Next up in our employee Q&A blog series is Will Hollingsworth.
In April of 2017, Will moved from Atlanta to Birmingham and joined J.H. Berry as a project manager. He specializes in handling tenant relations and overseeing tenant and capital improvements across J.H. Berry’s portfolio of managed properties. His work consists of managing financial and operating activities for office, industrial and healthcare properties.
Will graduated from the University of Alabama and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in finance with a concentration in real estate.
An active Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, Will is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys playing golf.
What are the most significant differences between managing office versus industrial properties?
Due to the difference in the tenant’s use of an office vs. industrial property, there are going to be some differences in your day-to-day management approach. Generally, the owner of an office building is going to have more maintenance responsibilities than an owner of an industrial warehouse. Movement and flow of occupants and patrons throughout the property, parking, and technical, mechanical and safety systems can all pose frequent challenges for the office building manager that a manager of industrial might not have to deal with quite as often. On the other hand, property type aside, it really hinges on how the tenant and landlord obligations are defined in the lease.
What made you want to pursue a career in commercial real estate?
My dad is an architect so I’ve been around construction and real estate my entire life. My experiences growing up led me to pursue a finance degree with a concentration in real estate at Alabama, but when I graduated in 2010 and real estate was in the doldrums, I decided to get sales and management skills in another industry while everything shook out. A couple of years ago I started doing some land deals on the side and it really kind of sparked a passion, making me realize I wanted to be in real estate full time. I guess I chose commercial because I see it as the pinnacle sector and there is a lot of opportunity to get creative and add value.
What is your proudest accomplishment while at J.H. Berry?
I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of several cool projects so far, but I’d have to say my proudest moment would be when I got my first listing.
What do you do for fun in Birmingham?
Birmingham has undergone such a positive transformation over the past several years. Since moving back from Atlanta I’ve really enjoyed exploring all the new restaurants and breweries.
Do you have any unique hobbies?
I’m really into fishing, particularly fly fishing. I went on a fly fishing trip to Colorado when I was 14 years old, and have pretty much been addicted to it ever since. Trout is my favorite species to pursue, but unfortunately, we don’t have very good trout fishing in Alabama so I have to travel to get to good water. It’s taken me a lot of places and corners that most people would never see. There’s nothing like the view from the middle of a river.