CRESA WASHINGTON DC’S LAUREN BERKEY AMONG 20 FEMALE EXECUTIVES NAMED TO REAL ESTATE FORUM’S NATIONAL WOMEN TO WATCH FEATURE

September 24, 2013 (Bethesda, MD) – Cresa Washington DC, a corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants and specializes in the delivery of fully integrated services, announces today that Lauren Berkey, LEED AP, a vice president of global accounts for the Bethesda-based company, is one of 20 industry professionals nationwide to receive inclusion in Real Estate Forum’s Women to Watch feature.



A leading magazine covering the real estate sector, Real Estate Forum introduced its Women of Influence program 20 years ago. To commemorate its two-decade anniversary of this feature, Real Estate Forum, in a recent edition, expanded the Women of Influence program by adding several new categories, including Women to Watch, which highlights 20 young professionals who are on track to assume leadership positions in the future.

“I’m truly honored that Real Estate Forum has selected me as one of its Women to Watch, where I’m joined by such a respected group of women in our industry,” Berkey says.

About seven years ago, Berkey came on board at Cresa Washington DC as an account coordinator, working her way up to her current position, where Berkey is on the team, along with three colleagues, that exclusively represents BAE Systems Inc.’s 24-million-square-foot U.S. real estate portfolio. Berkey played a key role in the defense giant retaining Cresa Washington DC in the summer of 2012 for a second five-year period.

During her tenure at Cresa Washington DC, she has contributed to more than 150 transactions totaling several million square feet of space, including a headquarters relocation, regional consolidations, and national site-selection processes involving economic incentives.

Berkey has also started an internal focus group of national account managers to promote collaboration and idea sharing across Cresa’s entire corporate structure.

Boston-based Cresa, which in the United States has 58 offices and more than 800 professionals, is the largest tenant representation firm in North America.

“I feel blessed to work at Cresa, a firm that’s a huge proponent of professional as well as personal development,” Berkey says. “The firm really gives you the opportunity to become a more well-rounded individual.”

An Annandale native, Berkey continues to focus much of her time on the BAE Systems account, though she is also beginning to serve in an advisory role for other corporate accounts. Additionally, the Chevy Chase resident serves on Cresa’s national charity committee.

Over the past three years, Berkey says that she has witnessed a 20 percent increase in women hired for business development and leadership positions at Cresa Washington DC alone.

“You’re seeing more and more women of my generation not just in support roles, but in income-producing and management roles,” Berkey says. “Women bring different attributes, dynamics and perspectives to the table, and I believe that this significantly benefits our sector.”

About Cresa:

Cresa is an international corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants and specializes in the delivery of fully integrated real estate services, including: Transaction Management, Project Management, Strategic Planning, Workforce and Location Planning, Subleases and Dispositions, Portfolio/Lease Administration, Capital Markets, Sustainability, Industrial/Supply Chain and Facilities Management. With more than 55 offices, Cresa is North America’s largest tenant representation firm. Through its partnership with Savills, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate services firms, Cresa covers more than 255 locations in 40 countries. Cresa Washington DC exclusively serves tenants through its offices in Bethesda, the District of Columbia and McLean. For more information, visit www.cresa.com.