8C — June 18 - July 22, 2021 — 30 Under 30 — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
30 U nder 30
Sean Twomey Commercial Salesperson Friend Commercial Real Estate Years with company/firm: 1 Year Years in field: 1 Year Years in real estate industry: 1 Year What is your most notable project, deal or transaction?
Gennah Tyles Commercial Salesperson Friend Commercial Real Estate Years with company/firm: 1 Year Years in field: 1 Year Years in real estate industry: 1 Year What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
While working on my accounting degree at American University, I leased out an entire second floor of office space in Annapolis in under 30 days during the pandemic. This space has previously sat vacant for years before I got involved. What is your most notable project, deal or transaction? I have been privy to a lot of opportunities ranging from leasing the entire Nord - strom box at the Westfield Annapolis Mall to working through terms for the former Big Hunt Bar in Dupont Circle Washington, DC. I am most excited about selling the former Sly Horse Tavern in Crofton, MD. It has sat vacant since 2014. It was my very first listing and I cannot wait to see what it turns into. It is now being developed into a new restaurant concept and we have a tenant ready to lease out the space once the build out is finished. 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 began my career a little less than a year ago. During the coronavirus pandemic we were all sent home from college. I had an accounting internship lined up that was canceled due to the pandemic. I was home quarantining with my family which gave me a lot of time to think about my career. I saw a posting for a commercial real estate internship and decided to take a chance. It was the best decision I have ever made and has set me up for a successful career in the commercial real estate industry. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry? The way I contribute to my company and the industry in general is the energy I bring to the table. I am young and hungry for opportunity and always bring the most energy to everything I do. Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career? Friend Commercial Real Estate has been my strongest influence on my career. I would not be where I am today without the tremendous support I receive at my office. When I first started everyone welcomed me with open arms and taught me so many tips and tricks that helped my career get started. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? I have a very vivacious and auspicious personality. I love talking to people and getting to know them. Taking the time to get to know your clients is crucial, I find it helpful when I have a conversation that is not always about business. This has helped me connect with clients and help make them feel more comfortable with me and want to do business with me. Every opportunity I get is personal and I am proud of the results I provide my clients. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to become as successful as you are today? The challenge I needed to overcome the most was getting in my head too much while on a phone call. I felt that because I was new in the industry if I did not know the answer to a question a client or other agent would not take me seriously. I told myself I needed to know everything and remember everything just in case a question would come along. This would mess me up and I would forget what I was really supposed to talk about. Being confident in myself and just letting the conversation flow goes a long way. Overcoming this fear has helped me become very successful when talking to clients. Who do you feel was most influential in your life when choosing this profession? My aunt who I look up to tremendously is in real estate. I always wanted to be just like her. I see how much she loves the industry and how good she is at it. We have many similarities and she sparked my interest to try out real estate and see if I can be as successful as her one day. What is the funniest, most unique situation you have faced / conquered during your career? Or in your life? The most unique situation I have faced was completing a degree while living in a pandemic and starting a career. It was much more work than I had anticipated. Accomplishing this has been the most rewarding and I am very grateful for the support I received from my friends and family. MAREJ
My most notable project to date is an off-market industrial transaction valued upwards of $80 million dollars. I first began working on this project about six months into my career. I am incredibly fortunate to be in an environment that allows me to jump headfirst into these kinds of opportunities so early in my development. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry? From the very beginning of my career, I was told by leaders within my organiza - tion to “focus on helping others and business will follow.” It took me far longer to understand this in practice than I would like to admit. I utilize this approach not only my clients but other members of my company, brokers, lawyers, en - gineers, and local elected officials. This contributes positively to our personal success as well as the well-being of the entire industry. Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career? Ken Griffin, SIOR, is an experienced member of our team at Friend Commer - cial who joined shortly after I did in the summer of 2020. Ken quickly became one of the people I look to the most, especially considering the success he has. I find that Ken and I are quite similar on a personal level, and feel that he has influenced the quality and style of my development over the past year. His ap - proach to building relationships is quite genuine, and the advice he has lent me helped me to avoid many of the pitfalls young professionals can fall into in. What impact has social media / networking had on your career? Growing up in New Jersey, and now working a career in Maryland, networking has been a hugely impactful tool in my growth. I quickly learned how network - ing can create success by generating business, supporting clients, engaging the community, and developing relationships with elected officials, lawyers, and engineers to support development and land use. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen to change them? Getting started I was not exactly sure what to expect. My family background is largely related to finance, leaving me with very little knowledge of the industry. I decided to take a chance on the career and set lofty goals early on, thinking success would come in just a few short months. After some time, I realized that’s not what makes people successful in our industry, you have to put oth - ers first and build relationships, not business contacts. My goals then shifted from “close X number in sales by end of year” to “how can work to help clients and colleagues every day.” What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? Work ethic is something I believe is a necessary trait to be successful in this industry, and one that I have in abundance. I do not necessarily believe this is something unique to myself, however, a correlation between worth ethic disci - pline and success is evident both within and outside of my team. My background in football has taught me the importance of this quality, which I hope to utilize to spur further success in my career. What was the most defining moment for you? The first listing I received was the most defining moment of my short career. This listing represented the first piece of success in my career and was certainly something I am incredibly proud of. I had been working with the client for nearly six months to that point and became good friends with him. His listing defined what I consider to be the beginning of my career. What outside activities do you enjoy during you free time? Outside of my work at Friend Commercial Real Estate I am still a student and Varsity Football Player at Johns Hopkins University. Football has been a passion of mine for many years now and I get a great deal of enjoyment out of playing, watching, and studying the strategy of the game. MAREJ
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