In an era where industries are consistently evolving by means of technology and for greater efficiency, individual agents within the commercial real estate industry are striving to parallel that growth.
The Building Owners and Managers Association, otherwise known as BOMA, provides a platform for commercial real estate agents and vendors to network and grow their capacity to do business.
Jessica Allen is a property manager at Lincoln Property Company and is also on the board of directors for BOMA.
“In 2018 I was the vice chair for the Young Professionals Committee, and then I was just voted as the main chair for 2019,” Allen said.
Allen said that she has been with BOMA for over two years, and she has been in the industry for five.
“Just being in BOMA itself, I’ve seen a lot more growth [and have] obviously networked huge,” Allen said. “You get out of it what you put into it.”
Allen encourages others to become invested in the association in order to make their time worthwhile.
“Are you going to the lunches? Are you going to the events? Are you a part of the committees?” Allen said. “It’s not going to come at you. You have to make an effort, and once you do, you see the value in it.”
Several of BOMA’s philanthropy events consist of Second Chance Saturday, Strutt your Mutt, Operation Gratitude and Hospice Care. Members of the association have the opportunity to make an impact on multiple communities by providing food and haircuts for the homeless, raising money for homeless pets, sending care packages to troops overseas and reading to individuals in hospice care.
“It’s nice that BOMA is another platform where you can do community impact and really make a difference for the homeless or Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” Allen said. “The networking events are fun because it’s nice to be able to have a group of people that’s still business professional, but you’re able to have some type of fun at your job with other growing professionals.”
Allen said that BOMA is attempting to “spread love” and “kindness” throughout the community by getting “as many people” involved in order to “make a difference in this world.”
She also outlined the opportunities for growth that BOMA will see next year.
Allen said that the Young Professionals Group, or YPG, implemented a 3M Mentor Program in 2018 where managers, engineers and vendors would attend the monthly committee meetings and “speak for 15 minutes.” These mentors provide guidance for young professionals in the industry, advising the committee members of techniques to adopt, such as effective communication and organizational skills.
“This program provides an opportunity for newer [commercial real estate] professionals to gain a competitive edge in the industry through conversations with mentors that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to meet,” Allen said. “We will continue this is 2019.”
Along with the 3M Mentor Program, the association plans to do more building tours and networking events.
“Our goal in 2019 is to create original concepts that benefit both sides of the business,” Allen said. “This will be achieved through quarterly events that appeal to professionals of all levels in the commercial real estate community. 2019 will be the era of experiences in BOMA Phoenix. Our slogan for YPG is ‘Be the Change.’”
