What sparked your interest in this field?
Will Stephenson '95 is the Director of Asset Management at Strata Equity Group (Commercial Real Estate)
I wanted a position that would allow me to use my finance and entrepreneurship education. I liked working with numbers on spreadsheets, but I also wanted to be able to see and touch the assets I was analyzing. For me, commercial real estate was the perfect choice.
How did Bishop’s lay the groundwork for your current career?
Bishop's helped me to become organized and analytical, which are important in the commercial real estate industry.
What skills are most essential to be successful in your job?
The asset manager role involves overseeing the ownership of real estate. To succeed, you need to be able to work well with a team of property managers, accountants, consultants, contractors, owners/partners, etc. A successful asset manager should be an expert in reviewing financials and have a basic knowledge of business principles, legal principles that pertain to real estate, and building systems. And you must not be afraid to ask questions and accept answers that may contradict your hypothesis.
Can you share a highlight of your career?
About six years into my real estate career, the company I worked for purchased a partially completed mixed use (retail, office, apartment) property in Oceanside. I was allowed to work with our development group to complete construction. I then worked to set up an HOA to manage our interest, as well as that of the other owner of the property. Later, when it became time to sell the asset, I was the expert regarding the property, which resulted in the CEO and CFO asking my advice, rather than telling me what to do.
