2025 Ones to Watch - Industry Leaders: Adam Wagner, Market Square Architects

“Adam Wagner is a steady, trusted leader whose business-minded approach has shaped Market Square Architects into one of New England’s fastest-growing firms. Known for his clarity, integrity, and client commitment, he drives projects forward with purpose and consistently elevates the region’s built environment.”

What is one major challenge you’ve overcome as a leader, and what did it teach you? Navigating sustained market volatility. After the slow recovery and steady growth following the 2008 financial crisis, many of us braced for a traditional downturn, then COVID hit. It transformed how we work, triggered major demographic shifts and one of the largest housing booms in recent history. The rapid rise in interest rates then cooled that momentum and slowed development. Maintaining the right balance between staffing and workload is critical. The key takeaway: stay nimble, expect the unexpected, and build contingency plans long before you need them.

What advice would you share with emerging professionals striving to become future leaders in commercial real estate? 1. Learn to communicate effectively. Text and email have their place, but they’re impersonal. The casual conversations that happen before and after meetings, or during a phone call, are where relationships are truly formed. Humans are social beings, and there’s very little that is genuinely “social” about social media. 2. Never stop asking questions. I see many people advance in their careers and become afraid to expose what they don’t know. This is a mistake. Curiosity is a strength. The only thing worse than not knowing something five years into your career is not knowing it twenty years in.

What daily habit or routine helps you stay focused or motivated as a leader? I’m a habitual list maker. Listing out goals and progress helps me measure growth one step at a time

What book, podcast, or app has most influenced your approach to leadership? The Go-Giver (Bob Burg, John David Mann) shows how generosity creates its own cycle of returns.