Meet the Affiliate CIREB Member: Christie Ellis, President at Company Cost Segregation Advisors, LLC 

Location: Malden Bridge, NY 

Place of Birth and Year: Atlanta, GA, 1978

Family: my husband Tom, 2 havanese dogs, 1 standard poodle and thousands of honeybees!

College: University of the South, Oxford University, Georgia Southwestern University

First Job Unrelated to your current field: I was a bus girl in a fried catfish restaurant where patrons could smoke. I smelled great after a shift.

First Job in current field: CRESA Partners, Consultant to the National Organization – this was my first commercial real estate consulting role. I had the pleasure of working mainly with the New York City, Boston, DC, Denver and Atlanta offices, but helped other offices as well.

What does your firm does now and its plans for the future?:We help owners of commercial property and of tenant improvements save money on their income taxes. Typically 3-8% of the value of the property. We work for free unless we find a benefit, so everybody wins! We work with accountants in a complimentary, not a competitive manner. We work with commercial brokers, lenders, architects, general contractors and others to help them win bids for projects with the property owners. We have doubled our size each year for the last three years. 2018 is already three times the revenue of our entire 2017 year and we haven’t even reached the end of February. Having experienced the challenges of rapid growth in other firms I have grown, managing growth strategically is our biggest priority. 

Hobbies: I keep honeybees. I have a dinner once a month for women professionals in the Capital Region at my home, I love live music, theater, and gardening.

Favorite Novel: “Watership Down”

Favorite Film: “Birth” by Jonathan Glazer

Keys to Success: Never hold anything against anyone. People change, let them. Hire people that might outgrow you. Be a part of their success and they will add to yours. Take all of the blame from, and give all of the credit to, your team.

Person(s) You Most Admire (outside of family): I most admire a few friends who have the patience and kindness I try to emulate.

If You Had To Choose a Different Profession, What Would It Be?:Well, I’m also a partner in a luxury catering company, The Swell Party, with my husband Tom, so if things don’t work out with Cost Segregation, I hope there will be a position as a line cook waiting for me!