Surrounding yourself with smart people helps you do your job more effectively,” according to Jeff Warner, senior VP of leasing for Mack-Cali, the largest property owner/manager in Westchester. “Real estate is not extremely complicated; it’s a people business. For me, it’s been about relationships and creating and building them through the years, both internally and with the tenants and brokerage community.”
Warner, 51, has been building those relationships with Mack-Cali and predecessor companies for 27 years, rising through the ranks from an entry-level job in accounting right out of college to his current position, where he oversees leasing operations for the company’s four million square feet of space in Westchester, as well as properties in Fairfield County and large segments of New Jersey.
“A career isn’t built on a single deal,” he points out. “I was a transaction junkie as I was rising up the ladder, but the challenge now is fitting all the moving pieces together.” Mack-Cali’s average tenant leases 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, he says, “So we’re dealing with a lot of individuals. The challenge is fitting all the moving pieces together, to find the right fit for each space.”
Warner is optimistic about the commercial real estate market in Westchester, although he readily acknowledges that the county is
going through a transition phase. “The day of the corporate tenant is long gone,” he says. “Now, it’s about multiuse, live/work/play environments. The focus on transit-oriented developments in Port Chester, New Rochelle, and someday in White Plains will make a much nicer environment for people.”