession. He serves on the Heartland Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and the Western Missouri/Kansas Chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, where he is currently Vice President.

When not closing deals, Hubbard likes to travel, meet new people and experience different cultures.

“We have an international family, so some of that is built into our annual routine, but it’s a great impetus to explore further,” Hubbard said.

And when Hubbard truly wants to unplug? He heads to the outdoors.

“I love my job and the excitement of solving new problems, but there is a simplicity to hiking, biking or skiing that focuses the mind in a different way and can be a great way to blow off steam,” he said.

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