Emily Jones has been a commercial real estate specialist at Addison Commercial Real Estate since July.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
She specializes in office and retail, but she has been doing a little bit of everything to get her feet wet and learn the business. She also has done land, retail and flex-space. “I haven’t turned down a thing. I’m trying to get a variety because working a land deal is totally different than working an office deal. I am just trying to absorb as much as I can.”
BEFORE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE?
She has a background in teaching and Christian education. She taught third grade for one year. Her husband, Mark, went to the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., so they moved there and she was a library assistant and Christian education consultant at the Center for the Ministry of Teaching, a Christian education library, for the past three years.
COLLEGE
She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Florida State University.
WHY DID THEY MOVE TO JACKSONVILLE?
Her husband got a job here as an assistant rector at the Episcopal Church of our Saviour in Mandarin.
HOW DID SHE GET THE JOB AT ADDISON COMMERICAL?
“I had a friend who was in my husband’s class in seminary and they said if we end up moving to Jacksonville that they had a very good friend who is in real estate and that he would lead me in the right direction. Nine months later, we found out that we were moving to Jacksonville.” She caught back up with those friends and they introduced her to Duke Addison, owner of Addison Commercial Real Estate. “It turns out in the larger scheme of things that Duke was a member of our church.”
WHY GET INTO COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE?
“The last couple of years, I took some time to figure out what I wanted to do in my career and I’ve always been interested in commercial real estate. I just decided that this is what I wanted to do. A door opened with Duke and when a door opens I walk through it. Also, the flexibility since my husband does work on Saturday and Sundays, I have to be available for him. Residential works on the weekends and we do not unless it is crucial. I really like the flexibility and the earning potential.”
AREA SHE WORKS?
All over Jacksonville.
HOW’S IT
GOING SO FAR?
“Duke Addison is a wonderful person. He has taken me in and helped me. It has been an awesome couple of months. There is a lot of energy in commercial real estate. Every day there is potential, the sky’s kind of the limit and that’s encouraging.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
“I love working with all different kinds of people.” She has worked with small businesses, people moving businesses into Jacksonville, people starting new businesses, companies opening a second store or expanding into a bigger space and companies that have been leasing, but now want to buy.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE?
“There is a lot of business right now. I’m doing a lot on the Southside, Mandarin and some downtown. I kind of have my hand in a little bit of everything. Anything that comes along, I am just running with it. Everyone in this office is kind of mentoring me so anything that comes along, I just take it and go with it. There is a lot of expansion and new businesses moving in.”
FAVORITE THING ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“The people. I love working with all different kinds of people and helping them find what they need.”
MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“I think the most challenging thing is having patience. It’s hard not getting too excited or too down, just trying to keep balanced because there is a lot of waiting. You see things but you don’t want to get too excited because it may not come to what you think it is.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
She has attended the Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville meetings and is a member of the South Council of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
LESSONS LEARNED?
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. This business is feast or famine, so you have to keep it all in perspective. I remind myself daily that it works it works if it doesn’t then it doesn’t.”
HOMETOWN?
Lake Placid, Fla.
MOVED TO JACKSONVILLE?
June 2003.
RESIDES
San Marco.
FAMILY
She has been married to Mark for 3 1/2 years.
WHAT DOES SHE LIKE TO DO WHEN NOT WORKING?
Shopping, spending time with family and friends, going to the beach and walking her greyhound, Lady.
FAVORITES
A movie she saw recently and would recommend is “Seabiscuit.” When relaxing at home she enjoys tuning into “7th Heaven”, “Alias” and “Friends.” A book she read recently and would recommend is “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant. When dining out she doesn’t have a favorite, she loves all the restaurants in Jacksonville. When traveling, she enjoys visiting beaches.
— by Michele Newbern Gillis