Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate is thrilled to announce the addition of its newest team member, Walker Purvis. He joined the company earlier this year and has focused his efforts on the leasing and brokerage of office opportunities. A University of Alabama graduate with a consumer sciences degree, Walker has a broad knowledge of the consumer market. He’s excited to bring his past sales experience to Crunkleton.

This week, we sat down with Walker to learn more about his background, career interests, and more.

Tell us more about your educational background.

I graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where I studied consumer sciences with a consumer affairs concentration. The degree itself gives you the skills and knowledge necessary for careers in the finance, business, government, and research industries. My concentration is best suited for people who wish to have a career as an entrepreneur, sales professional, analyst, lawyer, or finance expert. I believe it works well for me in my commercial real estate profession. It helps me analyze markets from the perspective of the consumer and then communicate it to stakeholders that I am working with.

What did you focus on after graduation?

I started in pharmaceutical sales in Nashville. From there, I went into medical device sales in the greater Alabama market, which is where I worked in an operating room—I focused mainly on devices for neurosurgery. Many of my family members were involved in the healthcare industry, so it made sense for me to do the same. Being in the business world was always a focus of mine. I knew I wanted to be in sales.

Commercial real estate became an interest of mine during my senior year of college. It was a path I could have taken then, but I decided to wait and get some sales experience under my belt first. When I saw an opportunity to work at Crunkleton, I immediately began working on my real estate license. It was a bonus that Crunkleton is in Huntsville because I always wanted to make my way back here.

Why commercial real estate?

As I said, it had always been a possible path for me. After watching the City of Huntsville grow, I became more interested; I wanted to be a part of the change happening here. The industry has always fascinated me and one day I woke up and asked myself, “Why am I not doing this?” So, I made it happen.

“Crunkleton” was a name I was already familiar with because I’d heard of projects they were involved with, and I saw signs all over the city and on social media. Being involved in tenant buildouts and watching spaces come together interested me. I also love learning more about the development side. Many of Crunkleton’s adaptive-reuse projects drew me to the company. There’s a lot to learn, but I’m loving every minute.

What is your favorite part of the job?

Currently, I focus on leasing and brokerage within our office division. The dynamics of every deal are unique, so I always feel challenged. I like that. Working with people and seeing so many different experts come together to make projects happen is rewarding.

Commercial real estate isn’t something you master within a set amount of time. It is a lifelong learning process because every deal or project brings something new to the table. It keeps things from getting stagnant and always makes it interesting. I want to learn all facets of the business and eventually have experience in several different areas.

What skills do you think are important to anyone wanting to be a commercial real estate professional?

Networking is huge in this business. Having the ability to connect with many types of people throughout various industries is a must. I come from a different type of sales background than commercial real estate. I did a lot of knocking on doors and here that may translate to doing cold calls. You need the tenacity to keep going and make deals happen.

You need to build a good reputation within the industry and build your credibility with each successful deal. That can take time, but it will make you very successful.

The last thing I’d mention is time management. There are so many things going on during each deal. It’s up to you to juggle them and make sure the client is served well.

What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?

Anything outdoors…particularly hunting, fishing, and playing golf. If I had to pick anywhere to spend my extra time, especially in the warmer months, it’s always going to be somewhere by the water like the lake or the beach. I enjoy doing all of these things while spending time with close friends and family. Visiting my alma mater in the fall for Alabama football games is another way that I like to spend free time as well.

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CRUNKLETON COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE GROUP
INFO@CRUNKLETONASSOCIATES.COM
256-536-8809

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