Samantha Farrell
Former Vice President, Leasing, Dream Unlimited
Sector: Publicly-Traded Sector
Discipline: Real Estate Brokerage
Year: 2014
Magic Moment: Generally for me the milestones have been multiple small achievements which enabled me to build my reputation, expertise, and thus career, in ongoing increments. But the key moments that shaped my career direction were moving from brokerage, to progressively more senior roles with a developer, a pension fund and national REITs.
Key Influences: Allan Perez – Taught me the Landlord side of leasing; calculated risk-taking and analysis; and critically, that honesty, humour and reputation are essential.
Frank Camenzuli – Hired me into the business and taught me how to be tough and persistent. He took a risk in hiring me and gave me an opportunity to prove myself.
Next Big Challenge As An Industry: The way we make our City pedestrian friendly and deal with public transit is critical. Also critical is the effective development of our waterfront to its maximum potential. I believe Waterfront Toronto is doing a fantastic job in making our waterfront an amenity that can be enjoyed by the whole City year-round.
Secret Talent: I was an OFSA gold medalist in gymnastics on uneven bars. Also, it may not be a talent but I have an identical twin sister – we still confuse people
On Championing Others… I have been a member of Toronto CREW since 1998 and have actively participated in the organization as President, as a Board member for 5 years, and as a mentor. I think it is important to give credit where it is due and as a leader, to provide timely and constructive feedback
One word that captures you: Effective