After nearly a decade in commercial real estate, Lisa Fischman is still struck by the parallels of her current work with her former life as an advertising executive at J. Walter Thompson (today, Wunderman Thompson). As she sees it, success in either field comes down to two things.

“Whether a major multinational food conglomerate wants the perfect medium to achieve their corporate goals, or a property owner is looking for a financing specialist with the creative and fiscal prowess to maximize their return, the key constructs for success are the same: communication and trust,” she says.

Fischman’s successes as a Greystone VP entail communication and trust and, not infrequently, creativity. An example is a recent transaction on behalf of a not-for-profit assisted living operator.

One of FHA/HUD’s least known programs is the 241(a), which allows for the construction of an addition to a building that is already HUD insured. The 241(a) has certain stipulations, one of which is that the interest rate can typically be locked at a significantly higher rate than ground-up construction.

Looking for a solution to this prospect, Fischman went into uncharted waters, ordered complicated legal opinions from a D.C. law firm, and provided underwriting data to prove certain projected values and construction costs. She even gave the client a sewage design recommendation during the early engineering planning stage that ultimately proved to be a game-changer for the project.

These are just some of the reasons we chose Fischman as one of the 2020 Women in Real Estate Award winners. Connect Media’s Women in Real Estate Awards honor the achievements and inspirational stories of women who have reached respected positions of leadership and play key mentorship roles for others.

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