Meet the Summer Interns Who Have Made Their Mark at CBRE

Question 2: What made you decide to join CBRE?

Anique: The company's reputation. CBRE is known for being a leader within the commercial real estate industry and I figured, “What better way to learn than to learn from the best?” I also have friends who have completed this program and have said nothing but amazing things about their experience.

Jeffery: As someone who was trying to break into the industry, I wanted to get exposure to as many different asset classes as possible and CBRE would give me the best opportunity to do that.

Lucy: I decided to join CBRE because of my desire to learn more about the real estate industry, along with my interest in finance. Additionally, the opportunity to work in a corporate environment and learn from highly experienced professionals was an opportunity that I had longed to have.

Mariya: I knew that CBRE was a global company and that they were the leader in commercial real estate, so I wanted to know what it would be like working for a company of that scale and reputation.

Michael: I decided to join CBRE this summer because of the continuous amount of exposure I had to the company. I had the opportunity my sophomore year to go to the New York office and was introduced to CBRE. Then during my junior year, the Atlanta CBRE office team came to my college. After hearing them speak about the company and CBRE’s culture, I was really intrigued about it, especially the entrepreneurial feel that they described.

Question 3: What was your perception of CBRE prior to joining? Now that you are here, what is the reality?

Anique: Prior to joining CBRE my perception of the company was that it was extremely large, but also filled with professionals who are extremely successful. Now, having been here, I can confidently say that both of those are true. I've had the chance to experience how hard-working everyone here is and how they hold themselves to such a high standard. I also can say their RISE values – Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence – are truly valued by everyone here, which has made CBRE a great place to learn, grow and thrive as a professional.

Jeffery: Although I knew CBRE was a massive company with offices around the globe, I can now say that I have a better grasp of the company’s global reach. It's amazing to see how each employee relies on geographically specific knowledge that only CBRE can provide.

Lucy: Prior to joining CBRE, I assumed that because of the corporate culture that everyone would work in a silo, but I've actually realized that the exact opposite is true. Each employee at CBRE has been eager to meet me and my fellow interns and chat with us about their own roles and career paths. I feel lucky to network with and meet and learn from such highly experienced real estate professionals.

Mariya: My perception of CBRE before I joined was that it was mainly a real estate-focused company and that there wasn't a huge focus on technology, but after joining I know that is not true. The global headquarters for technology is here in Richardson and here everyone works on different aspects of technology for different parts of the company, which is super cool to see.

Michael: My perception before joining CBRE was that it was a hardcore working environment, but after joining I see that is not the case. The people that work here are hardworking; however, it has been a warm welcoming environment where I've been able to go into business meetings and ask questions, respond and let my voice be heard.

Question 4: What projects have you worked on this summer?

Anique: The first project I worked on required me to perform a market audit of nearby competitor office buildings to then determine the performance of current tenants at my assigned building. The second one required me to perform lease abstraction to determine the possibility of future deals with certain requirements in place. And my final project involved going through the budgets of office buildings in the greater Los Angeles area and making sure that they fall in line with their projected budgets.

Jeffery: I worked on a handful of projects this summer, from developing my skills in PowerPoint and Excel by creating REIT reports, to creating teasers and assisting in the creation of offering memorandums. I've learned so much in such a short amount of time.

Lucy: This summer I worked on a couple of projects involving automating and forecasting pursuit costs and production stats for Trammell Crow Company. These projects required me to mainly work in Excel, and I’ve seen my Excel skills grow tremendously throughout my internship.

Mariya: This summer I worked on two projects: the first was a self-service platform where our clients can log in and request several documents such as SoC reports, our current policies and procedures, disaster recovery documents, etc; and the second [one] was an automation process to help match clients.

Michael: This summer I worked on a parking survey, curating different parking information for specific office building locations. I also had a final intern project with my team members where we were tasked with relocating a Chicago-based financial firm to Atlanta, choosing which building and what submarket would be best for the relocation.

Question 5: What has been the best part of your summer internship experience?

Anique: The best part would have to be getting the opportunity to have hands-on experience within the commercial real estate industry. Through this opportunity, I have been able to officially confirm that pursuing a career in commercial real estate is what I want to do going forward.

It has also been truly invaluable to be in an environment where professionals are genuinely eager and excited to meet the interns and help with their development and growth. Throughout this process, I have now created a network of CBRE professionals that I can continue to learn from going forward.

Jeffery: The best part about my summer internship experience has been the opportunity to connect with so many different senior level employees. Connecting with these industry professionals has been crucial for my development. From learning about their different specialties to hearing about why they love working at CBRE, it has been an absolute honor speaking with them over lunch or coffee.

Lucy: The best part of my internship has been the speakers that the People team has lined up for us! Making connections and learning from highly experienced professionals throughout all segments of CBRE has definitely been one of the most valuable parts of my internship.