David J. Haigh

After serving in the military and returning from a deployment in Iraq, I was fortunate to receive an internship at NAI Hiffman while I completed my bachelor’s degree. It was during that time that I received some professional advice that influenced my career trajectory. I was told that the secret to this business is that there is no secret to this business. This simple observation conveyed that if you work hard, act professionally, and serve your clients ethically—good things will happen. I noticed then that NAI Hiffman was an environment where people lived by this ethos, so I was excited when I was given a chance to join the Industrial Group as an Associate Broker and launch my career. Enthusiasm seemed to hang in the air in those pre-recession years. I learned a lot from my superiors and peers and built a list of clients, many of whom I still work with today.  Then the Great Recession came and clobbered everyone—developers, tenants, landlords and brokers. It was at this point that I developed the important skill of using humor in the face of adversity.  When the market crashed, I used to joke, “It could be worse… I could be deployed in Iraq right now…” Then I got back to basics: I worked hard and tried to help my clients in any way possible. Eventually the market recovered, I survived, and now I’m fortunate to have risen through the ranks and become an Executive Vice President. Over the years, I’ve been proud to be a part of NAI Hiffman because it’s a collaborative place where brokers provide guidance to one another, and senior brokers set the standard by example. I’ve found it to be a great place to work, to make friends and even to make a joke or two at my own expense when appropriate!