Women in Real Estate: Sheila Garrett of Coldwell Banker Commercial

Years with company/Firm: Going on 3 Years Years in Field: I received my real estate license when I was 19 years of age in 2007. That being said I have now been in this field for a whopping eight years. 5 years in residential and another 3 years in commercial Telephone: My cell number is best at 203-814-6480 Email: Sheilagarrett88@Gmail.com URL: Though our website is about 90% complete right now I'm sure by the time this publication is printed it will be just about ready to be launched. That website URL is : www.cbcfg.com Real Estate Organizations/Affiliations: FCCBN "Fairfield County Commercial Brokers Network" How do you use social media to promote yourself and/or the company/firm? Social media plays a pretty large role in our marketing efforts with things like our weekly email blast that are done every Friday through Constant Contact which is definitely our CRM program of choice. With those email blast we do also include links to our company Facebook page as well as our individual linked in profiles If you could choose one thing differently when you first started, what would it be? Immediately creating my niche. I must be honest, when I began commercial I had no idea what form of commercial real estate I would focus on. If I knew at that time that I would enjoy retail leasing for example the way I do now I would have definitely focused more of my efforts in that regard so that by now I could have mastered it. What advice would you give women just starting out in Commercial Real Estate? To insert yourself into as many transactions as possible in the beginning even if it doesn't mean you'll be paid on it. In this field it is not reading literature or studying commercial real estate that will bring the essential knowledge it takes to be successful but it's the experience that will. During the last 5 years of your career, which professional accomplishment, honor, or achievement has meant the most to you and why? Most likely it is the website I am almost done designing for our firm. I'd say this means the most to me because it is something I never went to school to learn how to do but something over time I was able to teach myself to build. Let's be honest, it always feels so good to know that you were able to be self-sufficient enough to complete something you never once thought you could, and in my case it was to build a website completely from scratch from one of the most complicated platforms of all time...Wordpress. When was the first time you realized that you were meant to be in the CRE Industry? Probably last year when I realized how much more of my life I was able to get back in this form of real estate vs residential. Unfortunately between the showings, open houses and unrelenting emotional issues my clients faced day in and day out in regards to the sale of their homes, I cannot say I lived very much outside of work. I can truthfully say that commercial does offer me more time for myself without a doubt...Well, at least on the weekends. What are 3 words that describe your company atmosphere? Supportive, Innovative, Relentless When you think of the CRE Industry, what are 3 words that come to mind? Challenging, Unpredictable, Engaging What are 3 things you will try doing or accomplishing in the next 10 years? 1) To reach my annual income goal within the next two years 2) Start a small team of brokers to work with me 3) To become the commercial Guru for the surrounding towns of Fairfield as well