John Neyer Inducted Into Midwest Real Estate News’ 2019
 Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame

John Neyer, CEO of Neyer Real Estate Management, LLC was recognized as one of more than 90 real estate professionals to be inducted into Midwest Real Estate News’ 2019 Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame.

John puts his pants on two legs at a time. This bit of acrobatic attiring started out as a teenage protest of clichés and tired thinking. While the habit gets trickier with each passing year, it continues as a daily reminder to challenge conventional wisdom and explore all sides of an issue before passing judgment…if indeed judgment needs to be passed at all.

Neyer got his start in commercial real estate when he joined his family’s real estate development business, where he worked in marketing and then development. When the company reorganized in 2003, Neyer, age 30, broke off what had been a purely internal property management business as his own separate company, Neyer Management.

Working with a core team of committed professionals and patiently developing best-in-class systems and processes, the business has grown organically by more than 2,500 percent. Neyer Management now manages over 34 million square feet in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, has a staff of 90 and is the largest property management company in the region.

“I like to fix things. Development is a business of creation. Management is a business of ongoing repair, adjustment and customer service,” Neyer said. “Tweaking, polishing, repairing and maximizing real estate requires persistent diligence and a commitment to doing the important things, even when they aren’t the fun things. Property management is like the vegetables of real estate; it rarely gets the top billing, but it’s essential to sustaining good health.”

What does he find most challenging about the business? “Getting alignment of goals and values among all parties in a transaction,” said Neyer. “Once you’ve achieved that, it’s just mechanical. Achieving that alignment, however, is an art and a science and crucial to moving any deal forward.”

Neyer was an early board member and eventually board chair of the Holocaust and Humanity Center. He was a 15-year board member and chair of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. Other service to the community includes DePaul Cristo Rey, where he chaired the Facilities Committee during a $20 million campus expansion, and the Clifton Community Arts Center.

“No small part of my success comes from luck. I’ve also been fortunate to be able to recognize the skills of key partners and members of my team and involve them early and intensively,” Neyer said. “Most importantly, however, is that I’ve got two ears and one mouth and I use them in proportion.”