2022 Women in Commercial Real Estate: Marci Alvarado, SVN | Parsons Commercial Group | Boston

What advice would you offer to women getting into the CRE industry?
My advice to women who are looking to work in the commercial real estate industry would be that if you are passionate about having a career in CRE and can accept that every initial objection or “no” that you face brings you one step closer to a “yes”, then you should do whatever you need to do to find your opportunity. Also, it will take a lot of time, hard work and patience to succeed but after more than 25 years in the business I can tell you that it is all worth it!

What has been your biggest challenge and how have you faced it?
Commercial real estate is not a job like many others. It’s more of a lifestyle that may eventually blur the lines between your personal and professional life. Young women in our business, and many other male-dominated industries, are faced with tough choices that sometimes lead to them leaving the business altogether or having to give up a lot of precious family time. I want women to know that if you are interested in CRE that I believe it is very possible to create a balance between raising your family and having a career that you can be proud of.

What trends will dominate your industry in the coming months?
I believe we will see continued demand in the industrial sector from both Tenants and Investors. Additionally, I believe we will see more companies that currently own commercial real estate look to free up cash that is tied up in their commercial property holdings by entering into long term sale leaseback arrangements. Lastly, I think we will see a temporary pause in the investor activity as a result of increasing interest rates and perceived economic uncertainty in the financial markets.