2017 Women in Real Estate Spotlight - Mary Doyle

Years in real estate: 32 

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of:  BOMA and NAIOP

How have you navigated obstacles to achieve success in your career: The obstacles started in high school when girls weren’t encouraged to take business courses. They continued when I became an executive assistant and was expected to pour coffee instead of pore over the intricate details of property management. I took an 11-week Kathryn Gibbs course to hone my office skills.  Thereafter, I taught myself how to program and create spreadsheets, giving me the edge I needed to advance and take charge of a five-building office park at the age of 25. Now I’m a managing director and share my story with students in real estate programs throughout Boston to help them overcome their own obstacles to become successful.

How do you play your strengths to your advantage in your career: My greatest strength? Flexibility. Having a plan is entirely necessary in property management, but so is staying agile enough to quickly change course should that plan not work. Every day in my position is different and challenges present themselves daily – the trick is to see those challenges (and even failures) as opportunities. This industry requires constant juggling as well as grit and determination to make sure everything is done and done well. My ability to work harder than most while remaining open to all paths to success is how I’ve been able to achieve what I have so far.

What trends are you seeing so far this year: One of the most prevalent trends I’m see in this year is the focus on creating cool, collaborative spaces that truly foster a sense of community. Developers are investing a significant amount of capital in building hip and high-tech spaces with amenities like roof decks, food venues, fitness centers, and bike storage to help their tenants attract top talent in this highly competitive work environment. To truly envision and implement those plans, we need to attract the people who can ideate, envision, and sell these concepts – Millennials. I’m focused on attracting more Millennials to our workforce because they understand the importance of this mindset, so having the most talented among them is essential.

What do you do for fun: I enjoy skiing, golfing, and traveling with my family. Love of family is why genealogy research is my new passion.