Greg Norris

Principal & President, Quick Draw Fund Control

Why did you choose to enter into this industry?

I began my career in home building, then worked for the nation’s largest plumbing contractor for new, residential construction. Subsequently, I went back to home building and then fund control. It was an opportunity that we were not thinking of and fell into our lap during the initial stages of the 2008 Great Recession.

What is your current role and what do you do day-to-day?

I am the Founder and President of Quick Draw Fund Control and am responsible for sales and field operations.

What excites you about your role today?

What excites me today and every day is working closely with our lender and borrower clients to help provide solutions to get capital deployed quickly and safely so projects can continue without delay.

Can you explain a time where you faced adversity or had struggles early on in your career?

Where did it all begin? How did these experiences mold and shape you into the leader you are today? In 1990, I joined my family’s homebuilding business where we delivered 200-600 single family homes per year. I struggled to find my place and passion within the organization and ultimately left the company without a job. In less than two weeks, I was extremely fortunate to start work with a very sophisticated and leading plumbing subcontractor that I had known for years. Starting off with all sales and marketing responsibilities, I worked up to Division President and led a staff of 110 colleagues with full P&L autonomy and responsibility. The infrastructure, training, and leadership that the owners provided gave me the best business education of my career. It is in large part the reason I’m a principal of our company today.

Is there anything that you wish you could go back and tell yourself at the beginning of your career?

Be patient. All of the career challenges I worried about resolved themselves naturally and were not nearly as big of a concern as I made them out to be.

Who is someone that has had a significant effect on your career and why?

Fortunately, I’ve had a few people in this category. Tobi Nieland, my partner, has had a significant and extremely positive impact on my career. Quite simply, Tobi’s experience and strategic approach has taught me to think differently in both business and life. She acutely understands people, business, and how the intersection of both can create opportunity for all and make our company money. I love discussing new ideas and listening to her thoughts as she often provides a perspective I never thought about.

What has been your favorite aspect of being an in private lending over the years?

I have two favorites. First, meeting and working with many great people in the space. Everyone is gracious, willing to help and share information. It’s fascinating to work with smart people, learn from them and see how their business models succeed in the marketplace.

Second, hearing the feedback we receive from our clients telling us that we have played an integral role in the growth of their business. We’ve changed our own industry and made an impact in the way lenders disperse construction loans. Our decades of experience as both builders and finance experts makes Quick Draw uniquely qualified to work closely with lenders and borrowers alike. We understand exactly what is needed from both sides to ensure a project is properly capitalized and help navigate a very bumpy and challenge-laden build cycle.

What would you consider to be the highlight of your career thus far?

The highlight has been creating opportunities for other people. Growing our team members at Quick Draw, as well as helping our consultants and professionals who all play an important role in our success, is both gratifying and humbling.

What do you enjoy most about your job? Least?

I love the variety my job affords me. Every project is different from location and construction type to working with different groups of lenders, borrowers, and general contractors. I’m learning new things every week and it’s fascinating. I don’t enjoy working with grumpy and ungrateful people which, fortunately, doesn’t happen too often.

Is time or money more valuable and why?

Time is more valuable by far. Money comes and money goes. You can always go out and earn more money. Once you have spent time, it’s gone forever. As I get older, I’m selectively choosing how to spend my time as it truly is precious.

How do you make sure your company stays ahead in this industry?

It’s an ongoing team effort with my partner, our staff, and consultants. We utilize technology as much as possible in our operations and reporting to concurrently increase efficiencies and ease of use for our clients. Additionally, we spend a lot of time and resources gathering and sharing current market information to keep informed of changes and trends that impact construction projects.

What tools do you use to aid you in your role to be most efficient, organized, and focused?

We were fortunate to hire a young and smart gentleman, who has a degree in software engineering, as our systems analyst and software developer. From database, to work flow, and our reporting platforms, I utilize his systems to help keep my role on track. Fear is another great motivator. I always seem to start Monday mornings with a bit of fear which helps motivate me for the week ahead.

Has your role changed significantly to address the current environment?

I wouldn’t say that my role has changed significantly since Covid-19 hit, but it has dramatically affected our projects and the way some of our clients now do business. We’ve adjusted to help provide information and reporting that they need to be comfortable and operate in the new environment.

What advice would you give to someone who has just started out in private lending?

Find your people. While it is important to talk to a number of solid prospective employers, to the best of your ability, make sure you are working for the people and culture you identify with the most. There is nothing worse that waking up and not liking where you work every day.

What do you believe to be the best type of real estate investment opportunity available today and why?

I come from the residential construction side of the business, so I’m going to say entitled lots/land and housing. There’s such a tremendous shortage and high demand that doesn’t appear to be abating anytime soon. Combine the right property with a good basis, leverage, give it enough time, and it’s pretty hard not to come out on top.