Jeff Salzbrun (Commercial Equities Group)

Jeff Salzbrun is the founder of Commercial Equities Group, a commercial real estate agency in the Twin Cities. 

The following is a story about the aforementioned Jeff Salzbrun.

The reader is advised to keep in mind that all quotes attributed to Salzbrun are not verbatim.

During our conversation on a crisp Thursday morning, Salzbrun and I jumped right into conversation, the pace so relentless and engaging that I did not even think to take out my recording device. 

Therefore, this short bio is my best effort to tell Salzbrun’s story.

Any inaccuracies are unintentional, and for the points that I did document correctly, many thanks go to Todd Rooker for his podcast interview with Salzbrun in early 2024.

**

It was cold when I exited my silver 2012 Toyota Corolla, the streets of NE Minneapolis barren but the atmosphere jovial on account of Jeff Salzbrun, who was waiting for me outside his home.

“Good morning,” Salzbrun said as I strode up his sidewalk, a smile beaming on his face as he finished an email on his phone.

It had been over a year since I first tried to sit down with Salzbrun, a renowned commercial real estate agent here in the Twin Cities.

Due to scheduling conflicts, and perhaps Salzbrun’s unfamiliarity with just who the heck I am, we never connected, until Wymond Wong had me on his podcast.

“I heard what you said on Wymond’s podcast,” Salzbrun commented as we settled in his office, located in the detached garage situated in the backyard of his Minneapolis residence. 

“Oh yeah?” I replied, because I said a lot of things on Wymond’s podcast.

“Mostly about the power of connecting people,” Salzbrun said.

“It’s what I aim to do,” I said.

It’s also what Salzbrun seeks to do here in 2025, his present and his future well-secured after a successful run in real estate that is still going. 

But like all great stories, Salzbrun’s rise to prominence took an unconventional route. 

Born in St. Cloud, Salzbrun and his family later moved to Andover, back when the suburbs were more vacant than a Walgreens parking lot at 8:30 P.M. on a Tuesday. 

“Things have changed a lot since then,” he said, and Salzbrun was not simply referring to the rapid expansion that has occurred throughout the metro area, but perhaps also hinting at the personal revolution he has experienced. 

After high school, Salzbrun was aimless.

“School was not for me,” he recalled, so he joined the military, serving his country and also his adventurous side.

We didn’t get too far into the specifics of his past.

One doesn’t need to be a creative genius to imagine what may have happened once upon a time. 

What is known is that Salzbrun dabbled in college at St. Cloud State, struggled in academia, accumulated debt, got into legal trouble, and eventually became a father.

“My life was chaotic,” he said.

Needing to get serious about his future, Salzbrun befriended a real estate mogul who would later become a billionaire. 

“I was working so hard,” Salzbrun said of that time period, which served as his introduction to commercial real estate.

In turn, he learned people skills, the art of the deal, and how to strategically connect people with properties best suited to their needs.

“I owe so much to the people who have helped me get to where I am,” Salzbrun acknowledged at one point in our conversation, attributing his achievements to the great support system he had around him.  

As the years passed, Salzbrun continued to work hard, earning a nice salary as a W-2 employee. 

Along with his wife, who was also a successful corporate employee, the two appeared destined for a comfortable retirement, but Salzbrun, wanting more, leapt at the opportunity to get into real estate and start his own business, Commercial Equities Group. 

“How did you achieve success?” I asked. 

“There were many factors that went into it,” Salzbrun acknowledged.

Part of what endeared the amiable Salzbrun to so many commercial real estate clients was his ability to relate to the proletarian, the everyday worker whose childhood didn’t include decadence or affluence. 

“If you grew up in Edina and spent the majority of your youth in that environment, you likely aren’t going to be able to connect with a guy who built a welding shop from the ground up and is looking to exit his business,” Salzbrun explained. 

In that sense, Salzbrun’s ethos is not a shot at the commercial real estate agents who present an air of decadence in their interactions with clients. 

Rather, it’s to suggest that remaining authentic and leading with intentionality are key catalysts into what makes an agent effective. 

“Quentin, you and I, we could be sitting anywhere right now,” Salzbrun pointed out, casually mentioning that of all the buildings that he owns, the one he chooses to operate out of is not a skyscraper, but the one situated right in his backyard. 

“If I work out of a unit in one of my buildings, then that’s cashflow that I’m missing out on,” Salzbrun added. 

From my vantage point, it seems implausible that utilizing one of his office spaces would handicap the real estate magnate that is Jeff Salzbrun, but again, it’s process over results that Salzbrun is concerned about. 

That approach has elevated him to the position he is in now, where due to his relative financial comfort, he is in the position of spending his days focused on helping others grow professionally as much as he is on closing another monster deal. 

“I’m a big believer in giving back, particularly to the next generation,” he said.

For context, Salzbrun is a member of BNI in Brooklyn Park, a networking organization that has over 100 members, all of whom spend every Wednesday morning in the same room, the objective being to leverage each individual’s network and expertise to assist their fellow members. 

Having been to this group many times, and having interviewed many of Salzbrun’s contemporaries, I can attest that the group has changed the trajectory of so many business owners. 

I’ve personally benefitted from being a small part of a big group, and I haven’t even contributed a penny toward the membership dues (much to the chagrin of several members, I’m told).

Seeing Salzbrun so at peace is simultaneously inspiring and deflating. 

Inspiring in the sense that it is another stark reminder of how crucial it is to associate with good people and consistently do good work.

Deflating from the perspective of feeling inferior, that I should be further along, particularly financially.

“How do I make a lot of money?” I, in hindsight, foolishly asked, because I still can’t give myself an ounce of grace unless I’m seeing numbers in my bank account that I deem impressive. 

Salzbrun responded, and like a politician, but more like a friend, never directly answered the question. 

I came to realize that his deft circumvention of the stated question wasn’t malicious.

He wasn’t concealing the secret to generating copious amounts of capital. 

Instead, his tactful answer is more indicative of the fact that we are all on our own journey.

There is not a dollar figure that will validate that journey because it is up to the individual to find meaning and purpose, and if my intuition is correct, that satisfaction will not come from money itself.

“Do you know any good window or deck contractors?” I then asked, hoping to be tapped in with Salzbrun’s referral partners, because you never know what an introduction might lead to. 

Salzbrun said he did, but somehow we segued onto another topic, and as my conversation with Salzbrun wrapped, we stood up, and I think he complimented me, but it’s hard to remember because praise doesn’t resonate as much as criticism does. 

“Son, say goodbye to Quentin,” Salzbrun said to his young son who had sat near us all morning, and who on this day wasn’t feeling the best.

I look toward his son, his ears encased by headphones and his eyes unlikely to divert from the screen in front of him, but there is a sense of peace that comes from this, knowing that in the proximity of his father, this young man will grow up to do wonderful things, in the same way my father looked after me.  

“I hope you feel better soon,” I said to his son, then ducking my head to maneuver up the tight quarters that lead out to the backyard.

Salzbrun walked me to the front of his home.

“Let’s do this again. Maybe grab some lunch,” he said, and instantly I thought of Hazel’s, a quiet restaurant with immaculate cuisine (those cinnamon rolls though!) located not too far from where I presently stood.

“For sure,” I told Salzbrun, not sure if I would ever be connected with the window and deck contractors in his vast network, but entirely sure that the yearlong wait to connect with him was undeniably worth it. QS

**

Tired of that annoying tree stump that’s lingering in your front yard? 

You know, the remnants of that massive oak that all your neighbors point and snicker at? 

Well, thanks to Chris Mehrkens and ByeBye Stumps, you can remove that unsightly tree stump AND enhance the curb appeal of your home. 

If your lawn is littered with stumps, don’t wait another minute to get this done.

Call ByeBye Stumps today at (763) 258-7200!

And mention my name when you call to get $100 off your project. 

That’s 763-258-7200.

ByeBye, stump!