Ben Adank
Vice president of business development
SARA Investment Real Estate
600 W. Virginia St., Suite 205, Milwaukee
Website: www.sarainvest.com
Industry: Commercial investment real estate
Employees: 35
Family: Wife, Kristin, and four kids, ages 14, 10, 10 and 14 months.
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
“Took time to slow down and evaluate the market. We are working very hard at staying true to our investment discipline and not chasing every deal that comes to the marketplace.”
What’s new at your company?
“We are continuing to expand our presence throughout the Midwest. We opened our St. Louis office just over a year ago and are evaluating other opportunities for additional offices this year and beyond.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
“Yes. As we continue to expand our presence, we will be looking to add additional highly-motivated team members.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
“Managing our investors’ expectations given the current real estate marketplace.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
“I would say it is still multi-family.”
Do you have a business mantra?
“You can’t go broke making a profit.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
“Three key individuals for me: James Kaplan, I interned for him in Hong Kong and he showed me how the business world truly operated; Scott Revolinski brought me into the commercial real estate world here in Milwaukee; and finally, Traci Dalsin showed me that there is more to managing a business than just deals.”
What was the best advice you ever received?
“There are lots of ways to earn a living; don’t settle for a career that does not make you happy.”
What do you like to do in your free time?
“Spending time with the family is always on the top of the list. If I am not with them, I am probably playing golf during the warmer months and either playing or coaching hockey the rest of the time.”
What is a common misconception about Sara Investment?
“That ‘Sara’ is an active employee at SARA Investment Real Estate. We are fortunate to have several key employees within our management structure that are women, including our president, Traci Dalsin. On more than one occasion, outsiders will mistakenly assume that one of them is the Sara behind our company name. The truth is that our founder, Eric Schwartz, named the company after his wife, Sara Schwartz, who is a huge believer in and supporter of Eric’s vision
for the company.”
If you weren’t doing this job, what would you be doing?
“If this means not working professionally, I would spend more time with the hockey community, where I have volunteered and coached at Milwaukee Winter Club and the Junior Admirals, or planning trips back home to Alaska for the 2017 fishing and hunting season. If I had to choose another career, I would probably be a teacher.”
