MNCAR – Monthly Spotlight- Trinette Wacker
1. Name one fun fact that makes your company or yourself different from others.
I spent 13 years in Human Resources before making the leap into commercial real estate, which is probably not the most traditional path to brokerage! Turns out, years of navigating people, personalities and difficult conversations is actually pretty great training for negotiating deals. Who knew?! I also firmly believe you can be tough in a negotiation while still being kind, have a spreadsheet open while wearing something sparkly, and take your work incredibly seriously without always taking yourself too seriously.
2. Something that took you a long time to learn in the CRE industry?
That I don’t have to know everything.
Coming into CRE later in my career, I put a lot of pressure on myself to know every answer before walking into a room. Eventually I realized that some of the best brokers aren’t the ones who know everything. They’re curious, ask really good questions, listen, surround themselves with smart people and aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
Also, read the lease. Then read it again.
3. What do you enjoy most about the CRE industry?
The people, hands down.
I genuinely love getting to know people, hearing their stories and figuring out what makes them tick. I love that a client can become a friend, a competitor can become a partner on the next deal and a random coffee can turn into an opportunity three years later.
I also love that no two days are the same. One minute I am touring a medical building, the next I am negotiating a downtown office lease, then running to a client event or trying to solve a problem nobody anticipated. It keeps you on your toes, and apparently I enjoy a little challenge and chaos!
4. Any advice you have for someone considering the CRE industry?
Do it, but come prepared to work.
Be curious. Ask questions. Tour EVERYTHING. Sit in on meetings even when you don’t understand half of what everyone is talking about yet. Learn the financial side. Find mentors. Pick up the phone. Follow up. And then follow up again.
Most importantly, invest in relationships before you need something from someone. This is a small industry and your reputation matters. Work hard, be kind, do what you say you’re going to do and celebrate other people’s wins too. There is room for all of us to be successful.
And don’t be intimidated by all the acronyms. Eventually you really will know what TI, NER, LOI, BOV and ROFO mean without Googling them.
5. What has been your biggest professional achievement?
I think my biggest professional achievement has been having the courage to completely reinvent my career.
After 13 years as an HR executive, I made the leap into commercial real estate with a lot of transferable skills, a willingness to work hard and, admittedly, very little idea of just how much I still had to learn! Almost a year to the day after making that career change, COVID sent everyone home. Not exactly ideal timing for someone trying to build a new career in commercial real estate, especially in office leasing!
Looking back, though, I think navigating those early years shaped the broker I am today. I had to learn quickly, get creative, build relationships during a time when we couldn’t be in the same room and keep going in an industry that was changing in real time.
To have come through that period and built a business and relationships that I am incredibly proud of feels like a bigger accomplishment than any individual transaction or award. I still have plenty I want to accomplish, but I am really proud that I took the risk, bet on myself and didn’t give up when the timing couldn’t have been more challenging.
And apparently, if you can start a career in office brokerage right before a global pandemic sends everyone home, you can probably figure out just about anything!
6. Any other fun information you would like to share?
My favorite and title I am most proud of will always be “Mom.” I have two amazing kids who keep me grounded, laughing and very aware that they are completely unimpressed by commercial real estate unless I take them to a high floor in a Class A downtown asset.
Outside of work, you can usually find me with my kids, boating, golfing, being outside, chauffeuring kids to sporting activities, spending time with family and friends or finding an excuse to dress up for something. I love bringing people together, whether it’s for a client event, dinner with friends or something completely spontaneous.
I believe relationships matter, laughter makes almost everything better, and there is absolutely no reason commercial real estate can’t have a little more sparkle.
7. What’s your go to strategy for navigating a challenging deal?
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
I learned during my HR career that most problems get worse when people stop talking, and CRE is no different. When a deal gets difficult, I try to understand what is really driving each side. Usually there is a solution somewhere between what people say they need and what they actually need.
I also believe you can negotiate hard without making things personal. Some of my favorite deals have been the ones where everyone thought, “There is absolutely no way we’re getting this done,” and somehow we found a path.
Those are also the deals that usually require the most coffee.
8. What excites you most about the future of CRE in Minnesota?
Downtown Minneapolis. Yes, I said it!
There has been plenty written about the challenges facing downtown office, but I am incredibly optimistic about what comes next. We’re seeing owners invest meaningful capital into their buildings, create incredible amenities, rethink how space is used and focus more than ever on creating places where people actually want to come to work.
I think the next chapter of downtown is going to require creativity, collaboration and people who genuinely believe in it. I spend a lot of my days downtown, and there is so much more happening here than the headlines sometimes suggest.
I love being part of telling that story and helping shape what comes next.
To submit yourself or another MNCAR member for a monthly spotlight profile, email lindsey@mncar.org