People Who Perform - The Real Estate Careers Podcast HighView Partners

Richard Costello connects with Jennica Palecek.

An industry rising star, Jennica is a Commercial Real Estate Advisor at Colliers Vancouver, specializing in office leasing.  A graduate of the Beedie school of business, Jennica has a double major in business and economics and prior to starting her brokerage career, completed internships in finance and held roles in retail banking and property management.  

With a passion for advancing diversity, Jennica is actively involved in Colliers North America Women’s Council and serves on the boards for the Canadian Mental Health Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters.    

 In this conversation, we’ll learn more about:


What it means to be a commercial real estate brokerThe two main types of commercial leasesThe value that a broker can bring to a businessHow brokers are compensatedJennica’s pathway into brokerage and how Colliers sets new recruits up for successThe benefits of working for a globally recognized businessBuilding a personal brand Pulse check on the current state of the office market in VancouverGiving back to the community and volunteering as a board member.  What’s involved in this commitment and how might somebody go about doing something similar 

Richard Costello connects with Cindy MacMillan.
 
Cindy MacMillan is currently VP Investments at Grosvenor in Vancouver, responsible for leading the groups transit-oriented development sites delivering 3 million square feet of mixed-use multi-family rental & commercial property in Metro Vancouver. Cindy has close to two decades of commercial real estate experience with a strong background in finance, leasing and asset management. Passionate about advancing women in business, Cindy is Past President of CREW Vancouver and was recently awarded the prestigious Woman of Influence award, furthermore, Cindy has been appointed Crew Network President Elect for 2024.  

 In this conversation we’ll learn more about: 


Cindy’s background, first job and why real estate?From corporate accounting to asset management – how Cindy’s career has evolvedCindy’s current role at GrosvenorNavigating market challenges from high costs to AIHow being part of the CREW network has contributed to Cindy’s professional growth and developmentCindy’s role as President Elect of the CREW network in 2024 and President in 2025.  What does this mean?How the network continues to evolveBenefits of effective mentorship for the mentee and the mentorCrucial skills that young professionals should focus on developing to succeed in today's competitive business environmentHow to approach failures or setbacks in your careersCindy's passions outside of work

Richard Costello connects with David Basche.

David Basche is the President of Astria Properties in Langley, BC and is focused on the strategic growth of the business and oversees the company’s day to day operations.  Prior to Astria, David spent a decade specializing in development and acquisitions for one of Vancouver’s leading real estate developers, Bosa Properties. 
In this conversation we’ll learn more about: 


David’s background (including his move from Germany to Vancouver Island and his education in BC)How his career evolved at Bosa PropertiesHow real estate became his passionReflections on working in acquisitions in a hot marketMotivations for starting a business and reflections on how this new chapter is going so farWe’ll learn more about Astria and David’s thoughts on the market and opportunities aheadDavid’s advice for aspiring real estate (acquisitions) professionalsHow David spends his time and energy outside of the office

James Ashley connects with Jeff Ranson.

With a focus on market transformation in the building industry, Jeff has worked for a number of leading organizations over the past 15 years. This includes the Canada Green Building Council, Building Owners and Managers Association of Toronto, and now Northcrest Developments.
Jeff has also participated in a number of public advisory roles -  including the Waterfront design review panel and the City of Toronto climate advisory group. His career has included inter-governmental work, at the national to provincial to municipal level, and more recently on a hyper-local level leading sustainability and responsible development for one of the largest master planned communities in North America.
 In this episode we discuss;
The importance of carbon planning and net zeroUtility innovation, placemaking and affordabilityFinancial implications of ESGHow sustainability has evolvedHow we go about setting and achieving net zero goalsCharacteristics of companies leading the wayWhats next?And much more...

Nicola Denning-Millar connects with Heather Tremain.


Heather is a city builder with a passion for social purpose real estate and sustainable development. Since joining Options for Homes, Heather has been a champion of affordable homeownership and has helped achieve change to both public policy and funding in support of this segment of the housing spectrum. Prior to her role as CEO, she founded and led a strategic real estate and development consultancy to non-profits, and was the co-founder and CEO of a Vancouver-based green building consulting and development company.  

Heather is active engaged in other housing activities including co-founding Circle Community LandTrust that now owns and manages over 600 units of rent geared to income homes across Toronto. She also is a board member of Nch’Kay Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Squamish Nation.


In this episode, we...


Find out about Heathers journey into Real Estate development and what inspire the route into the non-profit sectorHighlight the advantages and challenges of the non- profit worldLook at the role that Architecture & Design plays in creating quality affordable housing and a sense of community and connectednessDiscuss the increasing popularity and demand of proportional home ownershipShare ideas on how to overcome the challenges of providing attainable housingLook at the positive impact of securing attainable housing on the emotional, physical and financial well being of homeownersSee how affordable housing intersects with sustainability and environmental considerationsDiscover insights into the role of advocacy and policy work in advancing the goals of affordable housing developments

Richard Costello connects with Claudia Leung.

Claudia is currently a Manager, Real Estate with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and has over 19 years of progressive experience in both institutional and entrepreneurial settings.  Her diverse background includes roles in property management, leasing, asset management and investments across a myriad of asset types from retail, office, hospitality, industrial, and senior’s housing.   

 In the first half of this episode we hear about Claudia’s career journey including:
What life was like growing up, early influencesWhat factors Claudia considered when making a change in her careerThe most important career risks Claudia has takenThe path from manager to leader Proudest career moment so far

In the second half we learn more about life at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority including:
 What lands/waters are covered by the Port AuthorityThe importance of the ports in our daily livesChallenges facing the region due to a lack of industrial landWhat the real estate team looks like at the portMost enjoyable aspect of the jobWhy the port is a great place to work