After I met my first "potential" investment client I was instantly hooked on commercial. I love the numbers, evaluating opportunities, literally everything.

My team leader at the time gave me a commercial client to run with. A numbers guy, educated and experienced. After reviewing a number of potential opportunities, he sent me the MLS number and told me to draft.

We didn't even see the property until we were conditional and during the inspection.

It was completely different than anything else I've known (doing residential). It was fast, furious and exciting.

I made the decision to jump into commercial right then and there. I was in love. However, this was probably the BIGGEST mistake of my young career. I jumped without thinking.

I left the "stability" of residential which provided a pay cheque on a semi-regular basis (assuming showings to closings were inside of 3 months) and went full fledged into the world of commercial.

I knew nobody, my team leader at the time had limited contacts in commercial; I was going at it alone.

I was just finishing my second year in the business, I was excited and motivated - but I had no source of leads, no business making me money. I was starting from scratch. I had a handful of pre-construction deals that were about to register (October); by February - I still had no pay cheque from the builder. I was running on fumes. I did a handful of residential deals that year from residual business and marketing but had stopped all lead generation.

I met a few clients from marketing multi-family and land on Kijiji and after 10 offers - not one had closed. My residual residential business was dead by now.

Midway through my 3rd year I reconnected with a lead from Kijiji; turns out they are not as small as I thought. After many communications and offers with them; at the end of my 3rd year I went firm (on my 30th birthday) for a development deal. Again, like my first one, it was fast and furious. We drafted and went firm without even meeting face to face ONCE. I was elated. With that said; there are always complications with commercial. This specific deal has been "firm"for 1 year and not likely to close for another. Throughout the year I've done deals but I realised quickly that as awesome commercial is; it's a long-term play for the most part.

In the past 12 months; I have drafted or prepared LOI's (Letters Of Intent) in the range of $400,000,000 to $500,000,000 (yes $400-$500 Million) dollars worth of real estate offers. Believe me, when people tell you that 99% of them fall apart. They do. While some have firmed up and closed many have not.

Here are 10 of this year notable offers/LOI's that went nowhere due to issues out of my control and that burn my soul for different reasons:

1. Hotel: $70 Mil
2. Hotel: $80 Mil
3. Development Site: $18.2 Mil
4. Development Site: $1,25 Mil
5. Development Site: $9.25 Mil
6. Development Site: $5.2 Mil
7. Joint-Venture: $5-7 Mil
8. Development Site: $1.35 Mil
9. Development Site: $2 Mil
10. Development Site: $18.5 Mil