2021 Women in Professional Services: Shallini Mehra, Meridian Investment Sales

Name: Shallini Mehra

Title: Managing Director

Company Name: Meridian Investment Sales

Real estate associations or organizations that you are currently a member of:
YMWREA, REBNY, CHIP

Why should women consider a career in commercial real estate and related services?
Real estate can offer a dynamic life-long career. It sounds so basic, but we all need a roof over our heads, a place to conduct business, and places to congregate for food and recreation (in a post-COVID world). Hence, real estate is here to stay. The industry will always have to adapt and evolve, be it the next iteration of retail, to the new relationships we have with office space and working remotely, to how hotels and industrial spaces adapt to changes in demand. The barriers to entry into real estate are low, and once you learn one part of the business, you can more easily learn the other facets and continue to expand your knowledge and capabilities. There are many different jobs to consider, including sales, leasing, financing, property management, acquisitions, etc. I say all of this with one caveat—you must be passionate about the industry to be successful.

What books or social media influencers would you recommend to other women?
I recently read “365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life” by John Kralik. We all hit roadblocks, either in our career or personal lives. When this happens, it’s so easy to focus on what’s going wrong. This book helped me appreciate the importance of living in the moment and recognizing all of the positive things that go on daily that we often take for granted, and subsequently giving recognition back to the people who are responsible for this. We often think we will be happy when we achieve X, Y, or Z. However, if we practice daily gratitude, our level of contentment will go up and the domino effect will positively impact all aspects of life, including work and client service.