Carr Properties’ Linda Cogburn On Rising to the C-Suite in CRE

Longtime executive handles the company’s property management — and is often the only woman in the room

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The blueprint for success in the commercial real estate game boils down to strong customer service, a great understanding of company goals, and the value of strong mentoring relationships. That, at least, is how Linda Cogburn, senior vice president of operations for Carr Properties, says she rose through the ranks.

Throughout a career that spans the better part of four decades, Cogburn has seen how the progress of women in CRE has evolved, from being relegated to administrative roles to their reign in the C-suite. 

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That trajectory played out for Cogburn, who started in an administration role and now oversees Carr’s property management business, among her other responsibilities. 

And, while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. Indeed, women make up only 36.7 percent of the commercial real estate industry, and just 9 percent of those women occupy a C-suite position, according to data from CREW Network, an organization with the goal of helping women advance in CRE careers. 

Throughout her career, Cogburn often found herself to be the only woman in the room, but she wouldn’t let that intimidate her. Instead, she used it to push herself harder and further in her career. 

“I’m a firm believer that things are what you make of them. So even if I felt like it could have been awkward, or if I felt nervous [to be the only woman in the room], I just pushed it down,” she told Commercial Observer. “What would resonate with me is just simply the fact that I deserve to be in the room, I earned it, and I was going to let my voice be heard.”

Cogburn recently sat down with CO to discuss her career accomplishments, share advice for other women in CRE, and describe Carr Properties’ approach to property management. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Commercial Observer: What drew you to a career in commercial real estate?

Linda Cogburn: I started my career in 1980 and I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I was starting out in an admin role. Like a lot of us, I just fell into it. I was fortunate enough to have an interview at a real estate company, and I fell in love with everything about it, in that you get so much exposure to different aspects within real estate. So although I’m in property operations, I work with asset management, financial, construction management, development, and I really loved just the approach of it and how everything is different, but also focused on customer service.

What was that first company?

It was Western Development. We were in Georgetown in D.C., and I started with them about the same time that they were developing Washington Harbour in Georgetown. It was really cool to start with a company that was developing such a large project.

Talk about the progression of your career from admin to C-suite.

I always say, especially to the younger generation coming in, I’m a great example of how anything can be taught as long as you have the right attitude. And the right attitude is really focused on customer service delivery, but also understanding the goals of either your company, your third-party owner, or really even just your department.

But in terms of progression, I think it’s heads down and hard work, and it’s the drive to do more. And I had mentors that included people who I wanted to emulate, but also individuals that I could learn what not to do.

How did you deal with sometimes being the only woman in the room during your career?

It drove me to work harder. If I had an opinion, and thought it was a valuable time to share it, I absolutely would. I won’t be intimidated.

I made it a priority to be prepared for meetings, often spending extra time researching and analyzing data so I could present ideas with confidence. I also took steps to stay ahead of industry trends, attending conferences, networking and earning certifications to ensure my expertise was always up to date.

When it comes to being adamant about a position, there have been many instances where differing opinions arose about the best approach. In those moments, the key for me has always been to ensure my voice is heard without being overshadowed or intimidated. Preparation is critical — it allows me to clearly articulate my perspective while remaining open to counterpoints. This balance allows for constructive dialogue and often leads to stronger, more innovative solutions.

From my past experience, I learned that being the only woman at the table can feel daunting, but it is also an opportunity to show resilience and to contribute.

Have you seen a change throughout your career regarding the number of women in CRE?

In the past, without question, there were definitely more women in administration or secretary roles. But without question, you’re definitely seeing more women as managers and leaders today.

Our company is a fantastic example of women in leadership within CRE. For instance, Allison Wertzler, our vice president of design and construction, recently oversaw the development of our award-winning project, The Wilson and The Elm, in Bethesda, Md. Her leadership and expertise played a pivotal role in finalizing this project.

Kaitlyn Rausse, our senior vice president of leasing, is widely recognized in the industry for her exceptional leadership in spearheading our leasing efforts. She stands out as a respected peer, a committed professional serving as the president of the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association, and an incredible example of grace under pressure. Her contributions have been instrumental in driving our success.

Additionally, Leigh Ann Kay, our director of brand and marketing, brings creativity and strategic insight that elevates our projects and strengthens our brand. Dominique Daschle, our chief people officer, is instrumentally responsible for shaping our culture through her dedication and leadership. We have built an amazing environment for our associates to thrive.

Together, these women showcase the profound impact of female leadership within our organization and the broader industry.

How would you describe your approach to leadership?

I’ve grown into the role as a leader, but it is challenging without training. I think at times you expect people to behave the way you think they should, to care as much as you care, to be dependable and to meet deadlines without being prompted, to have a better outlook on their job and the company than they might actually have. So, the biggest challenge to me is understanding that not everyone has the same work ethic. For some people it’s a paycheck and not a career, and that is challenging. 

But I think as a leader, my job is constantly to strive for excellence and to bring people along that want to meet me there. So it’s really about finding people that are motivated and not complacent.

How long have you been with Carr Properties?

Almost 11 years. I joined in a leadership position, and now I oversee all of the operations for Carr. So that’s our property management and engineering teams. I joined as a general manager, director of operations. But over time, the position expanded and there were multiple roles that kind of evolved.

And what drew me to Carr was I had actually worked for the Oliver T. Carr Company early in my career. Oliver Carr, our CEO, his dad ran the Oliver T. Carr Company, but what drew me back here, and when I say “back here” I mean as part of the Carr family, is without question the culture. Our CEO is so humble and so kind and just an overall good individual that it makes you want to work harder to succeed and meet his expectations. I believe in our vision, and so just to be part of that is amazing.

What is Carr’s vision?

What initially drew me to real estate is that we’re in the people business. I get to interact with so many different people, and our vision is really that it’s distinguished hospitality. It’s providing an elevated experience. And what we mean by elevated experience is that anybody can replicate buildings, anybody can replicate a beautiful lobby, but what you can’t replicate is people and the experience. Hospitality is how you make somebody feel. We win every day when people have a great experience coming into our buildings.

Our security desks aren’t called security desks, they’re welcome desks. Our tenants, they are our customers, and we are grateful to have them as our customers, and we treat them that way. Distinguished hospitality is at the core customer service, but it is also an elevated experience. It is ensuring that people feel valued, both internally and externally. 

People in this industry sometimes don’t understand what we’re saying when we say customer, but it’s even in the way we write, it’s the way we have events for them. And if you think about COVID-19 and everything that happened, this new work-life balance that people are trying to create, or this hybrid work experience, we’re really working hard that to ensure that our customers want to be back in an office, that they have a sense of community, that they feel valued, that they know that we understand their needs, and we’re working hard to meet those needs. So, for me, you will not be successful at Carr, you will not even be hired, unless you have a service mindset.

When I started in property management, I was behind a desk writing reports. I was writing service tickets out and directing the engineers to go respond within a certain amount of time. Now, we’re really working hard to use technology to take care of some of that reporting, to ensure that our team has the ability to get out and meet our customers, that we have the ability to follow up, and to be proactive. If we’re doing our job well, you — as an employee of one of our customers — won’t even notice that there is a property management team.

What sets a Carr Properties office apart from others?

You have to have an environment where people want to work. You have to be clean, friendly, welcoming, all of that has to exist — that’s your starting point. 

Signal House is a phenomenal asset of ours, it’s super cool. There are shared workspaces, where you could leave your office and go with your colleagues, either to the lobby or the penthouse, and there are gorgeous views and spaces where you can go and collaborate and not be stuck in your office. There was an isolation associated with COVID, and so it’s creating the workplace where people want to come back.

Sustainability is also important to employees, so we have beehives on the roof deck of Signal House. One of the events they just had was a happy hour where they used some of the honey from the beehive to create these signature drinks and appetizers. What I love about that is it’s a mix of letting our customers know what we’re doing from a sustainability practice, but also, hey, enjoy some of the fruits, literally, of this initiative. We also have events where local farmers bring in fruits and vegetables from their garden to go with a cooking class. People are able to walk away with handfuls of fresh fruit and veggies. It’s embedded in the experience. And when working with our customers and talking about the different events we have, they look at us as an extension of helping their employees come back to work. 

Now let’s have some fun with a few lightning-round questions! What’s your favorite book?

The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence, by Gavin de Becker. I read it relatively early on when I was becoming a manager, and what resonated with me is just that message to follow your intuition, do not be silenced. And so I look at it differently, as more of a leadership book, even though it’s not your standard leadership book. 

What’s your comfort show?

“90 Day Fiance: The Other Way.” I’m a good people watcher, and it’s one my husband will actually watch with me. So it is definitely fun to talk about whether or not they’re going to make it.

What’s the No. 1 place on your travel bucket list?

Wyoming. My husband and I went to Jackson Hole when we were first married, and I would love to go back. It’s amazing, the sky is bigger, it’s just so different and really beautiful.  

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com