How to Build a Successful Career in Commercial Real Estate

What You'll Learn

What actually matters when building a long, successful career in commercial real estate?
 

Join John Drachman, Co-Founder & Head of Capital Markets at Waterford and former Elevate workshop leader, for a candid, no-fluff conversation on what it actually takes to build a long, successful career in commercial real estate.

Designed for Bisnow’s Young Professionals Network for Directors, Associates & Analysts (Elevate), this session goes beyond resumes and job titles to focus on the real drivers of success — mindset, navigating market cycles, and developing the skills that compound over time.

This workshop will cover:
 

• How to think strategically about your career across different market cycles
• What investors and partners actually look for in joint ventures
• The soft skills and hard skills that matter most as you level up
• Lessons learned from building and scaling a major West Coast multifamily platform
• Why Elevate stands out as a workshop leader — and how the network continues to create value well beyond the event itself

This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from a senior investor/developer who’s been through multiple cycles and is willing to speak honestly about what works, what doesn’t, and what he wishes he knew earlier in his career.
 

Whether you’re exploring Elevate or simply looking for real guidance from someone who’s built it, this is a session you won’t want to miss!

Free to attend. Space is limited and registration will close once capacity is reached.

Interested in joining this year's group of CRE young professionals? Apply here and learn more about Elevate 2026 at the W Hotel Nashville.