Megan Vershave has been a commercial sales associate with NAI Hallmark Partners for only a few months, but she's been in the commercial realm since college, doing property management at One Atlantic Center for Hines in Atlanta for two years.
Her history?
She has lived in four states in five years. She grew up in North Carolina and went to college there. Out of college she became a site designer. When the economy tanked, she decided to go back to school and get a master's degree at Clemson University in South Carolina. After school, Hines recruited her to do property management in Atlanta. She moved to Jacksonville three months ago to work for NAI Hallmark.
College?
Vershave graduated from North Carolina State with a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture. She also has a master's degree in real estate development from Clemson.
Specialty?
Retail and office leasing and sales.
Why go into commercial real estate?
"It's something I've wanted to get into because it is dynamic. It's market driven and transactional. You are kind of at the pulse of the market when you do transactions."
What happened to landscape architecture?
Vershave said in landscape design today, you rarely get to make creative decisions. "I loved it, but it wasn't like school. I was putting lines into a computer program."
Woman in a man's world?
Vershave said she feels so comfortable with the men in her company. "They are progressive in their thinking and feel there is a need for more women commercial sales associates in Jacksonville."
Why focus on retail and office?
"I think office space is sexy and I know it well. Retail is exciting."
What do YOU like about commercial real estate?
Vershave likes the structure and autonomy of leasing and sales. "It's the challenge of making yourself productive each and every day because your living situation depends on it."
Most challenging aspect of commercial real estate?
"It can be extremely challenging and frustrating when factors that are outside of your control can suspend or kill a deal. It's a broad statement but can be applied to numerous situations and I'm sure every real estate professional has experienced this one time or another."
Mentor?
Vershave said she has a bunch of them. "Everyone helps. It's a very team-oriented group of people." She said that is interesting to her, because usually in brokerage houses, it's very competitive among the team, but not at NAI. "It's very collaborative here."
Previous experience help?
Vershave said working with Hines was like military boot camp for property management. "You knew everything." At Hines, she did management of construction build-outs, budgets, operating expenses, service vendor management, safety and mechanics of how a building works. "I know a lot more about the mechanics, operations and construction of an office building than I did two years ago."
How's the market?
Vershave said with the steady job growth and economic job growth in Jacksonville, she is very optimistic for 2014. She said vacancy rates are dropping slowly and rental rates are keeping up with inflation.
Toolbox?
Vershave said since she moved here, she has been building her toolbox, which includes the people she wants to work with and people she needs to know. She's been networking a lot and learning the market and the players. "Moving to a new city and doing leasing isn't easy because you don't have your book of business yet, but I'm working towards it."
Best professional advice received?
She said if you don't know something it is OK to admit it as long as you do your research and find out the answer.
Advice for new commercial sales associate?
"Get out there and meet people and join as many organizations as you can."
Something no one knows about you?
Vershave is very good at playing Mario Kart and Mario Bros. on Super Nintendo. "No one has ever beaten me on Mario Kart."
Professional associations
Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties of Jacksonville, Impact Jax, the young professionals program of JAX Chamber and the JAX Chamber's Professional Women's Council.
Resides
She lives in Intracoastal West with her fiancé, Randall Shulin, vice president of Renters Reference Services. They have two cats, Guinness and Boddington.
– by Michele Gillis