B
y the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be a memory of leftovers and football scores. You’ve likely spent time with family, visited Irvine Regional Park for the yearly Christmas photo, or ridden the holiday train. As the leaves fall, I want to express gratitude for a remarkable commercial‑real‑estate year and those who made it possible.

    I thank Southern California News Group, especially editor Samantha Gowen, for trusting me to publish weekly columns. I appreciate every Lee & Associates office that allowed me to conduct QUALIFY seminars. This year I released my first book, The SEQUENCE. Friends, family, brokers nationwide, and clients have embraced it. The title works on two levels: the steps of a transaction and the personal choices that build a career. Thank you to all who bought, read, and wrote to me.

    Clients who placed their trust in me—an e‑commerce distributor that tripled its Inland Empire footprint, a plastic‑bottle distributor that pursued quality, and a national material‑handling firm that’s partnered with me for 20 years—are especially appreciated.

    I attended memorable conferences, notably the SIOR fall gathering in Louisville, Kentucky, and I’m grateful to everyone who made it unforgettable.

    Finally, I thank my wife of 46 years: confidante, travel partner, mother of our three children, grandmother to six grandchildren, author, and friend. Our life together is a privilege.

    Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, Principal, Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services, Orange, CA. Email: [email protected] | Phone: 714‑564‑7104.