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Jeff Berg
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln
When he first started out in commercial real estate, Jeff Berg didn’t know that the Great Recession was right around the corner. Looking back, however, he realizes that learning the ropes during a tough market made him stronger than ever. He and his brother Mica mastered the fundamentals, learned how to develop and manage relationships, and discovered a real passion for the industry. In fact, it was precisely that passion and know-how that led Jeff and Mica to start their own brokerage company, Adelphi. They realized that the only way they could truly continue pushing the bar was by taking full control of the process. Now, with a company they’ve built from the ground up, they’re maximizing their talent and providing the best possible service to every one of their clients.
Through it all, Jeff’s dedication and unpretentious leadership have remained essential to Adelphi’s continuing success. His knack for connecting with people has been invaluable in working with everyone from major developers to individual property owners, and his years of experience have only confirmed what he has always known: you can never go wrong by truly being yourself and genuinely putting clients first. It’s a lesson that Jeff puts into practice every day—not only at work but also at home, where he loves spending time with his two daughters. And though he revels in being a girl dad, he also enjoys playing with his (male) dogs, staying fit, and sharing an occasional child-free meal or walk with his wife.
Why do you love what you do?
What I love most is being able to work with my brother and team members. While I like all the different aspects of brokerage, I don’t think it would be the same experience if I were doing it alone. Having a very close relationship with my two brothers growing up made every activity we did together more fun and memorable. I also always enjoyed helping my brothers achieve their goals—including coaching both their soccer teams. That’s when I realized that an ordinary group of individuals working collectively as a team, with the right passion and preparation, can accomplish extraordinary tasks.
In addition, I do also love the sales process itself: developing new relationships and maintaining current ones, evaluating and listing properties, and closing deals. I’ve come to see commercial real estate almost like a competitive sport, and having played sports my whole life helps me appreciate and thrive in such a competitive industry. I love being a competitor, and I love being part of a team.
What are some of the most memorable jobs you’ve had outside of commercial real estate?
A few jobs come to mind that were memorable for different reasons. Bartending in my early 20s was really fun, but it also taught me the importance of getting to know people. Customers had so many choices when it came to going out for drinks, and the real value and connection was in the relationships I formed with people. That same idea still holds true today, no matter what industry I’m in.
On a more serious note, my most impactful job was working at a suicide and crisis hotline. For that one, I worked in the middle of the night, and it really drove home two life lessons: how important it is to take care of your mental health, and how powerful it can be to just listen when someone is struggling.
My worst job was being on fries duty for eight hours a day at Wendy’s when I was sixteen. After just two weeks, I realized that I wasn’t cut out for the world of fast food and put in my two weeks’ notice. Shortest job ever.
What are some of the highs and lows of running your own business?
Mica and I had already gotten used to running our own team over the years, but adding operational tasks to our daily activities was obviously new. Luckily, the two of us have always worked well together, so we’ve been able to divide and conquer with everything that needs to get done. It also helps that we have an amazing team who’s willing to do whatever it takes, whether on the investments and sales side or on the operations side.
Being responsible for others has been both a high and a low as well, because the fact that others are counting on us to lead them in the right direction is something I take extremely seriously. While this can cause a lot of anxiety, it’s also incredibly rewarding to see others thriving on a platform that my brother and I have set up.