Resilience, leadership and the hot commercial real estate market with LaShawn Bates

LaShawn has been the market leader in Tampa for JLL since 2019. Her territory covers Tampa Bay and Central Florida and she oversees more than 40 brokers. A passionate alum of the University of Kansas, LaShawn has been in the Tampa market for some 20 years and the commercial real estate business for 25 years. She’s executed over 350 assignments totaling $5 billion for institutional clients with both industrial and office portfolios. Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon and LaShawn talked about JLL’s recent significant expansion in Tampa — and why the firm did it. (She’s obviously a fan of working in the office, not WFH.) They also talked about what she looks for in leaders (resilience is a big one, character, too), what she has learned from her mentors and more. 

3 Takeaways:

(03:20) Relationships, relationships, relationships 

(18:20) Perform and execute what is in front of you

(19:40) Be where your feet are

Timestamps:

(00:00) This episode is sponsored by Kerkering Barberio

(00:26) Introducing Lashawn Bates and rapid fire questions

(01:50) How did you get into commercial real estate and succeed?

(03:40) Building relationships

(05:40) Working for JLL and becoming a leader

(07:50) From broker to leader

(08:55) JLL’s growth in the market

(13:10) Leadership characteristics

(18:10) Leadership advice

(20:40) The importance of practicing

(22:45) Overcoming rejection

(26:20) JLL in 2025