What is Michael Geller’s job? To him, his role has ranged from architect to urban planner to developer to real estate consultant. Not to be outdone, he entered politics by running for Vancouver city council – after all, real estate and politics are often intertwined.

When developing and buying real estate, how do you make good decisions? This is what Ryan Berlin helps with, in his role with rennie & associates. He and his team do the research to guide clients to understand the complexities of the industry and cut through the noise in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming.

When you think of a CEO, do you think of someone who is jumping into the fray and dealing with everything hands-on? This is not how Beau Jarvis does it – to him, it is not only about time management, but also about mentoring a team that can be competent without micromanaging. This is a must, as the leader of Wesgroup, which builds all kinds of housing throughout British Columbia. After all, it’s not just about building homes – it’s also about talking with government and creating more sustainable housing outcomes.

Glyn Lewis never thought he would start a renewable development company. He thought he would be a teacher or chemist – but he found that the creative and analytical parts of him were more suited for something else. To him, working in construction but NOT coming from the construction industry helps feed into his passion for being innovative and coming up with disruptive ideas.

At Concert Properties, Kerri Jackson manages property. It sounds simple, but it is a complex mixture of making sure all rents are paid, new tenants come in, and more.

How is your city shaped? This is what Anne McMullin has to know, as the leader of the Urban Development Institute. In her job, she is constantly educating and informing others about how British Columbia’s communities are developed, particularly around real estate issues. This is a far cry from where she started out, in the journalism world; but over time, she found that the business world interested her more and more – so she made a career pivot.

Aubrey Kelly knows there are so many things that you can’t control – but you can set the direction that you’re heading. That is the philosophy he has used for his role as CEO of UBC Properties Trust, which handles real estate portfolios of the University of British Columbia. You don’t have to be an expert – you simply have to figure out where you’re headed and have others around you buy into your plan.

Heading up a real estate association is not a job you can go to school to learn. That’s because it's a rare position and schools can’t prepare you for this type of position. The job is part visionary, leader, guiding hand, advocate and so much more.

Volodya Gusak co-founded DENCITI Development Corporation in 2018. The Vancouver-based real estate development company creates urban, industrial, commercial, and residential developments.

There are specialties in the real estate sector that are vitally important that virtually no one hears about unless you are deep into the business. Industrial lands are one such area and they require talent with extremely specific needs. Eric Aderneck’s career opened up a world of possibilities in the development of properties that meet the needs of light industrial businesses.