Careers
Celebrating 45 Years of Passion and Growth: A Broker’s Journey with CBRE
Bill has forged a successful real estate brokerage career while also enabling his musical talents to flourish.
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Explore OpportunitiesFor over four decades, Bill, a Wisconsin-based Executive Vice President in our Advisory & Transaction Services business, has achieved success as a commercial real estate broker while also fulfilling his musical passion.
At CBRE, Bill leads a six-person team that assists a diverse range of clients with local, regional, national and international real estate needs. Meanwhile, outside the office, he leads a quite different kind of team: the Bonifas Electric Band, which feature two-time Gammy Award-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch, with whom he performs jazz shows regularly and even records new albums.
As a solo musician, Bill has explored genres beyond jazz, with impressive collaborations under his belt with groups like the Milwaukee Ballet, Grammy winner Native American flute virtuoso Douglas Spotted-Eagle, award-winning country singer Chad Brock and Daryl Stuermer of Phil Collins/Genesis fame.
Bill has found synergy, inspiration and surprising parallels from his real estate and musical pursuits.
"In real estate and music, we collaborate on complex compositions. Both require adaptability, teamwork, improvisation, problem-solving, good tools/instruments and innovation," he noted. "But could I be a musician all the time? No, I'd rather do what I do with CBRE. Real estate is where my passion truly lies but music is a rewarding second career.”



Bill likens the dynamics of his CBRE team to that of a well-coordinated jazz band, where each member is very capable in their own right and plays a crucial role in delivering exceptional client service. In one example, his team leveraged their local connections and creative problem-solving skills to help the engineers working on their client’s project find a design solution they had previously overlooked – saving the deal. This type of collaboration has helped Bill’s team consistently maintain strong volumes and achieve top ten client outcomes year over year.
"CBRE encourages us to be creative in our client service approach," Bill said, describing how he feels CBRE has supported his team in their professional growth and advancement over the years.
CBRE's commitment to providing state-of-the-art tools and resources has been another crucial factor helping Bill's team to excel in multi-market and corporate advisory work. "We are a power user of all the tools,” he said of his team, referencing how they leverage CBRE's advanced analytical tools and market intelligence to deliver tailored solutions for clients.
Bill feels particularly grateful for the leadership and support of Emmy Murphy, CBRE’s Market Leader for Wisconsin: “She leads by good example, empathy and humor… but when required, a firm hand. I describe it as a ‘watchful leadership’ approach.”
Inspired by his own mentors and CBRE’s supportive environment, Bill is committed to mentoring the next generation of real estate professionals. "I want to be a valuable mentor, building our team’s skills and confidence into the future," he shared.
Bill’s story is a powerful reminder of how a supportive and resource-rich environment can enable individuals to excel in multiple facets of their lives. At CBRE, we are proud to provide the platform and opportunities for our employees to realize their full potential, both professionally and personally.
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