In his own words: Mark Krueger of Grubb & Ellis|NCG

Northern Nevada Business Weekly: Tell us about your company and the duties of your position.

Mark Krueger: Grubb & Ellis|NCG is a full service commercial real estate brokerage company (one of the largest in the country) with sale and leasing specialist in office, retail, industrial, investment and land. As managing director, I support the sales staff and assist with incoming and outgoing business. As senior vice president, I specialize in land sales throughout northern Nevada.

NNBW: How did you get into this profession?

Krueger: I emphasized real estate and finance while in graduate school, l but didn't get hooked on the business until I had a chance to write exam questions for the California Department of Real Estate over the summer before graduating. I was the first hire at Grubb & Ellis when they opened the Sacramento office in 1979.

NNBW: What's the most important thing you have learned in your career?

Krueger: Relationships and repeat business are the key to long term success, and to earn these keys, you need to be honest, work hard and put your clients first.

NNBW: What are your greatest strengths?

Krueger: My greatest personal strength is actually that I'm a sore loser. As a result, I strive to find ways to make a deal work. My greatest asset is my daughter, Erin. She has been running the land division since high school, and I couldn't ask for a better partnership.

NNBW: Tell us about your dream job. Why aren't you working it?

Krueger: My dream job used to be playing in the NFL, but I was never good enough and those days are long gone. Real estate is the next best thing!

NNBW: What are your favorite hobbies or pastimes? How do you spend your time away from work?

Krueger: My favorite pastime is playing with my two grandkids. I also enjoy fishing, golfing, boating, abalone diving and softball. My two favorite places are Lake Tahoe and anywhere on the ocean.

NNBW: Have any advice for someone who wants to enter your profession?

Krueger: It's a great profession, but conditions in the commercial real estate business right now are difficult, and you need patience ... lots of it (something I still don't have!)

NNBW: Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.

Krueger: One of my clients made his yacht and crew available and I took my entire family Marlin fishing in Mexico. That was as good as it gets!

NNBW: What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Krueger: Pick a specialty within an industry that you like and become the expert in that specialty. Be the best in one thing versus average in many!

NNBW: If you could live your life over again, what one thing would you change?

Krueger: I would probably push harder in sports and not spend as much as I did in my 20s and 30s. Overall, life has been great and I am a lucky man.

NNBW: If you had enough money to retire right now, would you? Why?

Krueger: I honestly don't think I could ever retire from the real estate business. I could see doing a little more investing and little less brokering in a few years, but I will always be involved in one way or another.

The basics:

Name: Mark Krueger, managing director and senior vice president of the land division at Grubb & Ellis|NCG

Number of years in this job? 14

Years in this profession? 32

Education: Bachelor's of science in business from Cal Berkeley and master's degree in business administration, Cal State Sacramento

Favorite flick? "Gladiator" and "Godfather" 1 and 2

Spouse, kids or pets? Wife, three kids and two grandkids