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Courtney Trunnell is a Capital Markets and Investment Sales specialist who is passionate about bringing creativity to her work with clients and colleagues. In her role as Director with Cushman & Wakefield’s Northern California Capital Markets Investment Sales team, she has plenty of opportunity to do just that. “We like to call my role the Quarterback or Swiss Army Knife,” she said. “Every day is different. I oversee all of our marketing efforts, keep tabs on our workflow, coordinate due diligence, write copy for offering memorandums, work on pitches and whatever is needed to help win business, keep the team running smoothly, ensure the success of our marketing campaigns, and get deals closed.”

Trunnell’s team works on the full spectrum of office, industrial, and life science deals throughout the greater Bay Area and across Northern California. She loves that every deal is different and requires her to continually stretch herself. “Shiny real estate with credit tenancy makes our job easier, but I find the value-add deals can be more interesting to work on since they’re less straight forward,” Trunnell said. “I love the process of digging into a deal, figuring out the value drivers, and revealing a building’s potential.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of her career is coming up with innovative ways to deliver the best service to clients. She finds it exciting to figure out fresh ways of presenting information, finding creative business development strategies, and utilizing technology to make processes more streamlined. “Of course, it’s incredibly rewarding when a deal closes. We spend months working on a project, often beginning with a pitch to win the business, then preparing the marketing materials, carefully reviewing and handling due diligence, and then time actively marketing,” she said. “While it’s something I can’t ultimately control, when a deal doesn’t transact it’s disheartening. However, when a complicated deal closes, it’s that much sweeter!”

Currently, Trunnell serves as Co-Chair of the Chapter Programs Committee.

She joined NAIOP SFBA in 2015 as a Developing Leader after attending a few events including the Cal vs. Stanford Real Estate Challenge which remains one of her favorite industry events. Shortly thereafter, she participated in the Young Professionals Group (YPG) as a member of the class of 2016-17 which she considers pivotal in her career advancement. She joined the Programs committee in 2018 and was appointed as Co-Chair in 2020.

The value of my active involvement has been twofold. First, its members. Through NAIOP I’ve been able to develop so many meaningful connections with my peers and industry leaders alike, and I’m constantly learning from them,” she said. “Second, contributing to the success of the events and programming valued by our membership is very rewarding.

In terms of advice for young professionals, Trunnell encourages them to seek mentorship and sponsorship early as she believes both are critical for personal and professional development. "Don’t be afraid to reach out to senior leaders that you admire and have the type of role you want in the future. There’s so much to learn from them, and your network is everything in this business,” she said. “Also, develop a skill—or multiple skills— that will make you stand out to future employers and will make your life more interesting!”

On the personal front, Trunnell is a California girl, through and through. Raised mostly in the Bay Area, she spent some time living in San Diego and then Los Angeles while attending UCLA for undergrad. “I did some job hunting in San Diego after I graduated, but ultimately came back to the Bay and got a job in San Francisco because that’s where all the action was,” she said. “I started on the Investment Sales team at CBRE and 10 years later I’m still working with one of those same brokers who hired me!”

After living in the City for eight years, Trunnell moved to Oakland in 2018 where she lives with her husband Morgan, a San Francisco native and independent multifamily broker, and their adorable Pug, Theodore. “We haven’t looked back,” she said. “We love the vibe in Oakland and have gotten accustomed to the warmer weather.”

In her spare time, she and Morgan have recently gotten into the business of flipping homes. Trunnell is a member of the Junior League of San Francisco and loves volunteering with Breakthrough San Francisco which supports young students on the path to college. “I love working with young people in general so my volunteer work is very fulfilling,” she said. “I have also been learning to golf and I’m loving it!! It’s great getting out to practice at a driving range, and so far my favorite course to play is the Cliffs course at The Olympic Club—it’s hard to beat those views.”