"How would you feel about being called Peaches? That's what Mary Ann Tighe asked MaryAnne Gilmartin after brokering Forest City Ratner's deal to develop The New York Times headquarters in 2000. The idea came mid-pitch, after Tighe realized Gilmartin's firm would get the job, meaning two women with the same name (different spellings) would be leading the project. I said to the assembled group, Oh no, we'll have two Mary Anns,' Tighe recalled at a recent Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network event."
"She began managing complex projects, like negotiating with an 82-year-old squatter with four pit bulls and a shotgun over a site where the city wanted to build a police department tow pound. I solved his problem and I said to myself, if this is what real estate is about, it's about human relationships and connection, and I thought, this is sort of fun,' Gilmartin said."
"Both stumbled into the industry by chance, yet each carved a path to the top in a field dominated by men. Tighe was 34 and had a glamorous job in television when she first heard the term commercial real estate.' She experienced a hard landing in brokerage, but with the guidance of mentors who showed her how to navigate the predominantly male environment, she began to rise. Her ascent never stopped."
Two women named Mary Ann reached top roles in commercial real estate despite the field being dominated by men. One proposed a playful solution to sharing a name during a pitch for the New York Times headquarters. Both entered the industry by chance and developed successful careers through mentorship, hard work, and skill. One transitioned from a glamorous television job and overcame a difficult start in brokerage with mentor guidance. The other found real estate appealing after managing complex urban projects and resolving intense negotiations, which revealed the relational side of the work. Their connection led to partnership and long-term friendship.
Read at therealdeal.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]