In commercial brokerage, breadwinners’ behavior is tolerated, but more so if they are family members.
For evidence, we will make an unlikely comparison between Bob Knakal and Eric Haber.
When Ruth Colp-Haber of Wharton Property Advisors is not brokering office subleases and doing media calls, she pens an entertaining newsletter. In last week’s edition, the quintessential New Yorker called out her husband, the firm's counsel, in explaining the challenge of getting employees to go to the office.
“Our sources tell us that these corporate directives to return to the office are often defied by the rank-and-file at the banks and elsewhere. In one clever ploy, recalcitrant employees sometimes enlist their friends to do card swipes to give the appearance that they are in the office. Further, sometimes employees will only come in for a few hours a day just to give the impression that they are on hand.
“How do they get away with this? Well, maybe the boss is in on the game and is doing the same thing! And while some employees work at home for good reasons, others are not all in.
“Take my husband Eric as an example (please) of someone who rarely graces us with his presence at the office. He does not even attempt to hide the fact that he might be watching soccer games during the day. But what am I to do as he is very capable and helps us get the big accounts, so I have to put up with him.”
Apparently, that dynamic did not exist between Colp-Haber’s fellow commercial broker, Bob Knakal, and his bosses at JLL, who sent the legendary (at least in real estate circles) operator packing this week. It was likely not a coincidence that his dismissal happened right after a glowing profile of Knakal ran in Sunday’s New York Times.
JLL was not mentioned in the first 1,390 words of the profile. Eventually, the firm was named only in passing:
“During the week, Mr. Knakal splits his time between his office at the Madison Avenue headquarters of JLL, the real estate firm where he works, and another building in Midtown where he leased space just for his map.”
JLL was not mentioned again. That’s right: Just one reference to JLL in the 1,728-word story. The firm did not appear in any of the seven photographs, either.
That is not the only reason Knakal is no longer at JLL. More likely it was a final straw.
Business people are known to turn down media opportunities that do not include their bosses, but Knakal is not one of those people. JLL should have known to expect that when it brought Knakal on board.
Having enjoyed a long and successful career, Bob Knakal is not going to change. Ruth Colp-Haber knows someone like that too.