Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Ken Ashley on breaking into CRE brokerage, his book The Prescription, CREI Summit, office market trends, and why the fortune is in the follow-up.

Ken Ashley has spent 30 years helping companies translate business strategy into real estate as a top 1% producer at Cushman & Wakefield. He founded CREI, mentored thousands of early-career brokers, and distilled it all into The Prescription — a field guide for building a CRE brokerage career.

In this episode, Ken joins host Shanti Ryle on what separates brokers who make it, following up without being annoying, why AI is not coming for this industry the way people fear, and what the office market looks like right now.

• Ken Ashley's background and 30 years at Cushman & Wakefield
• What is The Prescription and why he wrote it
• The COVID passion project that became a field guide
• Who the book is for: entry-level, mid-career, and senior brokers
• The fortune is in the follow-up, and why most people miss it
• Follow-up one: send something they love with no ask
• Follow-up two: ask for advice, not a job
• How to close with "If you were me, what would you do?"
• Never say "pick your brain" or "let me know when you're available"
• The minimum viable yes: reduce the cognitive burden on decision makers
• Analyst, researcher, or broker: how to choose your path
• You can change your niche: Ken did, from industrial to office
• Self-awareness and hustle: the honest conversation you need first
• The Prescription as a filter before meeting with someone new
• What is CREI and why Ken started it in March 2020
• The badge idea that accidentally built a community
• Six lists, volunteer curators, and the abundance mentality
• CREI Summit in Savannah: AI, Create Labs, and pirates
• Three warnings: stack bloat, over-reliance, and AI-generated emails
• Two bright lines: serve clients better and grow your book
• Listening tools, trigger events, and calling at the right moment
• Sensor data and propensity-to-return tools for office decisions
• Atlanta: 1.6M square feet leased, 1.1M in the suburbs
• Flight to quality is real and Class B is getting a second look
• MOB conversions, tech startups, and who is taking Class B space
• Return to office: leverage has shifted back to employers in 2026
• Speed of business and kicking rocks: the case for being in office
• Flexible design, soft seating, and earning the commute
• Autonomous vehicles and what happens to all those parking garages
• Paying your civic rent: the imperative to give back
• What still makes Ken passionate after 30 years
• Rapid fire: $10M into STNL as a limited partner
• Worst advice: win at all costs, including badmouthing competition
• Contrarian belief: the office market can turn on a dime

Watch “Ken Ashley: The Prescription for Building a Career in CRE Brokerage” on YouTube

Ken Ashley is an Executive Director at Cushman & Wakefield and has spent the last 30 years helping businesses translate strategy into real estate decisions. He is a top 1% producer nationally and holds SIOR, CCIM, and MCR designations—credentials earned by fewer than 1% of practitioners in the industry. Ken and his team are perennial top producers in Atlanta and at Cushman & Wakefield nationally.

In 2020, Ken founded CREi (Commercial Real Estate Influencers), a community built to help brokers adapt to a changing industry by leveraging modern tools, social media, and intentional relationship-building. Through CREi, Ken has taught and mentored thousands of aspiring and early-career brokers, helping them get hired, get meetings, build confidence, and gain real traction.

Ken recently released his book, The Prescription, a field guide for people who want to build something real in commercial real estate brokerage. The book distills 30 years of frameworks, systems, and patterns into actionable steps for breaking into the industry and building a sustainable career.

Ken is an award-winning instructor in CoreNet Global and believes strongly in "paying your civic rent." He serves on the Board of Leadership Atlanta, the National Properties Committee for Boy Scouts, the Atlanta Police Foundation's Crime Stoppers Task Force, and the youth-serving organization Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. Ken has been married to his wife Karen for 34  years and is the proud father of four kids and two lazy pugs.

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