Board Member Focus - Courtney Trunnell
NAIOP SFBA is delighted to have Courtney Trunnell a part of the board. A vibrant leader whose passion for the industry and the chapter is inspiring, as she brings boundless energy and enthusiasm to the role. “NAIOP has played an enormous role in my career development” she conveyed, “and I am thrilled to serve on the board.”
Courtney Trunnell, as a Director on the San Francisco-based NorCal Capital Markets team at Cushman & Wakefield, loves a challenge. From marketing and business development to due diligence and team operations, her day-to-day is the definition of fast-paced. “My team has nicknamed me the “quarterback” or “Swiss army knife” she said. “Every day is different, so I wear a lot of hats.”
Because her team represents the sellers of commercial real estate properties across Northern California, they handle most product types. This means that she is constantly getting her hands in many markets and assets including office, R&D, industrial, and life science, as well as some high street retail and mixed use. “I love running our marketing efforts” she conveyed, “I get to work on all those projects across a large geography, which keeps it interesting!”
An aspiring master of storytelling, Trunnell favors the deals that require more creativity in crafting a compelling message. She loves developing marketing materials, helping to figure out how to best position the asset, and telling the “story” about why someone would want to invest in the deal. “Among other things, we do property highlight videos. While it can be a lot of moving parts to coordinate and produce, the end-product is a great marketing piece to share with potential investors.”
Trunnell is passionate about finding unique ways to reach and engage with active and prospective clients. “Historically I think most of us can agree that commercial real estate is slower at adopting technology” she remarked, “however that’s improved substantially in recent years, so I try to stay savvy about ways to incorporate new tools and resources into our presentations and marketing materials. But no, I didn’t resort to Chat GPT to respond for this profile!”
With a degree in Geography, Trunnell loves being a part of the industry and organizations like NAIOP and ULI that help shape our built world. “The whole, ‘I like real estate because it’s a tangible asset’ quip is a little trite but it’s true!” she said, “Walking around downtown or driving down a freeway and looking at a project that I got to work on in some way, it’s a great feeling. CRE feels like a cool club, a meaningful community, and I love being a member.”
In addition to being on the board, Trunnell is co-chair of the Programs Committee, a role that suits her because she loves event planning. She joined NAIOP SFBA in 2015, and after her first events (the Real Estate Challenge and the Best of the Bay) she was hooked! Shortly thereafter, a former teammate (and former NAIOP SFBA President) Adam Lasoff, encouraged her to apply for the YPG program. “I was selected for the class of 2016-2017, and it was an incredible experience. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate and in turn, I have sponsored colleagues for the program in years since.”
What Trunnell values most about NAIOP are the relationships. They have helped her build a strong and deep network. “I’ve made so many meaningful connections with peers and industry leaders.” She said, “I know that these amazing individuals will be my friends, colleagues, maybe even clients and or business partners for many years to come.”
Her advice for young professionals today is simple, Be present. Literally. “When you’re new, it is so critical to be with your team, be with the leaders, be with those who are teaching you.” she instructed, “When I started out I was always encouraged to ask questions and not be afraid to network, to reach out to senior leaders, and that has really helped me develop a really wonderful network and community to lean on.”
Trunnell was born in San Diego but mainly grew up in Silicon Valley (Saratoga/ Los Gatos). She went to UCLA where she majored in Geography and Environmental Studies. She was on the crew team there, after rowing two years in high school, and was in a sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta.
She moved to San Francisco in 2011 when she began her career in commercial real estate at CBRE. Now she is a proud East Bay resident, having move to the Rockridge/ Temescal area of Oakland in 2018 where she lives with husband Morgan and their adorable pug named Theodore.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading. She set a personal goal to read 40+ books this year, mostly fiction (historical, thriller, fantasy). Additionally, she has begun learning to golf over the past few years. “I'm still very much a beginner but I love it!” she shared. “I really enjoy cooking and relish a challenge in the kitchen. I also have a minor obsession with interior design and often drool over homes featured in Architectural Digest and House & Garden.”
