📈 2,351 buildings sold. One legendary career. One brand-new book.

In this kickoff to Season 3 of Commercially Speaking, Bo and Timmy Barron are joined by Bob Knakal, the man who’s sold more buildings than anyone ever documented—and Rod Santomassimo, his longtime coach and co-author of the new book, Selling Buildings.

This episode is a masterclass in brokerage, relationships, risk, data, leadership, and legacy. You’ll hear:

• 🔥 Why Bob ran to the deli on 9/11—and how that moment changed his business forever
• 📊 How he averaged more than one building sale per week over four decades
• 🧠 Why Rod believes conviction + curiosity are the real broker superpowers
• 💥 What to do during a downturn, and how big bets during hard times pay off
• 🏙️ Why Bob believes right now may be the best buying moment NYC has ever seen

They also share behind-the-scenes stories, including:

• Bob’s obsession with baseball stats and how it shaped his sales career
• The origins of his now-iconic “broker baseball card”
• The strategic decisions that made Massey Knakal legendary
• Why Barbara Corcoran, Ryan Serhant, and other CRE titans are backing this new book

🎧 Whether you’re an investor, a broker, or just a numbers nerd, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

👉 Available now on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts

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🛒 Buy the book: Selling Buildings by Bob Knakal and Rod Santomassimo — Available now on Amazon https://a.co/d/6FTfXIP

Bob’s Previous Episode: https://youtu.be/YRaKpbzMjiQ

Rod’s Previous Episode: https://youtu.be/UA0u5CMTb9Y

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Thanks To Our Sponsors

• 💰🏙️ CRE Investor Coach: No Guess Work, No Wasted Time — https://bit.ly/43t6Vrl
• 🤖 Superpowers HQ – Need a CRE executive assistant? Get one here: superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking
• 📊 CRE Marketing Mastermind – wesgay.com/cs

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Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 📚 ”Selling Buildings” by Bob Knakal & Rod Santomassimo — https://a.co/d/6FTfXIP
• 📰 Our Weekly Newsletter: The Inside Scoop On CRE — subscribe.wgbarron.com
• 🏬 Barron Commercial Group: CRE Made Simple — https://barroncommercial.com/
• 🥏 All Disc, No Balls! Tizbee, The Secret Game Of Champions — tizbee.com

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⏰ Time Code ⏰

00:00 – Cold Open
03:49 – Welcome Bob “BFK” Knakal & Rod “CAC” Santomassimo
06:50 – Why Did You Write The Book?
10:50 – From Coach To Best Friend
13:40 – Barbara Corcoran
16:28 – The Book
17:14 – Where Were You On 9/11?
24:01 – This Isn’t Just A Book Of Stories
26:36 – The Inflection Point Of 9/11
31:11 – Downturn Tactics
36:20 – The 4 Cs
37:56 – Nothing Is Absolute
40:58 – Baseball’s Influence On Bob’s Success
46:11 – The Key To Differentiating Yourself
48:28 – How Are Deals Different Now Than They Were 40 Years Ago?
51:33 – BKREA Update
56:11 – Bob’s Got A New Goal
59:13 – Bob F***ing Knakal

📒Show Notes📒

Subscribe and listen to Commercially Speaking here:

Youtube: @commerciallyspeaking 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/commercially-speaking/id1680750330

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/commerciallyspeaking

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📲 Connect with us:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@commerciallyspeaking 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commerciallyspeaking/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commerciallyspeaking

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@commerciallyspeaking 

Newsletter: https://subscribe.wgbarron.com/

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Bo is a CCIM Instructor and the owner and operator of Barron Commercial Group, servicing Western KY and its surrounding markets.

For all CRE inquiries, visit http://www.barroncommercial.com

Timmy is an actor, comedian, writer and host: @timmybarron https://youtu.be/ICoIAHSZvgA