Marci Alvarado has earned a reputation as a problem-solver and a team player. She has been a broker in commercial real estate for almost 17 years, overcoming many obstacles in this male-dominated field. At her first job with Spaulding & Slye as a research associate, she worked directly with brokers, and quickly realized that commercial real estate was her passion. But it would be five years from the time she decided to become a broker until she was given the opportunity to become one.
It was with her husband’s encouragement and support that she persevered. A magna cum laude graduate of UMass Boston with a bachelor’s in economics, she was finally offered a position in Cushman & Wakefield’s year-long Career Development Program in 1997. She would go on to join Parsons Commercial Group in 2004. Alvarado credits her success to the support she has received from family and mentors, as well as the important relationships she has built with clients and brokers throughout the years, many of whom she has worked with from the beginning of her career. A client reports, “Marci takes the time to understand our needs and budget and then does her homework to maximize our time spent looking for space.”
Her supporters indicate that she makes this look easy, but it isn’t. Alvarado cautioned that some of the most challenging real estate situations she has encountered involve trying to help manage client expectations as it relates to the time it takes to evaluate their needs and to complete a real estate transaction.
“As long as I prepare my clients on what the commercial real estate deal cycle involves, and the market influences that impact the economics of a deal prior to going out into the market, that usually helps keep things in perspective,” she said.
She focuses on brokerage activities including investment sales, leasing and consulting as both a tenant and owner’s representative throughout the suburban Boston market. Her multi-disciplined experience spans the major real estate sectors of office, industrial, retail, research and development, manufacturing, medical, bio tech and development properties. She has completed well over $200 million in sales and leasing transactions during her career.
She counts as a mentor Darcy Stacom, an investment sales broker who worked for Cushman & Wakefield in New York City when the two met. Stacom was one of the company’s top producers in one of the world’s most competitive markets, and she was raising a family as well. While in training, Alvarado spent three days watching Stacom at work, and said she will always be thankful for the opportunity to observe her in action.
Another mentor is John Parsons, president of Parsons Commercial Group, whom she credits with helping her to thrive at work while at the same time being available to her family. She is raising twin boys, Nicolas and Lucas, and has been married to her husband Sergio for more than 20 years.
Marci has volunteered for a number of important philanthropic organizations, including The Rose Fund, which provides assistance to victims of domestic abuse, and Jeff’s Place Metrowest, which counsels bereaved children. She has participated in the Dana Farber fundraising walk as a member of “Team Sandy” for the past two years and intends to complete 26.2 miles in this year’s event. Giving back to the community is very important to her and her success in commercial real estate has helped to afford her this opportunity.
