M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — Best and Brightest Under 40 — August 19 - September 15, 2022 — 11D
www.marej.com
B est and B rightest U nder 40
Gwen Fraker, Cushman & Wakefield “Ask questions, work with people you trust and advocate for yourself”
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this has made me more agile and has built my capacity as a broker. What was the most defin - ing moment for you? Being selected for The Wheel Program, it was the defining moment of me entering the commercial real estate indus- try. It was a highly competitive program to get into and set me up to make career-lasting relationships. Proper training and mentorship are key parts of laying a strong foundation for a broker’s success, which I received during this program and am forever grateful. What outside activities
do you enjoy during you free time? I love the outdoors - whether it’s playing tennis, grabbing rooftop drinks, attending sport- ing events and/or concerts - I try to get outside as often as I can. My husband and I just moved to Old Town Alexandria, so most recently, I’ve enjoyed cycling on the bike path along the water on GW Parkway. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduat- ing from college today? Ask questions, work with people you trust and advocate for yourself. MAREJ
hat is your most no- table project, deal or transaction?
Gwen Fraker Director – Brokerage Services Years with company/firm: 5 years Years in field: 9 years total as a broker
At the end of 2021, we suc- cessfully signed a 96,000 s/f bio-tech lease with Tetracore/ CirrusDX that required a full building reposition from office to lab to accommodate the tenant. This was an all hands on deck effort between our leasing teams, landlord client, engineers, property management, tenant and specialized architects to be able to deliver the asset to meet the tenant’s needs. How do you contribute to your company and/or the industry? Within Cushman & Wake- field, I’ve dedicated a lot of time over the years to connecting with my peer group, serving as a mentor to junior brokers and volunteering within our community. Most notably I’ve served as the chair for Cush- man & Wakefield’s Future Leaders employee resource group and I am now on the board of Washington D.C.’s Real Estate Group. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you choose the field/ profession you are in today? I originally began my career at CBRE after being competi- tively selected for The Wheel Program, which is a year-long rotational position that gave me exposure to multiple service lines of the commercial real estate industry. I was able to shadow the top teams in both tenant and landlord repre- sentation, investment sales, retail leasing and workplace strategy. After the program, I decided to focus on landlord representation as it allowed me to use my interpersonal skills, strategic thinking and creativity to deliver results to my clients. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? I’m an extrovert, highly orga - nized, incredibly social, enjoy collaborating with others and have always been good at solv- ing a puzzle. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to be- come as successful as you are today? The pandemic has been a very difficult time for leasing
Years in real estate industry: 9 years total in the commercial real estate industry Real estate organizations/affiliations: Board Member of Washington D.C.’s Real Estate Group, CREBA member
brokers with the work-from- home movement. The challenge of finding creative solutions for my landlord clients to lease
their office space has forced me to learn how to think differ- ently and approach my job in a variety of new ways. I believe
AT THE CENTER OF WHAT’S NEXT
Cushman & Wakefield is proud to congratulate GWEN FRAKER for being named to the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal’s 40 under 40 list
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