Bender Reflects on 25 Years of Market Outlook
On January 1st, 1997, over 25 years ago, Michael Bender founded Bender Commercial Real Estate Services in a single downtown office on S Phillips Avenue. Bender moved to Sioux Falls with his young family on March 3rd, 1992 – which ironically is the same date as our 25th Market Outlook.
After relocating from Dallas, TX, Bender realized that Sioux Falls was where he wanted to establish his roots and raise a family. While starting BCRES, his excitement was through the roof. Not only was he fulfilling a dream to start his own business, but his wife also announced they were expecting their third child. The pressure was on to succeed. As with any entrepreneur, he was both confident and fearful.
Bender presented the first Market Outlook to five members of the community. He called these individuals the morning of, asking if they wanted a free lunch at Minnehaha Country Club and to hear his predictions for the coming year. Today, we have about 300 attendees, and it takes several months to plan the annual forecast.
One of the reasons why Market Outlook is so unique is because “anyone can research data but what matters most is the testimony of predicting what’s next”. The Market Outlook is about more than just a one-time event; it’s also about networking and staying in touch with those in the Sioux Falls community.
Within these next coming years, Bender is looking forward to seeing the younger leadership continue to grow and reinvest in the community.
25 years of growing, building, and predicting – you won’t want to miss out on this year’s Market Outlook.
