YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Change is the engine that drives real estate, and as Jeff Childs, senior adviser with SVN/Rankin Co., learned from his 98-year-old grandmother, change is good.
He quotes his grandmother as saying, “Change makes life interesting. Embrace it and smile. God is good, and he will take care of what you need.”
Childs says his grandmother’s advice holds true in commercial real estate. The market moves quickly, he says, and especially so as companies use resources made available to them from the pandemic. The biggest hurdle now is lack of inventory of properties, he says.
“The market will always have change, but with change comes opportunity,” Childs says.
Childs says he tries to keep things simple by providing his clients with the best service he can because they have put their trust in him.
“My clients know that I have their best interest at heart because at the heart of my business is my relationship with them,” he says.
It’s a point of pride for Childs to have watched many of his clients grow from small businesses 20 years ago to become larger companies in the region.
“I am grateful that I have been able to assist them in their growth and, in doing so, help the community as a whole grow stronger,” he says.
He is also proud to have helped bring new jobs and opportunities to the area, something he says he has done simply by showing up ready to lend a hand.
“I try hard to help others get what they need, and in turn I have always been provided what I need,” he says.
According to Childs, helping others is what business is all about.
“It’s funny this simple principle of business is missed by so many people: Help others first, and the rest will take care of itself,” he says.
Childs says he has spent countless hours on the phone or in meetings giving people his best advice without expecting a commission or fee in exchange.
“In doing so, I know that I am helping them plant a seed for their success,” he says. “At some point that seed will grow the area, and in that growth, I am going to be rewarded.”
Childs has been in his current role for 28 years. He specializes in the sale of industrial, office and retail properties, and he says his work comes down to helping people sell, lease or buy real estate by providing them with sound advice.
It’s a job he describes as very enjoyable, as he has assisted numerous private, public and nonprofit organizations in their expansions across southwest Missouri.
“I simply try to show up every day and make sure I am doing what is needed to meet the needs of those around me,” he says.
He consistently ranks among the top SVN advisers nationally, according to the SVN International Corp. website.
Childs also is past chair of the board for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and for City Utilities of Springfield.
A 2023 Harvard Business Review study suggests significant positive changes when employees take sabbaticals, including greater self-clarity and management confidence.