Carol Warren

When Carol Warren joined Colliers Arnold in 1981, it was a first for her in more than one respect. Not only was it her first time in the commercial real estate field, but she became the first female agent at the firm that has become a household name in Tampa Bay.

Now 24 years later, the business has not lost any of the luster that drew her away from the residential side.

“I just enjoy being with people. I think we serve a need for our clients and can provide service to them. I enjoy the people I work with, and I enjoy the sales process,” she said.

“Each transaction is different. I don’t know that I’ve ever had any two alike. They all come with different sets of issues, and each is a learning experience.”

Warren is director of commercial services for Colliers Arnold and is based in Clearwater. Her client list includes local business owners, regional and national corporations, municipalities and universities. Her transaction volume was more than $8.7 million last year — proof that her decision to leave the more “emotional” residential side of the business has paid off.

Commercial real estate can pay off for other women as well, Warren said.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for women. It is a male-dominated business, but I’ve tried not to let that be an issue for me. I try to be good at what I do and treat people the same and allow my knowledge and success to speak for itself,” she said.

“When I first started, it was a bit intimidating. I said, ‘Well, what can I do to make it less intimidating.’ I decided that knowledge is power. When you talk to someone, and they know you know what you’re talking about, it alleviates some of that intimidation.”

Warren attended the University of Houston and Norfolk College of Business. She earned her CCIM in 1991 and was CCIM Candidate of the Year for Florida in 1990. Among her goals is more education, on both the professional and personal levels.

“I want to take some classes, spend time with my family, do some traveling and continue to do my business. I would like to take some advanced real estate classes and maybe get my SIOR. I was going to do that last year, and some things came up. I’d like to travel to the Tuscany region and take some cooking and wine classes,” she said.

As a member of the Florida Gulf Coast Commercial Association of Realtors, Warren received the group’s Pinnacle Award for sales and leasing production in 2002 and 2003. She’s served as a commissioner to the Clearwater Housing Authority and has sat on the Clearwater Downtown Development Board and the Fiscal Review Committee.

Warren was the first female president of the Clearwater Rotary Club and has served as a ruling elder in her church since 2000. Having lost a grandson to leukemia three years ago, she is involved with the Suncoast Children’s Dream Fund, St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute and the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society.

Warren has a new grandson on the way, in addition to her two grandsons, four grown children and her husband, Glenn. The family also includes two dachshunds, Jake and Jack.