Team Friedman spent the afternoon hacking into one of our tech-savvy gurus daily routine to find out what the future of CRE tech holds.
Q: What’s Your Name and Title?
Brendan Lovett, Information Technology Specialist
Q: What’s on Your Desk?
It depends on the day! Besides the essentials, I usually have a mix of paperwork and hardware scattered on my desk. It can get quite messy at times due to all the different things I’m working on at once. If you look at my desk, you can tell, I’m a huge fan of multitasking!
Q: Tell Me About Your Office?
We work on the lower level at our Farmington Hills HQ. This is where all of our core infrastructure and backend systems are housed. At any given time, you’ll find an array of projects on our conference table. But if you’re lucky, you’ll find me working on my favorite project – our server room.
Q: How Do You Take Your Coffee?
I don’t drink coffee. From time to time, I’ll have an occasional cup. The rest of my family ceases to function without their morning cup. I would prefer not to have that same problem!
Q: Walk Us Through Your Typical Morning Routine
I usually start by figuring out what I have on my plate for the day ahead. I typically dive right into checking emails, answering IT tickets, and returning phone calls from the previous day or two since I am only in the office three days a week due to school – #GoBlue! Some days I’ll walk in, and the team will already have some fire to fight due to a service being down or another tech emergency, it depends on the day.
Q: Tell Us More About Your Role at Friedman.
I manage most of Friedman’s infrastructure, along with working on special projects. Over the past year, we have had a big internal push to modernize and upgrade our user-facing systems, so needless to say; there is always something to be done. Then along with the number of upgrades I’m overseeing, I have been focusing very heavily on the automation and streamlining of several company operations through standardization so we as a department can focus on other things and really ramp up our tech game!
Q: What Does a Normal Day Entail?
Most of my day consists of working on various projects we have coming in or resolving IT tickets. I also spend a considerable amount of time researching for any upcoming projects or potential issues, along with teaching myself new things. Our field of expertise is continually evolving, and we must stay up to date on the latest and greatest tech trends in order to stay ahead in the industry.
Q: How did you get started in the industry?
I had grown tired of my old job and wanted to do something that I enjoyed and had that hands-on aspect. I was applying for internships left and right, then finally, Scott MacDougall took a chance on me, and I landed the job at Friedman right out of high school. Shout out to Scott! Once my internship had wrapped up, I was eventually offered a permanent position and have been here since. That said, I have always had an interest in real estate and commercial architecture, though my passion lies within technology. Working at Friedman has given me a healthy balance of both, paving the way for endless opportunities in the future, depending on where life takes me.
Q: What does the future of the industry look like?
Commercial real estate never dries up and will never become obsolete. That said, newer generations have a different set of expectations for commercial buildings than that of previous generations. There is now a much larger focus on technological capabilities, open spaces, natural light, and removing the typical feel of a concrete block and drop ceiling commercial space. Friedman, along with other industry leaders, will have to (and already have in many cases) adapt to meet these new expectations. Besides that, renewability and environmental footprint of commercial spaces/buildings will also be a challenge that must be met. As tenants and buyers are becoming more and more conscious of their impact on the planet, they have put the pressure on to search for new ways to minimize their footprint.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working here?
We have a really great group of people who work here, and it makes for a great environment. There are so many different departments and employees that are all interlinked within one and other. It’s a cool experience to see how the whole company works together as one. With such a diverse group of employees and the everchanging landscape of the tech industry, no two days are the same here, and there is always something new or interesting that I am working on. Plus, the team I’m on and our staff, in general, are a pleasure to work with. One can gain a lot of perspective and knowledge about business units that they typically would not experience in a larger organization.
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