AZCREW

More women, more opportunities

AZCREW’s new president discusses what’s ahead for the organization

By ALYSSA TUFTS

Women haven’t always had a seat at the table in commercial real estate, but thanks to organizations such as AZCREW (Arizona Commercial Real Estate Women), more women are entering and staying in the industry, and many even have become senior executives at companies around the state.

Lindsey Carlson, the 2021 president of AZCREW, is a senior vice president for Colliers International. She has been with the company for 18 years as a commercial real estate broker specializing in office space, and has been part of AZCREW for 15 years. AZCREW is an organization that focuses on the advancement and success of women in the commercial real estate industry through leadership, relationships, education and excellence.

AZRE spoke with Carlson about how AZCREW is keeping members connected, what’s ahead for 2021 and how the organization is helping women advance and succeed in the commercial real estate industry.

AZRE: Why is AZCREW beneficial for women in the commercial real estate industry?

Lindsey Carlson: Our mission really explains everything — it’s basically to transform the commercial real estate industry by advancing women globally. What that means to our members is that by being part of this organization, you’re also part of something much bigger than just yourself, and you’re banding together to make sure the tide rises for everyone.

Seventy-five percent of our members are senior members. This is especially helpful to people are just getting into the industry or are early in their career. They’re getting exposed to all these senior-level executives who can help further their career and give them guidance and mentoring. Everyone is always willing to give advice and help each other out. I’ve never once had anyone come up to me or make a call and say, ‘That person never got back to me,’ or ‘That person who couldn’t help me.’ Everyone goes above and beyond to make those connections and referrals and do deals with each other because we have such a high level of trust with each other.

We’re also part of the larger CREW Network, which has about 12,000 members globally. So not only do you have access to all your AZCREW members, but you have access to global members as well. So there’s no question you could ask that someone wouldn’t be able to provide an answer for, find resources or have some expertise on. Our members have so many tools and resources at their fingertips. AZCREW is not just for the big companies either. Some members who work at smaller organizations that don’t have a broad reach are able to leverage our network and act like a big global company, when they’re really just a regional player.

AZRE: How has AZCREW engaged with it members during the pandemic?

LC: We’ve really been intentional in trying to create value for our members and figuring out what it is

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that they want this year. What do they want to see from us? We’ve also been hearing over and over again that they want connection — everyone is missing each other and missing that in-person connection.

It’s also a whole new world right now, in the industry it’s like, ‘what are people doing, what are best practices, how is this industry segment different now?’ I feel as though we were on pause a little bit last year, and now we’re getting a chance to get caught up and get excited again about what going on in the industry and new innovations. Our members were really quick to embrace Zoom programming and virtual events, so we had good success with it last year and will continue to host them for the first part of this year.

AZRE: AZCREW is well-known for the numerous networking events it offers to its members. What do you have planned for 2021?

LC: AZCREW is focusing on more in-person programming for the rest of the year. We’re going to have our industrial panel in May, so it will be our first opportunity to bring people together and allow networking. We also have our GolFiesta in May, which helps raise money for New Pathways for Youth, which is the charity that we’ve partnered with this year. That will be a good chance for everyone to get out and enjoy the weather; it also gives people another way to connect and share business and give referrals.

AZRE: What is AZCREW doing to identify the next generation of commercial real estate professionals and encourage their participation in the community?

LC: We have numerous opportunities for people to get exposed to the commercial real estate industry. We are working with CREW Network on doing a UCREW event, which is exposing mostly college-age women to the commercial real estate industry. There’s also CREW Careers, which is at the high school level; we hope to reschedule 2020 event for either this year or 2022. We also do a lot of professional development and leadership programs. For example, we host a larger in-person professional development event twice a year, and we bring in a speaker who talks about subjects such steps for furthering your career, understanding the different dynamics with what’s going on in the market or with your team, or how to become a leader.

An event such as that is easier for members to attend, but we also

encourage nonmembers to take part as well so that everyone is exposed to different opportunities and can meet a variety of people. We also have an intentional Board of Directors that ensures that, on the committee levels, new members have a voice in where the organization is going and what they want to see. Finally, we also set up different mentoring opportunities and, while they may not be formal mentoring, we’re encourage that conversation to happen from a senior level to a more junior level.

AZRE: Given the increased focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), how is AZCREW contributing to those efforts?

LC: “This has been part of CREW Network’s global focus for a long time. They’re a leading provider in research on gender and diversity in commercial real estate. Having access to that research is a huge benefit to our member. The 2020 CREW Network Benchmark Study: Gender and Diversity in Commercial Real Estate has easy, actionable recommendations that people can apply to both themselves and their organizations to create a more diverse community. We also have all sorts of tools that people can use to have the conversations within their own organizations so they can make sure that DEI is on the forefront of their discussions; and we have been invited to participate on panels and discussions because of our expertise level on this topic.

AZRE: As a long-time member and now president of the organization, what would you like AZCREW’s legacy to be in the community and in the industry?

LC: I would say the legacy in general is to elevate the industry as a whole as it relates to diversity — and especially gender diversity — and to accomplish our mission of advancing women in real estate. That’s really what we’re all working for at all times. Whether that’s helping create more opportunities for women to grow and succeed in their own organization, or start their own business if they’re entrepreneurial, our goal is to make commercial real estate a career option for young women coming into the industry. We want them to say, ‘I can see myself in that career because there are other people who have been there and done that and have made it a rewarding option for the younger generation.’

Our mission really explains everything — it’s basically transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing women globally. What that means to our members is that by being part of this organization, you’re also part of something much bigger than just yourself, and you’re banding together to make sure the tide rises for everyone.