Ben Albers
- Senior Vice President
- Pace Properties | Avison Young
School Information
School: St. Louis University
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2010 to 2012
Career Information
Working For: Pace Properties | Avison Young
Title: Senior Vice President
Industry: Real estate
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
I focus on connecting a diverse clientele, from large corporations to small businesses, with their ideal real estate while leveraging the expansive resources of Newmark and my own professional network and market insights. Collaborating closely with my clients, I formulate effective lease strategies, combining market analysis and negotiations to ensure they make informed decisions and secure favorable lease terms in the ever-evolving CRE landscape. My commitment to fostering strong client relationships, capitalizing on market insights, and maintaining a high level of professionalism has been integral to my career.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting – a difficult, but rewarding, way to ensure a job after school.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
Without a doubt, College Works Painting was the reason I landed this job right after graduation. While it is different than the painting industry, it helps you view each business problem analytically to discover the best approach. You start thinking like an entrepreneur!
What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?
My 2010 clients Lee and Cher Curtis: I hounded you every single day for 2 months and you finally let me paint your house. When we got there, the wood was so damaged it required 2 more weeks of prep. We couldn’t get half the windows open because they had previously been painted shut. We painted all the way up to the day before you went on a month-long European vacation and were sweating the whole time. After all that, you still invited me on the last day of the project and asked me about my experience with College Works Painting and how it was setting me up for my future. As a freshman in college, they thought it was my MBA project at SLU. Even after all that trouble, I never felt more confident and took that into every single client’s house the rest of the summer.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
Time management – I am usually complimented at the office for attacking projects so quickly. Building a schedule the right way is the easiest path to stress-free success.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Potential College Works Painting participants: consider exactly what sort of experience you would like to have. What are you looking to gain out of the internship? If you’re into marketing, chances are you won’t be sitting around in a boardroom discussing what would make a funny Super Bowl commercial. It’s time to consider what a career will look like after you graduate college and ask yourself, how are you going to set yourself up for success? If you want a real taste of entrepreneurship, the safest place to start is College Works Painting. Current College Works Painting interns: stop being an idiot and listen to your District Manager.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Windsor and Cancun… without a doubt