executive Archives | Christopher Frederick

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Company President to Lead New Louisville Division for Award-Winning Builder

Posted on December 28, 2017 by peter

A respected national homebuilder is searching for the right executive to start up its new operation in Louisville. He or she will run an entrepreneurial homebuilding enterprise with substantial financial backing. Profit sharing and possible ownership participation will reward the new building company president in return for top-level leadership in planning, operations, construction and sales. Prior experience should include leadership positions, possibly as a mid-level manager with a drive to head an entire market. To learn more, contact Chris Hingle at (713) 961-5582, email him at chris@chrisfred.com or visit www.chrisfred.com.

Hot Market, Exceptional Benefits: Celebrated Builder Hiring San Antonio Purchasing Exec

Posted on April 18, 2017April 25, 2017 by peter

San Antonio has become a remarkable place to build a construction career: Prices continue to climb while inventory recently hit a record low. Now, one of the country’s largest privately held builders will give the right person an opportunity to lead its purchasing in this thriving market. Competitive pay is just the beginning at this award-winning workplace. The newest member of its leadership will enjoy profit-sharing potential, outstanding retirement benefits, paid time off to volunteer and a robust professional development program.

The new purchasing manager for this division that generated nearly $130 million in revenue last year will assume a wide range of responsibilities with a long-term mindset and a focus on quality. Reporting to the division president, he or she will hire, train and coach a strong team. At the same time, this professional will reduce hard costs through skilled negotiations while applying a deep understanding of residential construction and design to uncover hidden savings. Responsibilities will include vendor and trade contractor selection and the maintenance of those relationships. The new manager also will conduct gross margin analyses, ensure consistent takeoffs and resolve project issues and changes.

The position calls for a relevant bachelor’s degree accompanied by at least one year in construction operations and five in purchasing management. This background should include estimating, related accounting and personnel management experience. The successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge of all functional areas of homebuilding. Familiarity with JD Edwards is preferred. The new purchasing manager also will prove exceptionally organized, communicating effectively across teams and prioritizing multiple demands that change frequently.

Christopher Frederick Search Consultants, a trusted national executive recruitment firm, has been retained to help find the right construction pro to join the leadership of this fast-growing division in San Antonio. If you feel your knowledge and experience would make a good fit, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at (713) 961-5582, email him at chris@chrisfred.com or visit www.chrisfred.com.

Firm Seeks Regional Property Manager to Join Its Tight-Knit Team in Beautiful Northern California

Posted on June 17, 2015February 10, 2016 by peter

Are you an ambitious property manager eager to grow a well-run portfolio as part of a friendly and experienced team? A highly regarded firm in Paradise, Calif., will soon offer the right person oversight of 1,800 Class-A and Class-B residential units run by experienced on-site managers. Travel will be limited to single-day meetings at properties that have been run efficiently under the guidance of partners with decades of experience. Additionally, this person will become a key player in the firm’s plans for expansion. The role is also attractive for its location at the base of the Sierra Nevadas and within an easy drive of San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and wine country.

Joining eight other leaders at the company’s headquarters, he or she will have a hand in the full range of property management responsibilities. The regional PM will ensure the firm’s assets remain resident-oriented and well-maintained. Staffing and training fall within this person’s purview, as do budgeting, financial reporting, marketing and other areas critical to the properties’ success.

The firm is also looking for a professional with business development experience, as it is currently well-capitalized for growth. A solid background in property management across multiple locations is required, and a CPM is preferred. Candidates should be familiar with AMSI or similar software, as well as fair housing laws. The new regional PM will also demonstrate excellent writing and public relations skills along with a knack for staying organized while attending to multiple responsibilities.

Christopher Frederick Search Consultants, a trusted national executive search firm, has been retained to help this respected multifamily firm find the next member of its team. If you feel your experience and ambition would make a good fit, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at (713) 961-5582, email him at chingle@chrisfred.com or visit www.chrisfred.com.

New Multi-Family VP Will Oversee Nearly 4,500 Units for a National Leader in Corporate Housing

Posted on June 9, 2015February 10, 2016 by peter

An award-winning company that has become a dominant force in serviced apartments is searching for the right leader to serve as its next vice president of multi-family property management. This represents an opportunity to oversee a national portfolio of 12 mostly class-A properties while making decisions that will have a real impact on this organization’s bottom line. It will also give the right person the chance to enter the organization during a time of expansive growth, with the anticipated acquisition or development of six new apartment properties annually. Reporting to the chief investment officer, the newly created VP position will also handle division-level tactical plans, standard operating procedures and other critical contributions to the organization’s leadership.

This new executive will preferably work from the organization’s Los Angeles headquarters, but the company is also willing to consider highly qualified people working remotely from Washington, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona or elsewhere in California. Supervisory duties will involve recruiting, mentoring and talent development for regional property managers to ensure they achieve company objectives within a positive work environment. Along with reviewing these managers’ financial statements, the VP will set benchmarks and property-specific strategies to enhance the performance of the portfolio. He or she will also establish best practices, conduct regular portfolio and market reviews, develop a property management audit program and form staffing plans with human resources. Collaboration with other company leaders will result in new business opportunities, enhanced business practices and growth strategies, as will work alongside executives in asset management, acquisitions, development, marketing and operations.

With division-level responsibility for financial performance, this professional will come to the job with at least ten years of relevant management experience that includes national or regional oversight of property management. Experience with apartment acquisition and new development is preferred, as is experience managing portfolios spread across multiple markets and cities. Past supervision of personnel should include positions managing other managers, as well as demonstrated team building and staff development. A relevant bachelor’s degree is required. The deadlines and complexity of this role also call for drive and organization. The new VP will be highly analytical, with well-established negotiation and communication skills, including the ability to interact comfortably with vendors, tenants and employees at all levels.

Christopher Frederick Search Consultants, a trusted national executive search firm, has been retained to help this large and respected organization find the next member of its leadership. If you feel your ambition and management experience would make a good fit, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at (713) 961-5582, email him at chingle@chrisfred.com or visit www.chrisfred.com.

New Skills for a New Year

Posted on January 2, 2015 by peter

The past year was a strong one for real estate, and that momentum seems likely to carry into 2015 and beyond. With business on the upswing, this is the time to bring your career strategy to life. An expanding business often provides avenues to gain new experience or advance into more challenging roles as competition builds for talent. At the same time, it’s important not to overlook the importance of education in making the most of career opportunities that emerge in the new year.

Always Ask

Even in favorable business conditions, it’s easy for employee development to go overlooked by executives managing more immediate concerns. Don’t assume someone else will find time to advance your professional priorities, even if it’s part of his or her job. At the same time, you also shouldn’t assume your superiors aren’t interested in building your knowledge just because they haven’t dropped an educational opportunity on your desk recently. Keep an eye out for classes, conferences and seminars relevant to your job and the position you want to earn down the line. As budgets improve, it becomes easier to ask for the time and money required to pursue additional education. Doing so shows initiative and can also offer a gentle reminder of where you’d like your career to move in the future.

Self-Study

Spend much time on airplanes? Commute by rail? Have a few spare hours in your week to commit to personal and professional improvement? It’s never been easier to access a staggering array of classes online. Massive open online courses have made many classrooms at the nation’s top universities available to anyone who wants to log in. While programming and other technology courses tend to draw the most attention, there’s also a surprising range of free courses in management, finance and other fields relevant to a career in real estate.

Want to know more about the basics of corporate finance, marketing or even architectural photography to fill a soft spot on your resume? You might just find an appropriate video course at a modest cost on Lynda.com. Or, for more advanced learning, consider the career potential of online coursework or credentials from a relevant professional organization. A membership with the Project Management Institute, for example, costs less than $200 yearly and offers access to networking opportunities and educational resources that include dozens of webinars that can be used to help earn certifications.

Be the Person Who Knows the Software

Occasionally, picking from among well-qualified candidates comes down to which one can start the job familiar with that company’s systems. Likewise, team members who can troubleshoot a critical program or train others to use it can quickly become indispensable. While I’ve met few professionals in sales eager to spend a Saturday afternoon exploring their customer relationship management software, showing an interest in it can be an easy way to set yourself apart. If an employer isn’t footing the bill, remote training can be pricey for software like JD Edwards, Yardi or RealPage. But it’s worth considering whether the long-term earnings potential makes it worthwhile if knowledge of a specific system can make jobs available that were previously out of reach.

In the end, outlining educational priorities comes back to setting professional goals and putting in place concrete steps to make them happen. I’m optimistic that 2015 will see a continued recovery that buoys all of us in real estate. The professionals who benefit the most, though, will still be those willing to build their knowledge to match their ambition.

Over more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has helped match the talents of executives with leading companies in real estate. Visit our website at www.chrisfred.com where you can find exclusive job listings for real estate professionals and read more about our one-of-a-kind approach to executive recruitment.

Seasoned Development Director Needed to Oversee New Luxury Tower in Fla.

Posted on October 24, 2014March 12, 2015 by peter

The respected investors behind an exceptional West Palm Beach high rise have decided to continue their search for a senior director of project management. In their efforts to find the perfect candidate, they’ve reopened this opportunity to oversee a project as exclusive as the privately held company building it. This firm’s $8 billion portfolio includes several iconic skyscrapers that have contributed to more than five decades of consistent growth. Throughout that time, the organization has proven itself committed to sustainable investment, creativity and career development, as evidenced by the long tenure of its senior leadership. The organization’s latest project will rise from a rare piece of underdeveloped waterfront in the most desirable part of the city. It will be shaped by an internationally renowned team of architects and overseen by the new project director who will enjoy significant autonomy and rewards for his or her leadership.

The scope of the position takes in oversight of architectural design, budget administration, cost control, contracting and sales. To that end, he or she will take responsibility for the building’s marketing and sales program, including closings, while supervising the vendor supporting these activities. The sales office, model units and start-up efforts will take place under his or her leadership. This professional will also represent the owner in negotiating changes to sales agreements while managing contracts, proformas and forecasts to meet company objectives. He or she will help hire and supervise the project’s development manager and will also maintain strong relationships with external service providers.

To accomplish this, the position calls for someone with recent luxury high-rise condo development experience and a minimum of ten years in the industry. This should include familiarity with all facets of high-end condo development, from contracting, to design, to sales and marketing. The position also requires someone who can communicate as easily with sophisticated buyers as with trade professionals and contractors.

Christopher Frederick Search Consultants, a trusted national executive search firm, has been retained to find the right person to lead this outstanding project. If you feel your ambition, multi-family development expertise and integrity would be assets to this leading company, contact firm principal Chris Hingle at (713) 961-5582, email him at chingle@chrisfred.com or visit www.chrisfred.com.

Same Craft, Different Tools – How thinking digital transformed my business

Posted on August 28, 2014 by peter

When I began building a digital network of real estate professionals five years ago, I had no idea just how thoroughly it would transform my recruiting practice. That network is on track to reach 300,000 members at the end of 2014, and it’s allowed me to find and match some of the best people in the business with leading companies worthy of their talent. Along the way, I’ve taken note of a few themes in online recruitment that might prove useful to job seekers and hiring managers alike:

Reaching Far but Looking Close

There’s an old New Yorker cartoon with a picture of a golden retriever using a computer. It’s captioned, “On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.” On many online forums for job candidates, no one really knows if you’re a vice president or what that actually means. I frequently encounter professional profiles that list work experience aligning with the professional qualifications I’m searching for. Yet on closer inspection, the descriptions of job titles are too vague to offer any clues into the critical competencies and knowledge demanded by a given position. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Be specific. Give examples. “Vice president” tells me a lot less than “vice president of sales and marketing for the Northeast region.” A closer look should reveal how many people you’ve managed, for how long, and the highlights of what that team achieved under your leadership. Even if 500 hiring managers view your profile, they won’t get in touch if they don’t find the information they need to make an informed hiring decision.

First Impressions Count

And this day and age, it’s impossible to know where that first impression might occur. It could be in person, on LinkedIn or even via the photos from a conference your company posted to its blog. At the very least, dress for the job you want in the picture you use for social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+. Likewise, be sure to proofread every public profile accessible to potential employers, and refrain from packing your email signature with dated logos and unnecessary text. Life isn’t a press conference, and no one expects job candidates to look 100 percent professional in every picture floating around on the Internet. But on career-specific websites, it’s important to devote as much attention to thoughtfulness and professionalism as you would meeting someone for the first time.

Success Story

Of course, none of this is to give the impression that digital tools haven’t revolutionized the process of connecting people to the companies where they can best reach their potential. Technology’s positive effects for job seekers are well-documented, but it’s also had tremendous benefits for the companies doing the hiring. At Christopher Frederick, I’ve been able to add seven people to my team in recent years as a direct result of my approach that combines one-on-one recruiting with the resources of our exclusive digital network. We’re often able to find qualified candidates in a matter of days, where a similar search would have taken weeks under our old approach. Most importantly, we’ve emerged from the recession filling more executive positions and satisfying more clients every year. Our experience proves that time invested in digital networking doesn’t just pay off for job seekers, it is also critical for companies competing for talent in today’s job market.

For more than 20 years, Christopher Frederick has helped match the skills of high-value executives with leading companies in real estate. Visit our website at www.chrisfred.com where you can find exclusive job listings for real estate professionals and read more about our one-of-a-kind approach to executive recruitment.

Stress or Success? Outlook makes all the difference

Posted on February 4, 2014July 12, 2017 by peter

Consider these two descriptions of real estate professionals in management: One relishes the responsibility of brokering deals with millions of dollars at stake. She untangles each snag in the process like a puzzle waiting to be solved. She’s sacrificed and worked hard for years to earn a position of trust, and she arrives at the office each morning ready to take on the challenges that brings. The other executive, meanwhile, has a tense meeting on the calendar with higher-ups who might disagree with her approach. She’s facing some tough calls that will affect real people she knows personally. Every day she’s aware that the risks involved in her decisions could derail not only a big deal, but the reputation she’s worked toward for years. As she watches the sun go down from her office window, she realizes she’s spent the last eight Saturdays at work.

It’s easy to consider the work experience of the first executive as the definition of success. Likewise, the second person comes off as struggling with a stress-filled position taking its toll. But really, these examples could describe the exact same person. In any career, and particularly in real estate, stress and success are two sides of the same coin.

Perspective counts a great deal in the development of a career and in how it affects your life. Leaders know that anything worth doing comes with a degree of uncertainty, setbacks and struggle. Becoming successful in the long run involves all of these things. The most satisfied professionals, though, use them as a source of motivation. Even when a given situation looks bad, it’s important to consider the circumstances in the broader context of your years-long effort to achieve career goals. It’s tough to remain confident all the time, but consciously managing pressure in the workplace has a significant impact on personal and professional growth.

Everyone does this differently, whether by surrounding themselves with people they trust, escaping into a hobby after hours, or volunteering to help people facing greater challenges. Regardless, successful professionals usually develop a healthy relationship with the demands of a high-stakes job and, above all, refuse to give up, even when the outlook is daunting. Most people in our industry have experienced this first hand in the last five years. As the market collapsed, staying in the game required commitment, faith in the industry, hard work and the right attitude over the long term. In my practice, for example, the challenges of this period led me to branch out into a new approach to executive recruitment as the demand for traditional headhunting dipped. With real estate finally in recovery, we’re now reaping the gains of that positive outlook and perseverance. And I’ve realized that one of the best ways to move forward is crossing the line mentally between feeling pressured at work and feeling successful when diving into the challenges at hand.

For more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has helped place leaders with some of the largest companies in real estate. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com where you can also find exclusive job listings for real estate executives.

Step Back to Move Forward – Taking Time to Think Strategically at the Beginning of a Recovery

Posted on July 5, 2013July 12, 2017 by peter

Have you heard the news? May’s construction spending was up 5.4 percent in the trailing twelve months, driven by the strongest residential numbers in more than four years. Bidding wars on scarce properties have reemerged in once-stagnant markets. The Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction Index has jumped 75 percent in the last two years, and some builders are even having difficulty finding enough qualified tradesman to handle all of their projects.

Yet despite the headlines, caution remains the watchword for real estate companies expanding their professional ranks. The beginning of a recovery comes with as many risks as opportunities. Rebounding interest rates, for example, could dampen housing demand. Many effects of the deep federal budget cuts from sequestration won’t kick in until next year. The eurozone, which collectively represents America’s largest trading partner, reached a record-breaking 12.1 percent unemployment rate in May. To the east, concerns about China’s murky banking system and slowing growth offer another potential shock to U.S. markets, job growth and, ultimately, real estate. At the same time, those who fail to act at all risk missing another long climb for U.S. GDP growth and economic expansion. One thing is certain: The decisions of real estate professionals laying out their career plans now will affect their livelihoods for years to come.

Plan, Plan and Plan Some More

Even though we face unknowns in the economy, a well-thought-out career strategy is valuable no matter what direction the market takes. How long has it been since you considered what position you want to hold in five, ten or 15 years? What doors do you see opening as your skills advance, and what opportunities do you see expiring as you move further into a single specialty? Are there things you know you will regret missing if you don’t act, such as starting a business of your own? The simple act of thinking through questions like this, sharing them with your family and discussing them with your mentors can put you in a position to act with confidence when a new job or business opportunity emerges unexpectedly. Build your professional network accordingly. Once sales pick up, new positions will emerge quickly as firms position themselves to expand. Be ready.

Patience Pays

Optimism about the economy and confidence in your career should help you work harder to reach your goals. Just don’t let anticipation built over a long recession push you into rash decisions. Even if you’re dissatisfied with your current work, take a hard look at all the options available before you make overtures to your contacts about jumping ship. Even if an exciting new opportunity emerges, carefully study the company’s prospects and business plan to ensure the position has a high likelihood of getting you where you want to be. Finally, don’t settle. If a position with a moderately better paycheck comes along – even if it’s been a long time since you’ve had a job offer – go back to your long-term plan and ensure the move is worth the risk of missing a better opportunity next month. Those who plan with patience today will find themselves at the top tomorrow.

For more than two decades, Christopher Frederick has used its deep recruiting experience and digital network to help connect the leading people and companies in real estate. To learn more about how we can enhance your next executive search using our unique method of digital recruitment, contact Chris Hingle at chingle@chrisfred.com. Or visit our website at www.chrisfred.com.