Interview with Stephen Cisarik, Managing Director at Newmark, San Francisco

Enaia equips top-performing CRE brokers and their teams with the technology they need to succeed. As part of our Broker Highlight series, we interview Enaia users across career stages who are at the top of their game to gain insights into the qualities and best practices that define elite CRE brokers.

Stephen Cisarik is a top producer at Newmark, San Francisco. His accolades include the 2023 National CoStar Broker Impact Award (one of five national nominees), 2022 CoStar Power Broker Award, 2022 CoStar Impact Award, Lease of the Year (Sigma Computing, Inc.), National Top Producer (Newmark – 2021), Regional Top Producer (Newmark – 2019, 2021, and 2025), National Rising Star (Newmark – 2018–2024), and Finalist for Rookie of the Year (Newmark – Cornish & Carey, 2017).

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

I represent domestic and international real estate portfolios for high-growth technology companies and venture funds. I'm based in San Francisco, though only about half of my work is local. Given my involvement in the venture community, we often receive referrals to assist portfolios all over the world.

How did you break into CRE brokerage? What drew you to the industry?

My family has always been involved in real estate—whether land or multifamily—and I’ve been around it since a young age. After graduation, I was fortunate to meet one of the San Diego leads for Colliers. After lunch together, he recommended I meet people in different departments to see if it felt like the right fit. I decided to take the risk of “unknown” annual earnings with a commission-based business and took the job full-time.

What’s the first deal you ever closed, and what do you remember most about it?

It was a small law firm deal in San Diego. I had been door-knocking for months, cold-calling every company in my designated submarket. It was a grind, and it was hard to believe a company would take a bet on a 23-year-old with no concrete experience. One day, a partner was receptive to my pitch and called me back for a follow-up. I could tell he was taking a chance on a young professional—likely relating it back to his kids at that stage of life—but I went into it determined not to let him down. We ended up relocating them into a new 2,500 SF office, and I’m still in touch with him today. I try to never lose touch with my biggest advocates.

What was the most valuable advice you received when you were starting your career?

Treat every company with the same level of dedication, respect, and care. Focusing on the money is short-sighted in this industry. Don’t pay attention to the fact that the deal you just closed was 1,500 SF; focus on the fact that your client is happy—and has a network of people you don’t yet know. Once you’ve provided a high level of service, ask for introductions. Whether there’s an immediate requirement or not, it’s a foundation you can build on. Before you know it, you’ve ended the year with 100+ new connections—and it’s your responsibility to manage that interaction cadence.

Was there a moment when things started to click—when you knew this was the right career for you?

By my fourth year, things started to ramp up. I was feeling more comfortable in pitches, seeing familiar faces who knew my name at different networking events, and handling second-round turnover deals for some of my early tenants. That said, 2020 derailed all of that. My focus that year was on staying in touch with as many contacts as possible—clients and prospects alike. I held myself to a strict routine, getting up and working the same hours each day. Though there’s no way to measure it, I believe 2020 was one of the most educational years of my career.

What’s unique about your market—San Francisco—that others might not recognize or appreciate?

Though San Francisco is a large city, the overlap between networks in tech and venture is incredible. It makes an 88M SF market feel like 10M SF. We’re in the startup epicenter of the world, where companies can grow from three FTEs to 100 within months. Someone once told me never to push away companies at inception—they could easily be the next Google. San Francisco truly exemplifies the “long game” approach to business.

What’s the most memorable transaction you’ve worked on, and why?

I’d have to say my 90,000 SF headquarters deal in 2021. It won CoStar’s Deal of the Year, which was a proud moment. At the time, San Francisco was surrounded by negative press. My technology client led local return-to-office efforts by bringing the full employee base back in person. In doing so, we leased 90% of a struggling building and brought foot traffic back to that area of downtown. The impact was immediate—employees helped keep long-time food providers afloat during the tough years ahead.

How do you stay up to date with market trends and industry changes?

Creating daily habits is key to maintaining knowledge in this industry. I subscribe to every technology, venture, and business-focused publication I can find, reading them each morning during my “me time” before my family wakes up. Every day I interact with a variety of executives across different business verticals. I believe it’s important to stay as current as possible so you can, at least, attempt to “talk their talk.”

Are there any difficult career moments you can share—times that taught you to be a better broker?

One of the hardest parts of our business is getting clients to sign exclusives. In the world of high-growth startups, they’re often run by young professionals who are nervous about contracts. I worked with a large tech company from 2022–2024, pursuing several complicated opportunities amid Covid and building-debt situations. The requirement was around 50,000 SF—a big deal, especially during a time with little tenant movement. After nearly two years of collaboration and twice being near the finish line, the deal fell apart due to lender denial. Two weeks later, they took a cold call from another firm and signed a deal that was never aligned with their criteria. It was tough to swallow, but I firmly believe that if you operate with integrity, good karma follows.

What advice would you give to new brokers starting out? Would you do anything differently if you could go back?

It’s a grind. Stay motivated, stay hungry, and accept defeat or rejection as learning opportunities. I was fortunate to shadow a veteran in the industry for a few years—it was incredibly impactful. You’ll always learn more in an intimate setting than in a large organization with formal training. It’s either experience in the streets or knowledge in the classroom. To each their own, but I believe real-time street experience is what separates the best from the rest.

In your mind, what separates high-producing CRE brokers from everyone else?

The desire to make a positive difference for their clients and to control their own book of business. Anyone can be a paper-pusher in this industry, servicing a senior partner or receiving “throws” from other offices. At that point, you’re only as good as 10–30% of any deal, at best. The people who excel in CRE are those who control the accounts—they delegate responsibilities and determine split amounts. Brokerage firms want people who bring in revenue, and the only way to do that is to capture the highest percentage take of each transaction. I’ve followed this approach since my third year in the business and can confidently say I control 95% of my book today.

Are there common mistakes you see brokers making that they should avoid?

It’s easy to get buried in paperwork, but real professional growth comes from being social and active. You have to join every relevant network and organization to get your name out there. Relationships are the backbone of this business.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I love spending time with my wife, son and family, traveling, golfing, and being social. Being a husband and dad is my greatest accomplishment.

Tell us about your team. How do you manage it, and how did it come together?

Currently, I have two others on my team (though we’d like to add more). It’s not official in writing, but we decided to approach this business as a unit at the beginning of 2025. It’s been one of the best decisions of our careers, as each person brings a different strength to office evaluations. We meet weekly and also conduct quarterly audits to review the numbers and assess what worked and what didn’t. Overcommunication is essential for alignment—knowing who controls what and who’s responsible for managing client interactions.

What impact have you seen technology have on the industry, and how do you think it will continue to evolve?

Traditionally, real estate firms have been resistant to change. That said, we’re in a unique moment in history where, if you don’t adopt new technology, you’ll fall behind. I believe AI will drastically improve our efficiency and effectiveness when it comes to document reviews. The days of spending hours abstracting a lease will fade, giving brokers more time to focus on business development.
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Our thanks to Stephen for sharing his experience and perspective.

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