Elise Couston’s first part-time job in high school was as a weekend secretary at a residential real estate office in Winnetka. Couston loved the job and found the real estate to be fascinating. That job eventually turned into a full-time position, and the people she worked for encouraged her to get her real estate license, which she did. Couston wasn’t really interested in selling homes, so she decided to explore the office and industrial facets of the business to see which one she liked better. Thirty-two years later, industrial real estate has never been the same!
“At that time, I was introduced to Barney Weissbourd, Chairman of Metropolitan Structures, through his wife, Bernice, who is a good family friend,” Couston said, Senior Managing Director at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. “Barney offered me a position as a Leasing Associate on the Illinois Center project, but I decided to pursue a sales position in the suburbs instead, as I had a young son at the time, and needed some additional flexibility. Barney was my first mentor, and became an invaluable asset in the initial stages of developing my business.”
“My first Sales Associate position was at Koenig and Strey’s Commercial/Industrial office in Glenview, and I learned the business working on small deals in the Glenview-Northbrook-Northfield-Wheeling markets,” Couston continued. “I pursued both office and industrial deals, but ended up gravitating to the industrial buildings because I found it fascinating to see how a raw material became a finished product. After three years at Koenig & Strey’s, it was time to move from the “minor leagues to the major leagues”, so I joined Paine/Wetzel, where I eventually became a Principal at the firm.”
Prior to Couston’s successful 32 years in the industry, it all started with her first part-time job where she discovered that real estate was one of her passions.
“There is something about the real estate business that I connect with, which probably sounds a little strange, but true! My great-grandfather owned a successful real estate company in Manhattan, New York, so it is definitely in my blood.”
“There are so many positive factors about our business,” Couston added. “Since every project is a little different, it provides an opportunity to be creative and a problem-solver, and the collegial nature of the people we work with is very special. I am a “people-person”, so I love meeting new people and developing new relationships.”
Couston’s friendly demeanor and attitude haven’t let her down thus far, as she has recently joined Newmark Grubb Knight Frank in Chicago.
“One of the things that differentiates NGKF from some of the other larger companies is the prevalence of an “entrepreneurial spirit”, rather than a rigid corporate structure,” Couston noted. “There are many available resources and cross-selling opportunities that I did not have access to before.”
“NGKF has a well-established name, a positive reputation, and a lot of very strong relationships,” she added. “Their platform of services provides what most C-suite executives are looking for in establishing and maintaining a long-term real estate relationship.”
Couston continued, “NGKF’s most recent successes include acquiring the nation’s largest privately held, full-service investment advisory brokerage firm, ARA, along with Northern California’s premier commercial real estate brokerage firm, Cornish & Carey. NGKF was ranked among NIAOP’s Top 100 Outsourcing Firms and InformationWeek’s 500 Top Innovators and Rule Breakers in Business Technology and was named the #1 Manhattan Retail Brokerage by The Real Deal.”
With the New Year underway, Couston resolves to work harder, smarter and connect more dots. As for her expectations for the industrial industry, Couston has nothing but good things to say.
“All indications are that 2015 and 2016 are expected to be very strong real estate years,” she said. “Many companies have very good balance sheets and are in “growth-mode”, so there is a lot of corporate movement right now, i.e. expansion, consolidation, impacts of e-commerce growth.”
So how does a sagacious hard-worker like Couston find the balance between work and the things that keep her sane? She thinks the “work hard-play hard” model is helpful.
“Our business can be extremely stressful, so getting away periodically is extremely beneficial (but difficult to do). Technology now keeps us connected almost 24/7, and we are working longer hours. Massages, facials, exercise, and playing the piano are effective stress-relievers for me to maintain my sanity.”
When Couston isn’t working she enjoys partaking in a multitude of activities! “I play golf (a different kind of work), travel, play the piano, and spend time with my family and friends.”
There are not one, but three things she’d like to do that she hasn’t already. “Go on an African safari, get a hole in one in golf, and write a book. Over the years I discovered that I really like to write, and I’m very proud of my ten years of writing two regular byline columns, formerly Ask the Experts, and now CIP’s Industrial Insider.”
With 32 years of experience in the industry, Couston has had a very successful career, and has influenced many as well. For anyone wanting to pursue a career in real estate, or may be just entering the industry, Couston has some advice for you.
“The business is different now than it was when I started,” she said. “It has become a bit more complicated, but technology certainly helps! The access to information that we have now can create more opportunities. The qualities that provide the best chance for long-term success are patience, persistence, honesty, integrity, going the extra mile for your clients, and establishing long-term relationships.”