Erin Laney Barr
Managing Director & Market Leader | CBRE
What leadership principles guide your talent development, and how have you worked to create a more inclusive commercial real estate industry?
People first and always is a guiding light for me in this work — not only the people I work with at CBRE (over 140,000 worldwide), but our clients, our business colleagues and the communities we impact. We are nothing without all the people that make what we do possible. No person works “for” me. We work together. If anything, I am here to work for them, to make sure they are learning, growing and given the tools to go above and beyond.
During your time with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, you helped attract companies like Goldman Sachs, Boeing, and Adobe to the state. What makes Utah competitive for these high-value employers?
So many factors go into a company’s decision to relocate and expand into a new area. At the end of the day, companies want to be in a place where they are valued. Distilling it down further, companies want their people to be valued. Then, the company will be seen as a place where people want to work. Therefore, they will contribute to the company’s goals and mission. Again, people first. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t point out that it has to make good business sense for a company to make a relocation decision. If the policy environment is such that they don’t feel supported, heard and welcomed into a growth-friendly environment, they’ll have a hard time choosing Utah.
Which initiatives have you been involved in that have been most impactful?
As a member of the Utah Rising Steering Committee, you’re helping shape the state’s future development. What vision do you have for balancing economic growth with quality of life considerations, particularly as it relates to commercial real estate development?
I believe that we need a true consensus on what growth looks like going forward. Growth is inevitable.
I understand when people are afraid to lose what makes Utah great. I feel the same way. I want my son to experience all the wonderful reasons I decided to return to Utah after 10 years away. However, if we aren’t proactive in finding solutions together, the change will come, we won’t be prepared and we will all pay the price. I think of cities like Seattle, Denver and Austin. All places that have seen tremendous growth. Each of these cities has faced considerable headwinds because there wasn’t a consensus in city planning, infrastructure development and water needs.
We’ve all heard the “Team Utah” mantra over the last decade, and when it is working, it makes us unstoppable, while ensuring we keep all the things that make Utah so special. However, if any one person, organization, or personal agenda becomes the loudest voice in the room, we’ll all lose.
