Sales & Leasing Director - Baxter Town Center, Clear Springs Development
What’s your role at Baxter-Clear Springs, including title?
I oversee all the marketing/advertising for Baxter Village - which is basically everything you see our name on – print media, billboards, websites, signs, press releases, collateral materials etc. I also handle all the commercial marketing, leasing and sales for Baxter Town Center as well as several other retail centers in Fort Mill for our sister company – Springland & Associates.
How did you get into your career field and how long have you been in it?
I started with David Weekley Homes right out of college as a Marketing Coordinator in their corporate office in Houston, Texas. Shorty after, David Weekley was chosen to participate in Celebration, Florida; Disney’s iconic mixed-use traditional Town.
As a result, Weekley expanded operations to several east coast markets including Charlotte, Raleigh, Tampa, Orlando and Charleston.
I was promoted to oversee all the marketing efforts in these markets, including our role in Celebration.
After several years of constant travel from Houston, I decided to move closer to my territory. The Carolinas were by far my favorite, so I packed up and moved.
Then as luck would have it, I learned about the Clear Springs Plan, and the Close Family vision of blending progress and preservation, and their desire to develop their land responsibly; starting with commercial and industrial development to provide the tax base and job growth needed to create traditional mixed-use villages. I was so fortunate to join the Clear Springs team at the planning stage. Now, its 12 years later, and I am so proud to be part of the creation of Baxter Village!
What are a couple challenges you’ve been faced with?
The recession, the recession and the recession! Even though it’s been a challenge for new home sales, we have fared much better than arguably any other neighborhood in the region. I attribute that to our proven success. We’ve also been extremely fortunate to retain the majority of our Baxter Town Center tenants. Of our 420,000 + square feet of commercial/civic space, we’ve stayed right at 86% leased.
What would you recommend to other women who desire to get into your line of work?
Commercial Brokerage can be very intimidating because it’s still a ‘man’s’ world. But the women I know in the industry are power houses. They remind me that the challenge is achievable, and they inspire me break the old school barriers. I would encourage any woman interested in commercial real estate to jump right in!
What kind of things do you enjoy doing to rejuvenate after a long day or long week?
I read every night before bed. I love to get lost in a good book to take my mind off all the stresses. It’s even better on the beach! want my schedule outside of work to be filled with a lot of excitement, since it’s my time to relax and recuperate, or should I say rejuvenate!