(Connect has handed out its third-annual Canadian Women in Real Estate Awards. This story profiles Sarah Stanford.)

By Amy Wolff Sorter

As a director with CBRE in Calgary, Sarah Stanford is responsible for leading the company’s workplace-strategy initiatives across Western Canada.

With 20-plus years of experience in delivering high-performance workplaces, Stanford has established herself as a trusted expert in the field. Her track record includes spearheading some of the practice’s most complex workplace strategies, including portfolio and enterprise solutions.

At her core, Stanford is a natural communicator who draws immense satisfaction from building deep and trusting relationships. Helping her clients, their teams, or the stakeholders she interacts with, Stanford demonstrates her ability to forge strong connections, creating a testament to her leadership. She believes that these relationships are the cornerstone of her work, allowing her to understand and meet her clients’ needs better and to co-ordinate multi-disciplinary teams of professionals to achieve innovative results that positively impact both the employee experience and the bottom line.

She promotes employment opportunities for women and other industry colleagues, not just positions within CBRE but also with other companies.

Prior to joining CBRE in 2021, she held interior-design-related positions with Perkins and Will, Limperts Academy of Design, 21 Spaces and Lafferty Design and Architects, gaining experience that helps her in her current role.

These are just some of the reasons why Connect Canada CRE honoured Sarah Stanford with a 2025 Canadian Women in Real Estate Award. The awards celebrate the achievements and inspirational stories of women who have reached respected leadership positions and taken on mentorship roles.

Read about all of the 2025 CWIRE award recipients.