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Conor is an Executive Vice President at CBRE, where he has spent his entire 21 year career. He specializes in representing institutional office owners in San Francisco.

What he enjoys most about his career is that every day is different and every project is different. “I love the tangibility of what I do” He stated, “The approach changes depending on the outcome we’re trying to achieve. Our daily challenge is to provide a bespoke leasing and marketing plan that is custom-made for that particular assignment and client.”

He likes that in a dynamic market like San Francisco with real estate cycles ebbing and flowing, the gameplan for each asset can be constantly evolving throughout the course of that ownership, so staying ahead of the trends and positioning that asset for success is the name of the game. “Through immersing ourselves in the deal and information flow, our team is able to see the market as a chess board, playing match-maker with all the puzzle pieces.”    

Conor has also been on the forefront of the largest AI transactions in recent years, including Open AI, Anthropic, Rippling and Grammarly. “Negotiating with some of the most legendary entrepreneurs on the planet is an experience that I relish and continue to learn from each time.”

About his endeavors, “We are spoiled in the Bay Area as we get an early look at the world’s most innovative companies and being at the forefront of the AI wave is incredibly exciting.” He exclaimed, “Over 70% of the world’s VC funding into AI companies is focused HERE in San Francisco!”

Coming out of the downturn, owners are being extremely creative in building cutting edge workspaces designed to attract today’s top talent. A few exciting projects he is working on that are going to change the skyline of the city are:

• One Harrison – The Sobrato Organization’s 180,000 sf redevelopment of the only single tenant HQ opportunity on the waterfront.
• Hines/PG&E – Hines’ large scale redevelopment of a full city block in the heart of the Financial District, consisting of over 1,600,000 sf on a 4.3 acre urban village.
• The Spear – Presidio Bay Ventures’ luxury overhaul of 60 Spear, catering to higher end tenants looking for a resort-like office environment.

“Each of these projects offers something unique regarding the tenant’s experience. This diversity of choice is something that has been lacking in San Francisco for a long time, so while the market reset has been a struggle as a whole, there are silver linings that will ultimately benefit both owners and occupiers in the long run.”

About what inspires him:

“Whenever I am driving (or Ferry’ing) into the city, I find myself staring at our beautiful skyline and pinch myself how lucky we are to live and work in such a beautiful and authentic city” He continued, “Inevitably my eye trends toward a building I have worked on and I feel incredibly fulfilled knowing I had a small part in that building’s history.”

“I just joined the Bay Area Board a few months ago. I have been to countless NAIOP events over the years and have always wanted to take a leadership position. Having over 20 years behind me in the real estate world, I really enjoy mentoring and helping our next generation get their feet off the ground and shape their own careers.”

Conor’s message to young professionals. “When I first entered the workforce, I went to every possible event and shook every possible hand, thinking that having the largest network possible would be the best plan for my career” he stated, “Over the years I have found that it doesn’t matter as much who you know, but more importantly who knows YOU and thinks of you as the absolute expert in your trade. Tightening the circle with stronger more meaningful relationships builds trust and ultimately results in better partnerships. At the end of the day, our business comes down to results, but trust is always the first step.”

Conor grew up in Walnut Creek, going to De La Salle for high school and then Cal for college, where he played on the basketball team.

His wife Vanessa is an executive at prop-tech company Homelight. When they were expecting their first child they moved from the Marina to Kentfield in Marin. “We now have 4 kids under 4.5 – a 4.5 year old girl (Sydney), a 2.5 year old boy (Brock) and 10 month old twins (Reece and Halle). We call it our “beautiful chaos”, and we’re loving every minute (well most minutes that is…). That said, if the NAIOP network has any leads on babysitters, we will happily take them!”

Of course, most of his non-work time is spent with my family – with 4 young kids there is always a lot going on! He loves attending live sporting events, traveling, and being outdoors especially playing golf.