Weiner 1
Tori Weiner
Thursday Survey 3:00
12 Nov 2015
Informational Interview Essay
Since I was a little girl, real estate has been in my blood. My grandfather started a
booming real estate company in Monroeville, PA, which my dad has since taken over and
expanded into a household name in Pittsburgh realty. Growing up, I have only been exposed to
residential real estate and the management aspects of flipping and owning properties. Large,
commercial real estate firms, developers, and investors are fairly foreign to me, which makes me
even more eager to delve into this field. With such a distinct interest in marketing, I would be
able to combine both of my interests into one dream job in a commercial real estate firm.
Grant Mason is the Vice President of Real Estate at Oxford Development, the second
largest commercial property manager in the Pittsburgh region, owning 4 million square feet
spread over 75 properties and managing 7 million square feet. Having personal and professional
ties to Mr. Mason and Oxford Development, I was quite intimidated to conduct the interview but
knew it would prove to be extremely beneficial. Similar to myself, Mr. Mason grew up in the
real estate business. Exceling in construction litigation in Florida, Mr. Mason had always felt a
draw to real estate, enjoyed development, and thought the family business would act as a perfect
entry into the heart of the real estate world.
As Vice President of Real Estate, Mr. Mason is responsible for overseeing the operations
of a variety of businesses: an athletic club, convention center, hotel portfolio, apartment division,
and other small businesses. Within the scope of Oxford as a whole, Mr. Mason’s responsibilities
fall into a large line of command encompassing property management, marketing, property
Weiner 2
acquisition, finance, human resources, operations, leasing and brokerage, business development,
a legal team, construction, and interactions with 3rd party managers and politicians. So yes, Mr.
Mason’s responsibilities are vital to the overall operations of Oxford Development, but the team
of people working together is what makes Oxford as successful it is on a regional, national, and
international scale. His responsibilities encompass more than the daily sifting through emails,
reporting to investors, managers, and banks, and touching base with various subsets of Oxford’s
real estate holdings. Mr. Mason is the Chair of Pittsburgh’s Downtown Partnership Impact on
the Community, responsible for bridging the gap between the private and public sectors of
capital and land. His work phone number is 412-261-1500, extension 3425. His email address is
gmason@oxforddevelopment.com. His office address is One Oxford Center on 301 Grant Street
in downtown Pittsburgh.
Having lived in Pittsburgh my entire life, One Oxford Centre is just another skyscraper
towering over the bustling streets of the downtown area. The building has 45 stories that house a
multitude of businesses. Oxford Development’s offices are on the top floors of the building and
Mr. Mason’s is on the 45th floor. A secretary greeted me as I walked through the doors and I was
directed to Mr. Mason’s corner office. The executives have their own offices and cubicles
occupy some empty space on the floor. All employees were dressed business professionally in
suits. Although the atmosphere is a typical business firm, I could sense that all of the employees
were happy to show up to work everyday and would converse with each other. As I begin
looking for internships and potential jobs, the sense of collaboration, happiness, and comradery
are key in my journey to find the right job for me.
Mr. Mason’s education background consisted of his undergraduate degree at the
University of Miami and law school at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. To work in real
Weiner 3
estate, no specific degree is required, but all agents must have his/her real estate license through
the specific state he/she is selling. Any classification that sets a college graduate apart from
everyone else is important, so obtaining the Real Estate and Urban Analysis degree offered
through the Fisher College of Business will allow me to market myself in a unique way to
potential employers showing a mastery in the field. Having a solid background in general
accounting and math will aid in succeeding in the real estate field because negotiating and
brokering deals are heavily based in numbers.
To be successful in real estate, I must further develop my skills in communicating and
networking. Networking and building relationships with fellow agents, brokers, developers, and
investors will be key in my success as a real estate agent. Mr. Mason’s top recommendation for
success in the real estate industry is to become an excellent communicator to aid in leading a
group of people in development, decision making, or marketing in the future. Real estate is
heavily rooted in numbers and finance, so acquiring a solid math background will help me excel
in the industry. Finding a balance between “book smarts and street smarts”, between crunching
numbers and hustling amongst top agents and brokers, will be critical in my success.
The history of real estate stems back to the BCE era with the exploration and acquisition
of lands. The 1800s rung in the era of suburban living and the necessity to spread out the
population. The history of the real estate field goes hand in hand with the social and political
turmoil the world has faced, combatting racism and the red tape lines among other issues. In the
early 1900s, the term “realtor” was established, but the industry took a hit with the stock market
crash of 1929. Once it recovered, national associations were formed and eventually internet
websites and tools were created to help agents, developers, and those looking to buy real estate
navigate the process. Mr. Mason believes the future of real estate is “always very bright.”
Weiner 4
Because the industry is so diverse, from high rise office buildings, to old architectural
renovations, and to buying and selling residential homes, real estate will never fade. Its success
and profit revenue will fluctuate because it is tightly connected to the stock market and
investments, but it will never go out of style. He believes real estate has a tremendous impact on
the growth of the economy in the private and public sectors. Real estate is one of the most
secure retirement plans one can invest in, so Mr. Mason believes the need for real estate agents,
developers, and investors will stand the test of the transition into a solely technological world.
Working with the government in urban redevelopment is an up-and-coming sect of real
estate. Municipalities and city governments are offering incentives such as tax cuts and
subsidies for big development companies to come in, renovate, and re-energize areas of cities.
Mr. Mason has partnered with the city of Pittsburgh with incorporating real estate into such
urban redevelopment efforts focusing on sustainability and environmental issues in the process.
With this aspect of the industry, the list of opportunities in real estate grows even larger. Mr.
Mason informed me that I could take one of the following avenues in the future: go for a small
company and sell residential homes, shoot for a large firm where I could specialize in any aspect
of running the business, or work for the government in the public sector. Depending on which
direction I choose, there are opportunities to climb the ranks in a large firm or choose to open my
own agency.
Oxford Development offers a few internship positions, more on the marketing side of
their business. They are more open to shadowing opportunities. Mr. Mason suggests pursuing
any opportunity that will give me a competitive edge, but honing in on the specific direction of
real estate that most interests me, whether that’s urban, residential, or commercial. Overall,
Weiner 5
interviewing Mr. Mason was extremely beneficial in helping me envision myself in the real
estate industry.