Cindy Gray, partner and president of the property management division at Moss & Company, is proof that hard work and dedication pays off in the long run. In 1971, Gray started out in the Sherman Oaks company’s maintenance department, scheduling maintenance men to fix problems at area properties. The company’s four partners Ron Tamkin, Allen Sackler, Mort Kirshner and John Liebes, took note of her hard work and gradually gave her opportunities to climb the corporate ladder. She began handling leases. Then she started covering for supervisors. Eventually, she was promoted to higher positions. Now, in addition to being part of the Moss & Co. management team, Gray is the Southern California Real Estate Alliance co-chair. From 2005 to 2010, Moss & Co. recorded a 70 percent increase in the amount of property it managed, Gray said. In 2005, the company managed 125 properties, and now it manages more than 180 properties. The Moss & Co. portfolio includes about 6,500 apartment units, 1.5 million square feet of commercial space and three storage facilities consisting of about 550 storage spaces. Nine employees have been with the company for more than 25 years, which Gray says is one of the reasons for the company’s growth. “With that kind of longevity, you can do it in your sleep,” she said. “In this business there is a lot of transition, and when you do that, you lose so much.” Question: You definitely climbed the ladder here at Moss and Co. What brought you to this company, and how did you prove yourself? Answer: I was going to school and I had been working for a property management company in Encino. A lady that was working for me left and went to Moss and called me and said this company is fantastic. So I went and interviewed and started with them scheduling maintenance men. The company was very small, and as it grew, I would take on different responsibilities. When you go through business in your life, you meet people who really have a strong work ethic and others who may enjoy what they’re doing, but who at the stroke of five o’clock, they’re gone. I was one of the people who really wanted to learn everything. Like in any job, if someone does something really well, the partners noticed. Q: What are some of the challenges you have had to face personally and professionally in the industry? A: Back in the days when I started, women in business in property management were few and far between. As our company grew, we had a large number of women in very top key positions in the company. When it was really a man’s world, the partners put me in charge. The challenge … was that I was younger, so I had to prove myself. I was always walking in meetings where there were all men. But I realized, forget my age, forget everything else, and go in and do what you do. In the industry, in years gone by, property management was very different. You would put a sign out front, put a flag, people would come in and it was very simple. The big challenge nowadays is communication and being sure nothing is left to chance here. You have to be so on top of it and document everything — I can’t tell you how many properties have been taken over. That is my biggest thing with owners. It’s not simple management stuff anymore. It used to be if you are 98 percent occupied it’s glorious, but it’s so much more. The laws and rules are changing all the time. Title: Partner and President of the property management division Born: July 13, 1952 Most Admired: “I admired my mother very much who unfortunately passed away in 2007 from cancer. She was a full time wife and mother of four. She instilled in all of us that we could accomplish anything.” Career Turning Point: “It wasn’t so much a turning point rather than an evolution of constant learning of all aspects of property management in my 40 years with the company.” Personal: Married for 39 years with two sons and three grandchildren. Q: How has the economy affected Moss and Co. and the industry, especially in terms of incentives being offered by landlords? A: It has been a challenge because certainly there have been market rental adjustments and obviously more concessions. When you have less traffic and more competition, you have to make sure that you are there to state your case on why they should lease. So we really made it through very well. Our occupancy numbers stayed very high, markets are very much improving now, but there still is a difficult economy. But rents are going back up. There are a lot less negations with residents and prospects coming in, where for a while, there they thought ‘let’s make a deal with every property.’ Certainly during difficult times, a year or two years ago, a month’s concession was not unheard of. Now, buildings may be offering $50 off a month. It really depends on the property and the market. Q: What were some of the harder hit areas? Do you find that the industry is recovering? A: Rental rates were more affected in the west side than in the San Fernando Valley during the tough times, because the rental rates were higher. Rent (rates) had to come down more so, than (rent rates) in the Valley. It’s a much stronger marketplace now in the residential area. The commercial part of the business is still a lot more difficult. Growth is slower than expected, but our feel in the field is that people feel much better than they did. And, again, it’s the commercial end that’s still lagging. Q: How do you feel about the industry’s future? A: I’d like to think we’ll be back and rolling like we were prior to the recession. I’m optimistic that we are on an upswing here. Anything can turn on a dime, but my clients are looking for property to buy. In Southern California, there is such a strong marketplace. Q: Where do you see yourself in the future, and what would be your advice to someone who is looking to advance their career? A: I don’t see an end in sight, because I really am enjoying what I am doing and have surrounded myself with fabulous people. The company is going on now because they had the foresight to give it to me to move it into the future. And now we have employees here who have been with us all these years, who will take it on beyond when it’s time for me to say, ‘I guess its time to slow it down a bit.’ If you can get into something that you can have a passion for, it makes it so much easier to do such superior work because you look forward to going to work. There are challenges every day. Love what you do, and you can move up.
Maintenance to Management
