Lesley Gutman
Senior Vice President of the Brokerage Division
NAI Farbman
Southfield, Michigan
Lesley Gutman has played a key role in some of the most significant commercial real estate transactions in her market. This includes the leasing of the 500,000-square-foot Oakland Commons in Southfield, Michigan; 500,000-square-foot Sheffield Office Park in Troy, Michigan;200,000-square-foot Riverside Center in Southfield, Michigan; 285,000-square-foot 27777 Inkster in Farmington Hills, Michigan; 370,000- square-foot Cambridge Court, 51,000-square-foot Westfield in Farmington Hills and 180,000-square-foot College Park Commons in Detroit.
That Gutman would steer these major transactions isn’t surprising. During her career of more than 23 years, Gutman has become an expert in helping clients analyze their current and future space needs and recommending the right strategies to help them meet these needs. Gutman is also skilled when negotiating even the most complex of leases for her clients.
What has kept Gutman in this business for more than two decades? Besides her success, there’s also the fact that Gutman truly enjoys her work, especially when it comes to working with other commercial real estate pros.
“What I find most enjoyable in this business are the opportunities for building meaningful relationships with clients, the dynamic nature of the market, which always keeps me learning and adapting, the satisfaction of facilitating successful transactions that benefit all parties involved and the thrill of the hunt,” Gutman said.
During her career, Gutman has focused on both landlord and tenant representation, giving her a complete understanding of the entire real estate transaction. Thanks to her deep market knowledge, strong work ethic and passion for serving her clients, Gutman has consistently ranked among the five most successful brokers at NAI Farbman for the last decade.
Before joining NAI Farbman, Gutman worked as an associate broker in the real estate division of Crosswinds Communities. Her peers say that even then, Gutman brought her own unique approach to the real estate process, offering objective and conflict-free advice.
Like other real estate professionals, though, Gutman has faced challenges during her career, the biggest of which might have been working through the COVID pandemic.
As Gutman says, being an office broker since COVID has been challenging. Fortunately, this industry veteran has the experience necessary to work through the hurdles that the pandemic has thrown her way.
“Landlords need creative ways to market their office buildings, and I’ve enjoyed coming up with new and fresh strategies to increase occupancy,” Gutman said. “I’ve also found remarkable solutions for tenants looking to create savings. Finding ways to overcome these challenges has been very rewarding.”
When not working, Gutman says that she enjoys spending time with her Bernese Mountain Dog. She’s also a big fan of dance fitness, trying to carve out time to dance four to five times a week. As Gutman says, dance acts as a great reliever of stress.
As far as the future goes? Gutman says that she is excited to continue serving her clients and building her CRE career.
“My success in commercial real estate can be attributed to a combination of patience, understanding the market, constant learning and my ability to close deals,” Gutman said. “I’m honest and ethical and I’m driven to get my clients the best results possible.”
