We (Camille, Elizabeth, and I) couldn’t be happier that Brian was inducted into the CMLS Hall of Fame. He is so deserving of the honor.
While I was on stage at CMLS in Kansas City, ready to say my piece about Brian, there was a fire alarm. I didn’t get to share my thoughts then, so I’ll do it with this post instead.
Brian has been my employer, mentor, business partner, and friend. He’s had an immeasurable positive impact on my life. But this isn’t about me; it is about Brian.
Brian’s professional accomplishments are too many to list, even in the organized real estate industry alone. He helped bring IDX to the world, looked forward with efforts like initiating the MLS Domains Association, and counseled a multitude of clients.
But I think there’s a more important trait that probably made Brian an easy selection for the CMLS Hall of Fame — his character. I will tell one small story to illustrate it. I’m sure there are countless others.
When Brian was still in Minneapolis, he and I would regularly walk into campus to get Chinese food at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It was a good opportunity to catch up on work, but more often we spent the time catching up on life.
On one of those trips we stumbled on the topic of compliments. I think Brian had been honored (yet again) for a professional accomplishment. Maybe it was inclusion on the Inman 100 or Swanepoel Power 200. Regardless of what it was, I remember saying how much of a compliment it must have been for him. Brian acknowledged as much, but then started talking about a different memorable compliment.
I wish I remembered the detail better, but here is the gist of what he said. One of Brian’s colleagues mentioned that his friend had met Brian briefly and had remarked to the colleague that Brian was a kind person.
Amongst all his accomplishments and accolades, that is the compliment that stuck out to Brian.
That he is kind. (And he is kind.)
It takes true character to recall one’s life accomplishments and land on the interpersonal trait of kindness, particularly for a person as accomplished as Brian.
It’s that character (along with his intelligence, fueled by a quest for understanding) that sticks out to me when I think of Brian. Brian’s character has helped him achieve his many successes. It has certainly helped him win the admiration of an industry.
Congratulations, again, Brian!
-Mitch (and Elizabeth and Camille)