2017 Women in Professional Services: Colleen Quinn of RM Friedland LLC                 

Name: Colleen Quinn

Title: Managing Director- Retail Division

Company Name: RM Friedland LLC 

Years in real estate: 25+

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of? International Council of Shopping Centers, CREW

How have you navigated obstacles to achieve success in your career? Positive thinking, relevant market knowledge, good mentors and a sense of humor have all been instrumental in helping me achieve success in my career. Keeping a positive attitude in the face of adversity is an important attribute in overcoming obstacles. Staying current on market activities, retail trends and staying ahead of the competition are also very important. I try not to take myself too seriously and to have a good sense of humor especially when the market is cycling downward. I think it is also critical to know to give yourself a break and accept failure as an opportunity to learn while also making sure you take time to celebrate your victories and the people that helped you get there.

How do you play your strengths to your advantage in your career? I think I have a good elevator speech and entertaining success stories. I spent most of my career working with national credit tenants on multistore expansion programs. When I’m working on a property, I want to know every detail about it to allow a tenant to quickly qualify the location. I am also a social person so I attend as many networking and educational events as time allows. No matter how far along I am in my career I aalso seek out new and relevant information. This year and last year I attended the ICSC Wharton program and gained valuable insight into current and future trends. When travelling, I visit the airport news stand and buy a magazine on architecture or electronics or science…something I’ve never read before - just to see what is happening in that world. 

What trends are you seeing so far this year? Retail is my specialty and I see a lot of changes, but not all of them are negative. Retail is now experiential…stores that require your presence are now in high demand be they medical, a salon, or a restaurant. The malls will reinvent themselves with mixed use residential projects. We are under demolished, so demolition of empty big boxes will bring new and inviting projects. In the next 10 years, many believe we will be using driverless vehicles which will lead to less demand for onsite parking and will change the design and configuration of retail and mixed use properties.

What do you do for fun? I love being active. I love outdoor activities like biking and hiking as well as indoor activities like spin and boot camp classes. I am also an old Movie buff – I love TCM.