Welcome to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at BuildingLink, a pioneer in proptech that has continuously paved the way in industry innovation for over two decades. This month, we’re thrilled to highlight a pivotal force in driving our sales and marketing achievements: Brian Bressack, BuildingLink’s Chief Revenue Officer.
Brian’s Impact: A Vision for the Future
Brian Bressack’s transformative impact at BuildingLink began the moment he joined the team, driven by a strategic vision that has been finely honed over years of experience working in the SaaS industry with a focus on property management. “When I look for a potential role, I look for several things,” Brian explains, providing insight into his approach to his career. “Is there a mission that I believe in? Does the leadership team truly have alignment to that mission? What are the goals of the company? What is missing from the company to achieve those goals? Does my skill set match with those goals? Is there an opportunity for me to develop personally and professionally?”
At BuildingLink, Brian found a resounding 'yes' to each of his questions. It was not just the alignment with the company's mission of simplifying and elevating modern working and living in residential communities that struck a chord with him but also the palpable passion and commitment exhibited by the leadership, particularly Zach, the CEO, and every employee he encountered. "With BuildingLink, I found all of these to be true," Brian shares, reflecting on his decision to join the company. "I also found that my skill set of creating processes to develop a repeatable and scalable revenue engine was exactly what would be needed in order to achieve BuildingLink’s goals of driving new revenue growth."
Brian's journey through the SaaS industry, with pivotal roles at companies like Zillow, KnockCRM, and SmartRent, has instilled in him the philosophy of perpetual learning and adaptability. Each position presented unique challenges and learning opportunities, fostering in him a student's mindset — ever curious, ever evolving. "One of my biggest strengths is knowing that I always need to continue to be open to learning, feedback, and focusing on challenging myself to hit both long and short term goals," he says. This approach has not only allowed him to grow personally and professionally but has also enabled him to lead BuildingLink’s strategies toward innovative horizons, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of the proptech industry.
Transforming Sales and Marketing: A Dual Approach
Upon joining BuildingLink, Brian identified key areas where his expertise could catalyze growth and streamline operations, leading to a series of transformative changes that have profoundly impacted the company's approach to sales and marketing.
One of the first areas that Brian tackled was streamlining BuildingLink’s marketing efforts and ensuring that it supported their sales initiatives. “When I began at BuildingLink, we had several seemingly disparate marketing vendors,” Brian shares. “While they were working hard, they were siloed and were lacking a clear direction on how they can leverage each other's efforts to create a more synergistic approach.” Brian made it a top priority to find and hire a person who could help to create a cohesive marketing message and strategy both by leveraging agency partners and internal thought leadership. “Now, we’ve cultivated a unified approach to filling the top of the funnel, supporting sales initiatives, creating content, and enhancing our online presence.”
Another effective strategy that Brian spearheaded was catering specifically to the unique needs of our diverse customers, from multifamily complexes and condominiums to homeowners' associations (HOAs) and housing cooperatives. Given that each of these verticals face distinct challenges and pain points, BuildingLink’s messaging and solutions must be tailored to address their specific concerns. For example, multifamily properties are driven by improving resident retention and maximizing their return on investment. This approach ensures that BuildingLink isn’t just selling a product but providing a solution that speaks to the heart of each client’s challenges.
Brian’s innovative approach didn’t stop there; he also reimagined BuildingLink’s sales structure to better serve and expand the company’s market influence. “When I started at BuildingLink, it was clear that we have an outstanding existing sales team with deep relationships with our customers,” Brian explains. “But I saw an opportunity to widen the relationships at the Property Management Company level to educate other properties on why our customer properties love BuildingLink so much.” Knowing that properties typically stay with BuildingLink for over 12 years, Brian knew there wasn’t enough time in the day to have your focus split between acquiring new customers and deepening relationships with existing ones.
Brian’s solution was to create a specialized group within sales to focus solely on new customer acquisition. “By creating a new team laser focused on new customer acquisition,” he states, “We are able to create the room to both grow within our existing customer base and evangelize BuildingLink to an entirely new group of future customers. This way, they can also see the BuildingLink Gold Standard difference.” This strategic realignment enabled BuildingLink to maintain its excellence in existing relationships while expanding its reach and impact in the property management industry.
Fostering Team Growth: A Culture of Diversity and Continuous Improvement
Beyond structural changes, Brian has instilled an appreciation for diversity, continuous improvement, and teamwork within the revenue department. “I believe that one of the most critical elements of a successful sales team is diversity—not just in the traditional sense, but also in terms of experience,” Brian states. He views the sales environment as a hub for shared learning and mutual growth, emphasizing, “Sales teams should be places of collaboration, constant learning, and teamwork. Sales can be inherently competitive but that doesn’t mean that someone has to do bad in order for someone to do well. Competitiveness should come from within and should be a driving force in achieving personal/professional goals,” he asserts.
Another key component of BuildingLink's sales success has been Brian’s unique philosophy. "I like to describe my strategy as sanding the wheel,'' he shares. “I’m not trying to reinvent it but instead smooth it out so it rolls down the hill faster." This approach involves creating repeatable, scalable processes focused on data to inform and streamline efforts. Moreover, Brian emphasizes the dual nature of sales as both a science and an art. "The science of sales lies in the numbers — the more we feed into the top of the funnel, the more we'll see come out at the end. But the art of sales is equally important," he says, highlighting his belief in coaching to improve conversion rates throughout the sales cycle. Brian’s balanced perspective here has been key to building data-informed strategies that drive a sustainable revenue engine.
Reflecting further on his journey in sales leadership, Brian shares a personal insight. “Since I have been in sales leadership, I have become a far better seller than I ever was before,” he reveals. He credits this improvement to the reciprocal nature of teaching and coaching within a diverse team. “As you engage in critical thinking in a plural environment you will naturally both learn and pass on information. In short, a rising tide should raise all ships.”
Beyond his professional commitments, Brian loves spending time with his five godchildren, cooking, exercising, spending time with family and friends, as well as enjoying the company of his dogs. He believes in the importance of balance and the enrichment that personal happiness can bring to professional success. Brian exclaims, "Nothing makes me happier than combining several of those by having a nice BBQ at my house!”
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Trusted by HOAs, co-ops, condominiums, and multifamily properties around the globe, BuildingLink helps property managers deliver superior resident experiences while streamlining maintenance and operations. We offer tools that will simplify your record-keeping and administration, communications, maintenance, and front desk operations.
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