If someone had told me a year ago that I would be doing commercial real estate now, I would've said there was more chance of me becoming a rodeo rider or an astronaut. I had never considered any of those things.
My advertising and marketing work had been slowing down - from both the economy but also waning interest on both sides. And as the advertising slowed down, the play writing I'd been doing as a hobby became something I did full time. I loved it and had some minor successes. But then my conscience stepped in...."I'm sorry, how much are you making at this?" it would ask. I was able to stave off that little voice for a while, but then the specter of college bills for my 17 year old son loomed on the horizon. You like beans? My conscience would ask. You'll be eating a lot of them.
So I had to face facts that I needed to do something that paid, but what? Now that I'd walked away from my advertising career, it would be near impossible to get back in with such a big gap in work history. The industry now employees the coolest, newest, youngest people with ideas that match. I couldn't give them that anymore...I am a middle-aged mom of two teenagers. Without years of study or significant capital my options to jump back into the business world were limited.
Enter my friend Kate who had been talking for three years about this great job in commercial real estate. She was her own boss, dealt with interesting, smart people and was able to continue to take part in her children's daily lives. Best of all, she didn't have to commute an hour to get to work, it was all local. In addition, she was earning a decent wage, able to put a significant amount away for her son's looming college bills. This idea was hitting all the right bells with me. Could I do this? You have to take the course, she said, 60 hours and a couple of exams. This idea began to take shape and seemed very possible. The more I looked into it, the more it seemed like a new career I wanted to pursue.
I approached Angel Commercial LLC in Fairfield in January, having heard and read many good things about them. They hired me as a researcher on various projects. Being part of their team and learning more about the Commercial Real Estate market gave me further insight into my chosen path, which then confirmed my desire to become part of this world. I took the course, and found I actually loved the material and the hours spent in class. While it mostly pertained to residential, there were lots of things that were important to know for commercial work. Now I love hearing the jargon from class come up in my day-to-day work.
I've learned so much in my 6 months with Angel Commercial. However the thought that keeps hitting home to me is that this is material that's important for pretty much everyone to know. Real estate decisions have huge impacts on businesses and are part of the meat and bones of their economic survival and hence our country's economic survival. I really like being a part of that. I also really like knowing I'm helping to put people in a space that is going to make them feel good when they go to work. A little sappy I guess, but true.

Do I miss the creativity of playwriting and advertising? Honestly, in my work now I see little dramas everywhere. Before, when I was writing, they were only in my head or on the page. But now they're real, with real people with real concerns. And I might add that I have met some of the most entertaining, amazing characters I could ever imagine. One day, maybe I'll even write about them.


Andra Vebell is a sales associate for Angel Commercial LLC, Fairfield, Conn.