Sarena Ehrlich
Managing Director
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Professional Experience
Associated Office
Sarena Ehrlich is the National Head of Workplace Strategy & Experience in CBRE’s Americas Consulting practice; she is based in New York. In her advisory capacity, she works at the intersection of real estate strategy and human behavior, creating structure and opportunity out of ambiguity. Sarena's experience spans across industries from financial services to luxury retail and is driven by behavioral economics/decision making.
Prior to CBRE, Sarena worked in property development, where she held roles both in design management and commercial acquisition. In the former, Sarena managed the design of two iconic transport hubs across the Middle East, one by Zaha Hadid Architects and the other by Foster + Partners. Her work in identifying commercial acquisitions, focused primarily across Greater China and the Pearl River Delta.
Sarena’s experience in real estate spans five continents and fourteen years.
Originally trained as an architect, she started her career at KPF and OMA, designing commercial buildings and skyscrapers, including one the world’s top ten tallest towers.
Sarena holds an Executive degree in Behavioral Economics from The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. She has an MBA from INSEAD and a BSc in Architecture from Northeastern University.
Education
- Master of Business Administration from INSEAD, France & Singapore
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Northeastern University, USA
- Degree in Language – Mandarin from Nanjing Normal University, China
- Certificate in Behavioral Economics from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, USA
Pro Affiliations / Accreditations
- Urban Land Institute
- UK CSCS Construction Site Academically Qualified Persons
Clients Represented
- Blackstone
- Christie’s
- Confidential Global Bank
- Confidential Luxury Retail
- Confidential Media Company
- Duff & Phelps
- IPG
- MetLife
- NBA
- St. Jude Children’s Hospital
- Toyota Tsusho
Our Insights
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Discover how data, technology and AI optimize workplaces. Learn strategies for enhancing employee experience and improving space utilization.
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Article | Adaptive Spaces
Business Insights | Luxury Retail Is Getting Smarter With Data
April 24, 2025
Luxury goods companies in North America, whether individual brands or conglomerates, have historically made decisions driven by creative priorities.
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Viewpoint | Creating Resilience
Business Insights | How AI Is Advancing Decision-Making In Corporate Real Estate
January 29, 2025
AI is transforming corporate real estate by enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency across markets, portfolios and individual properties.
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As hybrid work now prevails, the office competes for use among employees who have greater choice in determining where they work.