Former principal of Colliers New Mexico-El Paso joins CBRE as the firm’s new vice president.
Now in his second stint with the firm, Scott Whitefield is specializing in office landlord and tenant representation with CBRE. Whitefield previously served as the company’s vice president in 2007 before pursuing a nine-year career at Colliers International. During that time, Whitefield leased more than 3 million square feet in transactions for landlords and tenants across 37 cities.
Prior to immersing himself in the world of management and brokerage, Whitefield served in the Canadian Armed Forces and was an executive protection agent for high-profile clientele. During his time in the military, Whitefield taught effective speaking, instructional techniques and leadership.
In addition, Whitefield is a registered instructor on letters of intent for the Commercial Association of Realtors New Mexico (CARNM). Whitefield said he enjoys teaching because it allows him to express himself and mentor others.
A self-proclaimed problem solver, Whitefield said he is looking forward to diving into his new role. Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks.
Albuquerque Business First sat down with Whitefield to hear about recent trends in the real estate market and the importance of community.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Albuquerque Business First: What was your experience at Colliers like?
Scott Whitefield: I was there for 10 years. It was like working with a bunch of friends. It was very good and very rewarding. I had a leadership role in that particular company and I enjoyed every minute of it. I just did not want to be in a leadership role anymore and wanted to return back to just pure brokerage. So, that’s what I did.
What are your overall career goals moving forward? I want to establish my team as the forefront of office brokers in New Mexico, specifically, because we’re not just doing deals in Albuquerque, we’re doing deals in Santa Fe, El Paso, Los Lunas and Las Cruces. We’re not just anchoring ourselves to one city. This is a fabulous state and a great region, and we want to be a part of whatever we can be a part of moving forward.
Do you have any advice when brokers are doing deals or trying to negotiate these transactions? It really does rely a lot on things like patience. It relies a lot on the interaction with other people. The skill of listening is so valuable in what we do that I think sometimes it is missed.
How do you relax when you’re not in the office? I love playing golf at different golf courses. UNM South is one of my favorites. It’s the first golf course I played in New Mexico. My wife and I also travel quite a bit. We have been married for almost 32 years and we enjoy traveling, so we do that whenever we can. Our next big trip is probably going to be Scotland.
What are some of the tasks and responsibilities you’re kind of now tasked with? Since the pandemic, it’s a lot of right-sizing. So, you run into a situation where somebody’s in too much space, or not enough space based on their business model and we try to make that work for them. My No. 1 role in the grand scheme of things is a problem solver. If you come to me with an issue, me and my team will work to solve the problem.
Source: “New Mexicans to Know: Scott Whitefield becomes CBRE vice president, again“
