Lisa Bailey

Lisa Bailey has long been acquainted with commercial real estate. She even left the profession for a time to pursue a career in medicine. But she soon discovered a common element in the two fields that allowed her to return to the occupation of her youth.

“I grew up in the business. My father owned a leasing and management company for more than 16 years in Orlando Central Park,” she said.

“I worked there during the summers and throughout high school. I decided in my early 20’s I didn’t want to be in real estate. I spent some time in the medical field and decided to come back and try it again.”

Working again for her father’s company, Bailey covered the waterfront as file clark, receptionist, administrative assistant. She soon got her real estate license.

“I used to answer the phone, evaluate the call and - if I felt it was a valid client - have someone cover the desk for me while I went out to show the space,” she said.

When her father retired, the company was acquired by Faison and then again by Trammell Crow Co. She worked at TCC for two years before moving on to Welsh Companies - and another acquisition.

“The day I was there for one year, they announced they sold to Carter,” she said.

Bailey worked for Carter for six months before following three co-workers over to her current company, GVA Advantis. There she specializes in the leasing and sale of office and industrial properties, having closed more than 600 commercial real estate transactions in her career.

Bailey ranked among the top three brokers in the GVA Advantis Orlando office for 2006 and was the top woman broker ranking in the top percentile for overall production companywide last year. Additionally, she has surpassed $20 million in production and has exceeded her budgeted production goal for 2006.

She was ranked by CoStar as a Power Broker in 2005 and 2006.

Bailey said the helping aspect of commercial real estate - as in the medical field - is what keeps her interest.

“It’s my desire to help people and resolve issues. I like to put landlords and tenants together and make it a cohesive relationship,” she said. “I love what I do. I consider myself to be one of the lucky people who comes to work because he or she wants to, not because they have to.”

Bailey represented several long-time clients in 2006, such as Professors Capital, St. Joe Company and Kaufman Company. Her client list also includes Alliance Commercial Partners, Northwestern Investment Management Company, Land O' Frost, Prudential Life Insurance, Mayflower Center, Mid-Florida Biological, Atec Systems, Suncoast Displays, Presentation Group, Dr. Phillips Inc., Southeast Commercial, Bright House Networks Inc., American Woodmark, Kelly Electric, and Lesco Management Company.

Bailey said her career may someday include running her own office or focusing on investment sales.

“I’m hoping to continue to grow in what I do day to day in the sales and leasing end and the third-party business. I’ve dabbled a little in investment sales. I’m fortunate to be working with a great client looking to enhance their portfolio,” she said.

“As I get older in the business, I think about eventually running an office or something of that nature. In the commercial real estate business, the peaks and valleys are so high and deep that it’s hard to know what’s going to happen. As I grow, I see myself eventually owning my own company or managing an office or digging deeper into the investment end of it.”

Bailey, a CCIM candidate, has been affiliated with the Central Florida Commercial Real Estate Society, the Economic Development Commission of Mid-Florida and the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce.