Thursday, May 30, 2019

The Fastest-Growing Job Sector?

Cannabis, Marijuana, Weed, Pot? Just Call It a Job Machine




The New York Times, Conor Dougherty
April 25, 2019

While cannabis may still be illegal on the federal level, 33 states now allow its sale for medical purposes at a minimum. Ten of those states, including California, have legalized recreational use. And as new markets open and capital continues to flood in, the cannabis industry has become, by some measures, one of the country’s fastest-growing job sectors.

A few years ago, navigating the marijuana industry felt like a journey to the fringes of legitimacy. Now cannabis dispensaries occupy brightly lit spaces on prime retail strips, with $80 pot lotions and $20 bars of pot soap. Six months ago, Canada became the first major world economy to legalize recreational marijuana use, and several dozen cannabis stocks — many for companies that are American in all but name but unable to list in the United States — now trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange.  For investors, it’s a two-pronged thesis. The first is that many people like recreational use. The second is that as cannabis becomes more widely used, it is increasingly a therapeutic remedy that people substitute for pain pills, sleep aids and other pharmaceuticals.

ZipRecruiter's data suggests that cannabis-related jobs nationwide currently stands at 200,000 to 300,000. While many of those jobs are on the lower end of the pay scale (consisting of rote agricultural work), there has also been a expansion in the demand for better-paid positions like chemists, software engineers, and nurses who consult with patients about using cannabis for anxiety and other medical conditions.

Meanwhile, the pioneers who brought the industry out of the shadows are being joined by professional managers and executives — “talent,” in corporate speak — who have had careers in other industries. For upper-level managers and executives, companies say they prefer candidates with a background in highly regulated industries like alcohol or pharmaceuticals.

To read more, click here...

Friday, May 10, 2019

The Retail Brokers Network

What is the Retail Brokers Network (RBN) and why did Equity Retail Brokers join?


The RBN is a national networking group founded in 1992 whose members are like us - successful independent brokerage firms that specialize in retail real estate. Upon joining in 2001, we wanted the ability to refer business nationally, while taking advantage of the shared booths at regional and national ICSC events. However, the greatest benefit has been the personal friendships we have formed and the positive affect they have had - and continue to have - on us as individuals and the company as a whole.


What value does Equity Retail Brokers get from membership in the RBN? 

Having brokers across the country that we "Know, Like and Trust" (that's the RBN motto!) gives us the ability to help our clients with their real estate needs locally and nationally. We get valuable market knowledge and expertise through relationships, regional and national RBN meetings, and monthly RBN calls on a variety of relevant real estate topics. The referrals we get from (and give to) RBN firms is a great value as well, of course.

What value do our clients get from our membership in the RBN? 

We use the information we gain from our involvement in the network to help our clients get deals done locally and nationally. Through access to people and information, the RBN provides us with expertise we otherwise wouldn't have, and allows us to make referrals to RBN firms in other markets, when needed. The end result is more problems solved and deals for our clients.

What do you like best about the RBN? 

I am in regular contact with like-minded real estate professionals around the country who I know, like and trust. We talk about real estate, our families and everything in between. I don't think I can count the quality friendships I enjoy as a result of the RBN. Oh, and we often make money together. How great is that?


Click here to learn more about the RBN, or stop by booth C-111 Union Street at ICSC RECon!