Career Development in Commercial Real Estate

Executive Search and Human Resources Consulting

Presented by Gavin Ryan I Managing Partner

Taylor Ryan

Andrea VandenEnden I Senior ManagerKPMG

Guest SpeakerLorne Burns I Partner

KPMG

PresentersGavin Ryan I PartnerGavin is a Founding Partner with Taylor Ryan Executive Search Partners. Taylor Ryan is a platinum sponsor of NAIOP and ULI in BC and operates across Canada from the head office in Vancouver, BC. Taylor Ryan specializes in recruitment and HR management services for companies within the real estate industry. Typical areas of recruitment include asset management, property and leasing, construction and development, finance and accounting, sales and marketing.

Andrea VandenEnden I Senior ManagerAndrea is Senior Manager of Sales Enablement with KPMG. Andrea has an extensive background in human resources, recruiting, and leadership and development at KPMG.As a Canadian Chartered Accountant, Andrea has been able to leverage her working knowledge of the accounting industry and firm dynamics to establish a career in HR Project Management at KPMG. She looks forward to continuing her career with an increasing focus on recruitment, and retention of top talent.

Lorne Burns I Partner – Leader of KPMG’s National Real Estate PracticeLorne is an Audit Partner with 30 years of experience with KPMG. He was appointed National Industry Leader, Real Estate in March 2011. For 11 years he was the Partner-in-Charge of KPMG’s Greater Toronto Area Audit practice before returning to Vancouver as audit partner for the Greater Vancouver Area’s Real Estate Practice. Lorne has decades of experience auditing real estate clients across Canada; resulting in extensive knowledge of national and local real estate trends across Canada.

Introduction

• Career Management Experiences from Lorne Burns• Career Planning• Managing Networks and Relationships• The Employers Perspective• Timing• Interviewing • Continued Professional Development

Discussion With Lorne Burns

• Tell us about your career and background perhaps illustrating the number of people that have worked for you and gone onto to roles with other companies in the real estate industry)

• What lessons did you learn as you progressed through your own career and what mistakes did you learn from (or have you commonly seen made by others)

• When you’re hiring people; or promoting people – what do you look for in people

• What advice would you offer young professionals in managing the relationship with their current employer ad also in how best to advance their career?

• Personal plans vary greatly• Goals vary with time

• 5 years• 2 years• 1 year

• What skills can you capitalize on?

• What do you need to develop – be honest!• What are you going to do

about it?• Seek advice and consider it

Career Planning

Networking• Vancouver is small• Be proactive in building your

network• Volunteer at events• Be active in your

community• Don’t talk to people you

know!• Respect people’s time

• Don’t overlook how it builds naturally – and don’t rush it

• Leverage your network – when you need it – and be grateful

Employers Perspective

• Negatives:

• Often finding employees to be impatient and too eager to jump roles

• Thinking too much about themselves, and not enough about their

contribution to the team or business

• Entitlement is the biggest complaint

• Find employees jump from job to job without consolidating their

knowledge

• Looking for:

• Comittment, loyalty and hard work; prove yourself and be a team player

• Be patient – communicate with your manager, volunteer for extra

responsibility vs just asking for a promotion

Timing

• When to stay, for how long and when to leave?

• Important not too be too impatient

• Consolidate your knowledge in a role to create a strong foundation

• Have a development plan to ensure you continue to learn

• Some of the most sucessful senior executives have better tenure in

their roles, resulting in a stronger capability

• 2-4 years is a typical time frame to spend in a role

• Greater than 5 years in the same role may be detrimental

• Greater than 10 years in the same company – could be time to see a

new business culture

InterviewsCandidates:

• Familiarise yourself with the company and interviewers background – history,

news, projects. Illustrate the research youve done during the interview

• Be fluent in describing your own experience – including key achivements with

examples

• Know the role requirement before the interview so that you can tailor your

discussion to highlight the right strengths

• The interviewer is looking for a combination of experince and ‘fit’. How you

communicate is as important as the content.

• Allow your personality to come across and find a connection

• Dont make assumptions about the interviers prior knowedge of your role –

explain your expreince thoroughly

• Be honest – if the fit isnt right, you’ll be looking for a new job pretty quickly

Interviews – Do’s and Don’ts

• Do arrive 5-10 minutes early• Dress up – clean shaven, clean

shoes, suit, ironed shirt• Do have a firm hand shake;

good eye contact; energetic posture and smile!

• Do have a sense of humour and be engaging

• Do get a glass of water – you’ll be talking a lot

• Enjoy the meeting• Do write a brief thank you

email and do call your recruitment consultant if relevant

• Don’t arrive 20 min early or be late!

• Don’t wear perfume; too much make up; too much jewelry or wear in appropriate attire

• Don’t fidget; be distracted or, slouch

• Don’t leave your phone on• Don’t be overly familiar• Don’t accept coffee or tea –

spilling it is disastrous• Don’t send long winded email’s

to the interviewer

Professional & Personal Development

• Join/Volunteer with relevant organizations• NAIOP• UDI• ULI• BOMA

• Attend events• Become active on Community

Boards• Set goals – and activities to get

there• Evaluate where you – and where

you are need to be• Find a mentor – and leverage

them respectfully

Summary and Conclusions

• Know the value of relationships • Take a long term approach to your career• Be proactive• Be patient

Questions?