Who is Lisa Amend? She is the vice president of sales and leasing for Champions DFW Commercial Realty, LLC, and she has been with Champions DFW since April of 2010. In order to learn more about who is Lisa Amend, Champions DFW asked her a series of questions for this blog and for the benefit of past, current and future Champions DFW clients to get to know who they will be working with on future deals.
Champions: What do you enjoy about working at Champions DFW?
Lisa: I like that our office is a local, boutique commercial real estate brokerage and conveniently located in the center of our upscale, real estate market.
Champions: Why did you decide to work with Jim Kelley at Champions?
Lisa: I was impressed with the presence Jim had here in the Southlake market. I also knew that I would enjoy the ease and convenience of being a few minutes from my home so I could actively be involved with my work and my three daughters.
Champions: What are the challenges of working in commercial real estate?
Lisa: One of the challenges is that it’s primarily a male dominated industry. Initially, I experienced some resistance until clients got to know me and appreciated the level of my knowledge and expertise in the industry. I have established some good working relationships with brokers from the Dallas and Fort Worth areas that call me for advice now, and that’s very rewarding to me.
Champions: What are your strengths as the VP of Sales and Leasing?
Lisa: I have a proactive business mind, and I’m thorough in addressing client needs. I have found that I have the innate ability to guide a real estate transaction from inception to completion, all while making sure my client is kept informed. I rarely lose a client to another broker, and I have many repeat clients. I also have a thriving referral business now.
Champions: What’s your commercial real estate career highlight?
Lisa: There have been so many I could take up half a day answering this question. I have many varying from funny, to odd, happy and a couple of sad ones. I have a couple of stories that I am not sure you could put in this blog! I think overall, meeting people from all walks of life and business backgrounds nearly every day is the best highlight of all. Now, if you ask what the most meaningful highlight is? I would have to say closing a very difficult lease before our New Year’s Day deadline at precisely 5 pm on Christmas Eve. It was for a local pastor from a large church that was expanding into our market. The satisfaction I received from that transaction alone was reflected in the beautiful message they sent me after receiving the keys to their building, telling me that I was the reason their Christmas was so blessed.
Another highlight was being contacted by Olympic Gymnast, Mitch Gaylord and his darling wife Valentina. They asked me to work for them because of our brokerage name, “Champions,” and they thought my last name “Amend” just had to mean something special for them. Though, we haven’t closed that huge project (yet), they have been a pleasure to work with.
Champions: What’s the most interesting aspect of the current commercial real estate market?
Lisa: It’s interesting how the DFW market has sustained itself through the economic hurdles we’ve had. DFW is now perceived as one of the best places in the nation to re-locate your business. We’re keeping pretty busy.
Champions: Outside of work, what do you like to do?
Lisa: Enjoy time with my girls and sleep!! Both of which, I need more of. Oh, and tennis. When given the opportunity. I wonder where my racket is now that you ask……
Champions: What’s your dream job?
Lisa: My dream job is exactly what I’m doing, and I sincerely mean that. I absolutely love what I do, despite its complexity, but because of who I am…that’s probably the reason why I love it.
Learn more about Lisa Amend when you visit her bio on the Champions DFW website.
