Elie Feierstein | Development Analyst, Shindico Realty Inc.
How did you find your way into the commercial real estate industry?
I always was interested in construction from a young age. I reached out to Shindico when I returned to Winnipeg from Western University after completing my business degree and inquired about job opportunities. They met with me but also connected me with other real estate firms in the city and suggested I speak to them as they did not have an opening. I kept in touch with Shindico as I knew I wanted to work there and indicated that I would take whatever job they had. Shindico ultimately ended up hiring me into their sister company, SNR Construction, in an accounts payable capacity to start.
After a few months of accounts payable, I was transitioned to project coordinator / site coordinator for an 84,000 square foot Class A industrial building at 480 De Baets. Shortly after that, I was pulled out of SNR Construction and put into Shindico to assist with development projects and property management. Development at Shindico is very different and really takes an operational lens, and I am looking forward to continuing to build my property management skills so that I can be as effective as possible in my role.
What made you get involved with the BOMA Young Professionals (BYP) group?
I started at Shindico right out of University. Since I didn’t attend University in Manitoba, I didn’t have many connections in the industry. Alex (Akman) my boss and mentor, suggested I join the BYP group and board to broaden my network and get connected to others in the industry. I have been able to meet a lot of great people throughout my time at Shindico, whether they be trades, other vendors, tenants, or consultants.
Being willing to listen to others and communicate shared experiences in the industry is so important to someone like me who is just starting out.
What’s one habit that’s helped your career the most?
One habit I’ve really been working on is dedication to the job but more importantly caring about everything you do. Making sure that anything and everything that has my name on it is handled with respect, detail and care. We often say at the office that the two most important things in our business are “trying” and “caring”.
What’s a misconception people have about your role?
A misconception many people have with real estate development is what the job entails. It isn’t a lot of ribbon cuttings or fancy dinners, rather it is a lot of hurdles and small details. What may seem like a simple task, such as putting together drawings for a building, requires many other steps from many other people. There is a lot of following up with those people to hit the deadlines and it can be a slow process that requires a lot of attention and timeline work to keep the projects on schedule and on budget. With rising costs, we are finding that we must do more ourselves in terms of direct procurement to be able to deliver the quality of building we want to, at a price that is financially feasible.
Is there something you admire in senior professionals that you’re trying to adopt early in your own career?
Organization. Organization is extremely important when you have multiple projects on the go with multiple task lists and due dates. I like to have a sticky note on my computer everyday with the top priority tasks to be completed by the end of the day. Each morning I review the task list and make a new sticky note.
What makes someone memorable to you?
What makes someone memorable to me is their willingness to be open and communicative. Being willing to listen to others and communicate shared experiences in the industry is so important to someone like me who is just starting out. Sharing the positives and negatives about their role and the workplace is a personality trait I respect and admire.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Get twenty years of experience in ten years by working twice as many hours a week as is typical.
What piece of advice would you give to a fresh graduate going into development?
Ask as many questions as you can, learn as much as you can and write everything down. Look at buildings around and learn what
works well and doesn’t. Be aware of your surroundings even when you’re not working. Further, it is important to have a skill to bring to the table. For me, that was construction as all my summer jobs were on the tools with a team of carpenters. Construction has been my passion from a young age and I have studied it, so I am able to add value to conversations with owners and with consultants, holding the line where necessary. Other skills sets could be related to operations (property management) or brokerage (deal generation).