Meet Robin Eschliman, president of Eschliman Commercial Real Estate.
Tell us a little about your business. – I have been a commercial real estate agent since 1990 specializing in office, retail, and industrial sales and leasing. I started Eschliman Commercial Real Estate (www.ecrproperty.com) in 2007. In 2010, I launched the Grow Lincoln business and economic development radio show on KLIN, which produces weekly podcasts.
How did you get started in the business? – A friend, Linda Eley, hired me in college to lease apartments because I had department store sales experience. She told me that getting into real estate could open up all kinds of doors for me. How right she was!
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – Recessions have been tough, particularly 2008-2009. There was nothing we could do to make a market. The only choice was to cut expenses and tough it out.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Sometimes we deal with highly stressed Lincoln business owners who need to lease or sell their building and sell their business. It is hard to describe the gratification we feel when we are successful with this. We can almost literally see a burden lifting off their shoulders and new joy because they can move on with their lives. And, of course, the new buyers are always excited about the new chapter in their lives.
Tell us a little about your family. – Mr. Eschliman (Ted Eschliman) sold his share of Dietze Music House in 2019 and joined the company as a retail specialist. Most recently, my sister-in-law Deb Eschliman joined the team as an assistant.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I was a piano player and majored in music for a while at UNL. One day we were observing an elementary music class in one of the Lincoln Public Schools. I watched the children marching in a circle, banging tambourines, and screaming. I gritted my teeth and said, “I could learn to like this,” and then realized that no, I was not going to learn to like this.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – As a new commercial real estate agent, I felt crushed if I lost a transaction. A senior agent remarked casually to me, “Don’t feel bad, there’s always another deal around the corner.”
If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? – Writing is my favorite way to communicate. I almost majored in journalism but changed to business at the last minute. I self-published some novels a few years ago, which was fun. Ironically, I developed great relationships with the television and radio stations in Lincoln when I was on City Council (2005-2009), and I now serve as a volunteer on the Lincoln Journal Star Editorial Board and occasionally write editorials for them. So, in a sense, I have been lucky enough to enjoy two careers.
What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – I have become educated about Bryan Hospital Foundation because I had a parent who suffered from mental illness. Hospital foundations, as a local cause, enjoy a bit of glamour in most communities. However, mental illness is without a doubt a loss leader for them, and there is little thanks or public attention given to them for that service. Of course, they have been strained recently with COVID.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 420-3239 / (402) 432-0215; robin@ecrproperty.com; www.ecrproperty.com.