January 18th, 2008 was my first day working in Commercial Real Estate. I still remember arriving early that morning, and receiving a phone call from my father. “Never change who you are” he said, knowing how nervous I was in trying to follow my brother, Robert, into Investment property sales at Marcus & Millichap. I had to make this work, I cannot fail, I thought to myself. After a one and a half decades of ups and downs, listings and closings, and seemingly endless negotiations, a lesson I learned many years prior while working on a local farm during high school and college summers, still rings true: nothing beats hard work. My nearly $2 Billion in Net Leased Property sales is a testament to that hard work, but equally a testament to the amazing client relationships I have created along the way. I knew from the beginning that the key to success is one’s long-term client relationships. I am extremely grateful and appreciative for the clients that I am lucky to have, as many now have become true friends. Assisting my brother, Robert Bender, and his partner, Doug Passon, in 2009 we built Fortis Net Lease to better serve our clients in every aspect of the real estate holding / selling continuum. Our focus since our inception has been aimed towards achieving our client’s real estate goals, while helping them preserve and create wealth. Thereby, our goals are our client’s goals.