Footprints Will Continue to Shrink

CARLSBAD, CA—“We have already seen the effects of technology on office product,” says Chris Williams, VP of Colliers International. “Footprints for employees will continue to shrink as employees 'telecommute' and 'hotel' out of shared space, however there will always be a need for a physical office.”

The 33-year-old young leader was recently named one of Real Estate Forum's “Tomorrow's Leaders” of Southern California. “As a southern California native and lifelong resident, I've seen the market evolve over a long period of time. My dad is a commercial broker, so I recall the days before emails and cell phones, and appreciate the tools that we now have at our disposal to conduct business.”

The San Diego market, he says, has high barriers to entry, “so we will continue to see the effects of the Millennials looking for unique and creative office spaces.” Also, he adds, obsolete product will see adaptive reuse which will reposition projects into useful and functional locations.”

Williams comes from a background in construction and design. Growing up in San Diego, he always always enjoyed building and creating things. He started off working in the construction industry before getting a degree in civil engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “While the market is rapidly changing and evolving, the fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate are still the same—hard work, focus, integrity, serving your clients, excellent work, relationships and market expertise. You have to be able to harness the power of technology and make it work for you and your clients, without sacrificing the importance of personal relationships.”

Be sure to check out the June issue of Real Estate Forum for more on what made this nominee stand out and more on his rise to the top.