Power Women: She Ran Out The Clock In Her Brief TV Career, But Eliza Solender Landed In CRE Right On Time
This limited series profiles DFW Power Women who have made their mark in the Dallas-Fort Worth commercial real estate industry.
Each of the women profiled will be honored at Bisnow's Dallas-Fort Worth Power Women event Nov. 12.
As president and a broker at Solender/Hall, a commercial real estate consulting company, Eliza Solender is able to bring decades of experience in everything from human resources, university education and real estate to the world of commercial real estate.
Solender learned firsthand as an intern dealing with famed broadcaster Jim Lehrer how to recover from a dire mistake and how to forge a path unique to her own skill set.
At the helm of the company she co-founded in 1991 with a specialization in assisting nonprofits and companies with the buying, selling, leasing and management of real estate, Solender has found her niche, and it is a long way off from where she started out as a young up-and-comer.
This resilience — and her more than 25-year track record — makes Solender a natural fit in Bisnow’s list of DFW Power Women.
Bisnow: What did you dream of becoming as a child? How does your current career feed that inner child inside of you?
Solender: I had lots of ideas … actress, college professor, news anchor, president of a company, etc. Once I got to college, my career obsession was to become a management consultant. As a broker, I have basically accomplished that goal.
Bisnow: If you could teach women growing in the industry today just one thing, what would it be?
Solender: Get your brokers license! It gives you the freedom to walk out the door and still be able to work.
Bisnow: Who inspires you on a daily basis and why?
Solender: My husband, Gary Scott. He is an attorney with a lot of experience in commercial real estate. We share an office and work together. He is smart, honest, intuitive, funny, a fantastic writer and can focus on the details and always supports me.
Bisnow: What is your biggest career failure and what positive lessons did it teach you?
Solender: I was an intern at KERA for a one-hour news program featuring Jim Lehrer. The assistant producer got sick, and I was asked to “back time” for the show, telling the floor manager how much time was left for each segment. My dyslexia kicked in, and I couldn’t determine how to monitor the time. No one figured it out for at least 45 minutes.
When they did, there were only five minutes left, and they had to cut several stories. I was humiliated, even though everyone was very nice to me. It taught me to admit my mistakes, have a sense of humor and show up for work the next day.
Bisnow: Describe your greatest career accomplishment.
Solender: My greatest career accomplishment has been to create a purpose-driven commercial real estate company with a mission to help our nonprofit clients reach their highest potential, thereby making a difference in the community. We have worked on hundreds of nonprofit transactions in the North Texas area. Overall, it has been a wonderful career.
