Sacramento Business Journal: This Rookie is making a name of her own

Spotlight Interview found here:

When the Association for Commercial Real Estate honored Micki Strain as Rookie of the Year earlier this month, the loudest cheer might have come from her dad, Chris Strain, an executive director of Cushman & Wakefield. Both represent tenants in commercial real estate deals. As evidenced by the award, though, the younger Strain is making a name of her own.

When growing up, what was your perception of commercial real estate as a profession?

“I grew up listening to the trials and tribulations of the business. I also realized my dad’s on the phone a lot; he’s getting calls at night, first thing in the morning. It always interested me because it’s a people business. You might think it’s a transaction business, but it’s really a people connection that makes that happen. (I) like working with people; I think it was a natural fit for me.”

How did you end up back in Sacramento?

“The real hero in my family was my mom, who was a practicing attorney and a working mom. ...I realized I wasn’t going to law school, and I didn’t want a job where I was stuck behind a desk all day. I got out of school in 2012, and that was not a good time to be in real estate. But I knew after I graduated, I wanted to be back in Sacramento to be close to my family. And I’m also really passionate about it as a place.”

Did your last name open any doors?

“It might have helped, but I started with a company, selling payroll (services) door to door. No one knew my name there. I was building my resume the second I got out of school, and I really learned about business development, which led into working in commercial real estate. And obviously my partners at JLL helped me a lot, too.”

What has your first year in commercial real estate been like?

“It’s been exciting, and it’s been challenging. No two days are the same, as anyone in this business would tell you. The best advice I got was from my father, and it was really simple: ‘Always make your goals.’ You learn a lot from any deal, and what I’ve learned the most is to listen to the client, be curious and develop a relationship. You can really learn a lot about the market that way. It will make your job 10 times easier.”

What are you looking forward to?

“I’m excited to see Sacramento make its mark and continue to grow. What’s exciting is to see so many people downtown, and that’s different from even two years ago. I think you’ll see a lot of millennials look at Sacramento because of what we have, and you can buy a home here. You can’t do that as easily in the Bay Area.”

What went through your mind when you won Rookie of the Year?

“First, that I wished I could see my dad’s face. I went to the Broker of the Year Awards so many years, and I know at the end of the day, it’s not the definition of success. But it did validate all the hard work I’d done. It was a special moment for me, and my family, and it told me I made the right choice in moving back to Sacramento."

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Micki Strain

Senior associate, JLL Sacramento

Age: 26

Education: B.A. in business communications, Arizona State University

Career: Worked in payroll sales for ADP, 2012-2013; sales executive with Costar, 2013-2015; sales associates with JJLL Sacramento, 2015-current

Personal: Lives in West Sacramento’s Bridge District

Something colleagues would be surprised to learn about you: “I’m a self-proclaimed chef."

Ben van der Meer Staff Writer Sacramento Business Journal