2016 Women in Real Estate: Cynthia Wasserberger

Cynthia Wasserberger, JLL

Name: Cynthia Wasserberger

Title: Managing Director

Company Name: JLL

Email: [email protected]

Years in real estate: 20

Telephone: 212-812-5816

How did you get your start in real estate?

I was working for Cantor Fitzgerald in 1994 within a small group set up to help banks and financial institutions get non-performing loans off their books (in concert with the Resolution Trust Corporation, or RTC). I went back to school at night to study for my master’s degree in real estate finance at NYU. I found that I really enjoyed the more localized commercial real estate perspective. I interviewed at Colliers ABR in 1995 and ended up securing a position as an analyst before entering into a client-facing brokerage role within 18 months of being hired.

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of?

The Real Estate Board of New York, New York University Real Estate Alumni Association, The Doe Fund organization in New York. Recognized as a Woman of Valor by the Capuchin Food Pantry / St. Francis of Assisi.

What have been some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor?

I have been fortunate to mentor two young professional women while at JLL. The experience has been beneficial to me as it allows me to convey the knowledge and experience I have gleaned over the past two decades, and in return helps me to understand the business from the perspective of the Millennial generation. Truly guiding the careers of others fosters more teamwork, collaboration and an open-mindedness that exceeds the typical employer/employee relationship. Being a mentor is also personally rewarding.

What is the best advice you have received and who was it from?

A trusted colleague once told me that he lived his life by the principle of “wanting what you have” as opposed to “having what you want.” The important distinction being that we can go through life and a career feeling unsatisfied, until we learn to appreciate what we have achieved and earned through hard work.