2026 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Jonah Glickman, NAI Glickman Kovago & Jacobs

“You know Jonah’s in the room before you walk in. His energy is contagious and his curiosity is genuine. He learns his clients’ businesses, stays current on the market, and shows up for colleagues the same way he shows up for owners and investors. Behind that personality is a lender’s command of the numbers is rare at any experience level. He networks like someone who actually enjoys it, because he does. His clients come back because they trust him.”

What inspired you to pursue a career in your industry, and what path brought you to your current role? Growing up around the industry through my family gave me an early sense that real estate was somewhere I could build a real career. That curiosity grew at UMass Amherst, where business and real estate coursework turned an instinct into a direction. Before brokerage, I spent five years as a commercial credit analyst, underwriting CRE loans and learning to evaluate assets and risk from the lender’s seat. That background is what differentiates me. When I work with investors and owners at NAI GKJ, I bring a perspective most brokers don’t have and it shows up in every deal.

Who has been a mentor or influential figure in your career, and what is the most valuable advice they have shared with you? My father, Jim Glickman, built this firm, so my last name has been on the masthead before I ever closed a single deal. It’s a double-edged sword I’ve always been aware of. The most valuable advice he’s given me is simple: do what you said you’d do, when you said you’d do it, before anyone has to follow up. That’s how he taught me trust is built. I spent five years underwriting CRE loans at Cornerstone Bank to build a foundation that was mine and when I moved into brokerage, I needed to know I’d earned the room. That standard still drives how I approach every transaction.