John Boyett’s path to success started long before he became a Senior Vice President at CBRE. He grew up in Napa Valley, where he spent weekends helping his dad repair and manage rental properties. Simple tasks—painting walls, hauling tools, watching tenants come and go—taught him early lessons about responsibility and the value of ownership. Those moments planted the seeds for everything that came later.
Before building a career in real estate, John built one on the football field. At the University of Oregon, he became a four-year starter and a three-time team captain. He played in major bowl games and earned the trust of a national program. That discipline carried him into the NFL and CFL, where he spent several seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, and Ottawa Redblacks.
When football ended, John leaned on the habits that got him there: preparation, resilience, and consistency. He entered commercial real estate determined to outwork everyone and learn the business from the ground up. He rose quickly, closing over $500 million in transactions and earning CBRE’s Senior Vice President title after just one year.
Today, John leads one of Los Angeles County’s top multifamily investment teams. He continues to draw from his early upbringing, athletic grit, and belief that success is built by stacking small actions every single day.
What does success mean to you at this stage of your life?
Success to me is about alignment. It’s when your work, your values, and your daily habits are all pointing in the same direction. When I was younger, success meant winning—winning games, winning reps, winning jobs. As I got older, especially after football, it shifted. Now success means consistency. It means improving a little each day and building something that lasts longer than a season.
How did your upbringing shape your views on success?
Growing up in Napa, I watched my dad manage apartment buildings. He didn’t talk about success; he lived it. He showed up early, stayed late, and took pride in small tasks. I remember scraping paint off old trim with him when I was a kid. It was boring work, but he never rushed it. That taught me that excellence starts with the basics. Those lessons followed me to football and now into real estate.
What habits played the biggest role in your success?
Preparation is number one. In college football, film study was everything. In the NFL, one missed detail could cost you your job. That mindset stuck with me. In real estate, I study markets the same way I used to study opponents. I go into client meetings already knowing the likely concerns, questions, and risks. Another habit is writing things down. I keep a notebook with me at all times. Ideas, reminders, goals. If it’s not written, it gets lost.
What mindset helps you stay successful under pressure?
I remind myself that pressure is a privilege. It means people trust you. When I feel overwhelmed, I step outside or look for a quiet spot. That’s something I picked up during long training camps—find stillness so you can recalibrate. I also focus on what I can control. Effort. Preparation. Attitude.
How do you bring your ideas to life in your business?
I break ideas into small actions. Big visions fall apart if you don’t anchor them in daily tasks. For example, when I wanted to improve our team’s efficiency, I didn’t overhaul everything at once. I started by improving one internal process each month—templates, checklists, and client tracking. Over time, those small changes added up.
What’s one unconventional belief you hold about success?
I believe success is more about subtraction than addition. Most people try to add more—more tasks, more goals, more commitments. But real growth happens when you remove the things that drain your energy. That’s how you create room for excellence.
What’s one strategy that helped you grow your career quickly?
Relationship-first thinking. In my first year at CBRE, I treated every client like a long-term partner, not a transaction. That approach brought repeat business and referrals. People remember how you make them feel during stressful decisions. If they trust you, everything else follows.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient. Hard work pays off, but not always on your timeline. And take notes—you’ll thank yourself later.
Key Learnings:
- Success is built on consistent daily habits, not one-time wins.
- Preparation and attention to detail create long-term confidence.
- Failure is useful when treated as feedback rather than defeat.
- Relationships and trust have more long-term value than transactions.
- Subtracting distractions creates space for higher performance.