Amanda Mrozek

For Amanda Mrozek, success in commercial real estate was born out of failure. Graduating with a law degree from the University of California, a stumble early in her career paved the way for her to hit her stride by working on the real estate side of law.

“It actually was a recommendation from a partner in a law firm who, in essence, fired me after a few weeks and said, ‘This isn’t the position for you. I have a friend in commercial real estate who you need to speak with. You’re a much better people person than a pencil pusher.’ He introduced me to Sears Roebuck. I went there and prospered.”

Starting as a documentation research specialist, Mrozek reviewed every lease and legal document in Sears’ real estate department, adjusting the portfolio to maximize return to the company. Soon she was promoted to property manager for the full-line stores.

The reputation she built at Sears caught the attention of The Inland Group, which courted her to oversee more than 7 msf of retail space in the Chicago area. She developed leasing strategies for the Inland portfolio and negotiated more than 60 leases herself.

In May 2001, Inland asked Mrozek to manage their Orlando portfolio. She moved to Florida and —through leasing and judicious marketing — expanded Inland’s Central Florida holdings to more than 4.4 msf.

From Inland, Mrozek went on to become director of retail for Continental Real Estate Companies, leasing 14 retail centers totaling more than 1.5 msf. In 2004, her deal volume was $2.6 million.

When asked what draws her to the commercial real estate business, the reply you’ll get from Mrozek is, “What doesn’t?”

“I enjoy the challenge, the speed and the inconsistency of it. It’s such an exciting and fast-paced industry that you’ve always got to be on your toes. I tend to react better when I have 100 balls thrown at me than one at a time,” she said.

And for women like her, commercial real estate has become a much more expansive career option than it once was, Mrozek said. “Women have really secured their place in my line of business in commercial real estate and now are growing wealth in the industry,” she said.

“With wealth comes new avenues of investment. I see women taking on a few more executive roles in companies, but more importantly, I see women taking their retirement into their own hands and investing in commercial real estate, which is a big evolution.”

In June, Mrozek took a new position as a vice president in the retail services department of CB Richard Ellis in Orlando.

“CB Richard Ellis has such a broad variety of avenues for me to take. Without declaring a major, really there is ample opportunity to do whatever I want to do,” she said. “I’ve focused on commercial real estate, and I see myself honing those skills and developing the relationships I’ve cultivated over the years.”

In addition to her commercial real estate work, Mrozek has served on the ICSC Next Generation National Advisory Board, is a member of the Central Florida Commercial Real Estate Society, has been chairperson of the annual ICSC Susan G. Komen Breakfast and is a member of CREW.

Mrozek and her husband, Dennis, have one son, 12, and two daughters, ages 10 and 4.