Denver Power Women: 3 Questions With Transwestern SVP Whitney Hake
This limited series profiles Power Women who have helped shape metro Denver's cities, neighborhoods, businesses and lifestyles. These women will be honored at Bisnow's Denver Power Women event on Dec. 5.
As senior vice president of Transwestern, Whitney Hake focuses on landlord representation. She has negotiated more than 750 transactions, totaling 2.5M SF. Before joining Transwestern, Hake worked at Cushman & Wakefield, where she was a top producer for several years.
Bisnow: What is the biggest business problem you have faced and how did you solve it?
Hake: Last year, I was not challenged in my role at Cushman & Wakefield anymore, and I knew I could develop business for myself in the future. I took on the risk of building an office leasing brokerage team at Transwestern in 2018. My team [Hake + Woodward] now has a listing portfolio of 1M-plus SF and is comprised of five very talented people. I am proud that I took control of my career destiny by being opportunistic!
Bisnow: What piece of advice do you give others entering the industry?
Hake: Commercial real estate is a unique industry where you can be rewarded in proportion to how hard you work. Don’t take a short-term approach to commercial real estate because you won’t make it if you don’t put in the man-hours. Keep evaluating your goals as they should be changing with you about every three months. Give yourself at least three years in commercial real estate to see your hard work pay off financially.
Bisnow: What do you do to unwind when you’re not working?
Hake: My husband and I are wrapping up a construction project on our “farm.” We’ve enjoyed converting a horse barn into our home in 2018, from picking finishes to doing some of the renovations ourselves. I keep a few self-care travel tricks up my sleeve, like retreating to the Four Seasons for a massage after a long, stressful business trip. You can often find me relaxing with a glass of red wine, Nate and our dogs at home on the weekends.
Meet Transwestern Senior Vice President Whitney Hake at Bisnow's Power Women event Dec. 5 in Denver.
