What’s a nice guy like Austin Love doing selling commercial real estate? The former WKYC news anchor and reporter for six years, says the career jump he made a little over a year ago wasn’t as extreme as some people think.
“Commercial real estate is everything I love about television,” says the associate and licensed real estate broker for Cushman & Wakefield/CRESCO, “promoting Cleveland and Cleveland businesses, working out in the neighborhoods, solving challenges and being creative.”
Love, originally from Illinois, was “a wide-eyed kid” when he came to Cleveland. He quickly made a name for himself as an audacious and mischievous personality, willing to poke a little fun at some of Cleveland’s heavy hitters. Once he donned a bald cap to talk with “make-them-pay” attorney Tim Misny. Love’s antics made people laugh and relax, and they also won him several Emmys.
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Yet, the sometimes-transient life of media professionals and the 2:30 a.m. wake-up calls (although that time gets earlier the more he tells the story) motivated Love to change careers. He still keeps TV as a hobby, freelancing occasionally for WKYC. So far, he finds commercial real estate just as exciting.
“I used to have a steady paycheck,” he says. “Now, on commission, you have to eat what you kill.”
A “history nerd,” Love’s favorite transactions involve vintage buildings with impressive pasts. He points to his company’s listing of west Cleveland’s Variety Theatre, former home to vaudeville and movies from the golden age of Hollywood, as well as live music.
“My goal for properties like that is to not just find a great buyer/developer but to see the place be revitalized. That’s good not just for the owner, but the neighborhood and Cleveland,” says Love, who lives in Tremont with his wife, Allison, and mini goldendoodle, Benson.
Those projects also make for great content. Other brokers in town know the market better or have more professional relationships, Love says. His advantage, besides being known about town, is his social media and video skills. Even those not in the market for a high-dollar Downtown commercial space can appreciate videos of the 32-year-old drinking a beer in a vacant bar space or “jumping” over a recent listing in Public Square.
“It’s storytelling, passion and using production and editing skills to show a property in the best way,” he says.
Love’s biggest advice: just get started and keep it simple. The gear needed is relatively minimal: an iPhone, a tripod and a video editing phone app. You can graduate to the drone later. Willingness to try, however, is key.
“You don’t need fancy and expensive equipment to produce compelling social media videos,” he says. “Entertain. Have fun. I think people wait for the perfect idea or perfect situation and then the moment is gone, or they never post.”
While he’s mastered the content game, Love knows he has plenty to learn about the industry. Yet, his fresh approach is already changing the game.
“I can talk to you until I am blue in the face,” Love says, “but unless I really know the market and the neighborhood, I’m just a pretty face with tall hair.”
