Real Estate Journal — Women in Business — October 26 - November 8, 2018 — 11C
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Women in Business
Marcy Gross, Sheldon Gross Realty Successful property managers are proactive, rather than reactive
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There was no point in having one without the other. Was being a woman in the commercial real estate and property management field more difficult when your career first began? The world was quite different 30 years ago; being a woman in commercial real estate during the 1980s was certainly more difficult than it is now. For one thing, I was something of a rarity, since there were so many fewer women in the field. Happily, my confidence and professional expertise have increased exponentially since my career began – I’m far better prepared now to address any
challenge that may arise. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young woman about to go into the field of property management? Managing even a relatively small prop- erty is complicated – there’s simply a lot to keep track of. So, it’s crucial to keep your eyes wide open and be aware of everything that’s going on. You want to avoid surprises, and the best way to accomplish this is by anticipating all even- tualities. To put it concisely, property managers who suc- ceed are proactive, rather than reactive.
hy did you choose the field you are in today? My father
Marcy Gross Executive Vice President /
founded Sheldon Gross Re- alty, and during my childhood I watched him work hard to keep his commercial real estate en- deavor growing. I suppose there was something in the genes (like father, like daughter), because I was always interested in what he did. Ultimately, I decided – after an abbreviated stint in health- care – to join the family business, and soon began focusing on prop- erty management. I’m fascinated by the ongoing process not only of maintaining something, but ac- tually making it better over time. And that’s what the very finest property managers do – they consistently assess the buildings in their charge to identify ways to improve them for the benefit both of clients and tenants. How do you manage the work/life balance? This is a challenge for all professionals who care about growing their business while also maintaining their family life. My strategy has been to work as hard and as efficiently as possible when I’m in the office or with clients, and then give my family my undivid- ed attention when I’mwith them. When you’re pulled in multiple directions – and all of them are important to you – it’s essential to be organized and maximize your time-management. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? Without any doubt, my father has had the most sig- nificant impact on my career. He founded Sheldon Gross Realty, kept it moving forward during economically challenging times, and even when I was a child he was accessible in a manner that enabled me to watch how he did things. Then, once I graduated college and joined the company, he taught me lessons – often by example – about persistence, confidence, attentiveness, and honesty. I’ve been doing what I do for three decades now; I can’t imagine I could have had a bet- ter mentor. What impact has social media / networking had on your business? In the commer- cial real estate field, networking is absolutely essential – and I utilize several social media plat- forms for my individual commu- nication outreach. In addition, our company is active in social media, posting regularly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. All this said, it’s essential to be aware that while
Property Management Sheldon Gross Realty
business professionals have a wealth of technology tools avail- able to enhance their networking efforts, there’s no substitute for direct, voice-to-voice and face-to- face interaction. I regularly call and sit down with my clients; there’s just no more effective way to stay in touch. What challenges did you
need to overcome to become as successful as you are to- day? To succeed, I needed indus- try knowledge and know-how, along with the necessary people- skills. The key was keeping ev- erything in sync – for example, I had to make sure my ability to interact with clients remained on par with my industry expertise.
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