We sat down with Justin West, SIG’s new Executive Managing Director, to talk about his leadership style, what excites him about the Southeast, and how successful teams lead with culture.
With more than 21 years of CRE experience, most recently at Marcus & Millichap, Justin has built, coached, and led high-performing brokerage teams across Florida and the Southeast. He’s joining SIG at a time of rapid growth and bringing a clear vision of where we go next.
Q: What drew you to SIG?
A: I was looking for a firm that genuinely invests in its people. I’ve seen what it takes to build sustainable, high-performing offices, and SIG had everything I was looking for—strong leadership, cultural alignment, and a strategy for long-term growth. It felt like a place where I could build something meaningful with great people.
Q: You’ve built and led high-performing teams extensively. What’s your leadership philosophy?
A: I believe great brokers are built, not born. That means training, coaching, and consistency. I focus on developing people—not just producers. If you create the right habits and support systems, the performance follows. My leadership is very simple. Treat others the way you would want to be treated, and great things happen. Will I press you? Yes. However, my coaching style is one of alignment with your goals. Sometimes we just have to make sure we are all rowing the boat in the same direction. It is my job to be the captain of the ship, but I always listen to the crew to determine the best possible outcomes. I view my team as partners. I have a truly vested interest in the success of each person on the team, and I take that very seriously.
Also, be coachable. Whether you’re brand new or two decades in, you never stop learning in this business.
Q: You’ve said the Southeast is a key market for the future of CRE. Why?
A: Look at the trends: population growth, job migration, institutional capital flowing into the Sunbelt. The Southeast isn’t a “future” market—it’s a now market. I see this region as one of the biggest growth engines in the country, and SIG is uniquely positioned to lead in that space.
Q: What’s a common mistake that brokers often make?
A: Two main things. First, Brokers often ask, “Why do others fail?” With the 100+ agents I’ve coached over the years, the number one reason that Brokers fail is that they are not consistent with their goals. I say it this way: they lie to themselves. They make up stories about how many calls, meetings, etc., that they did, when in reality they did not fulfill their commitments to themselves. Second is what I call “commission breath”. Yeah, it’s a real thing! Clients can tell (sniff out) when a Broker is desperate to close a deal. I coach my teams to focus on helping their Clients grow their portfolio, protect value, and think strategically. They’re not just a Broker anymore, but an advisor and partner. That’s what I want our team to be known for.
Q: Outside of work, how do you spend your time?
A: Family first—my wife Angie and I have three amazing kids. I’m active in our church and play drums on the worship team. I fish. I golf. I read a lot of HBR and leadership books. Right now, I’m revisiting Flow and The One Thing—both are great reminders to stay focused on what matters most.
Q: Final thought—what do you want people to know about you?
A: I’m here to grow something that outlives any one person or title. For me, it’s all about building a culture where advisors feel supported, challenged, and set up to succeed—professionally and personally. If we stay focused on people and purpose, the rest follows.
Follow Justin’s journey as we grow SIG’s presence in the Southeast—and beyond.
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn for inspiration and industry hot takes.
