(Connect is spotlighting the inaugural winners of the Canadian Women in Real Estate Awards. In this article, we profile Erica Penrose, senior vice-president of multi-residential for Toronto-based GWL Realty Advisors.)

As a senior vice-president of multi-residential with GWL Realty Advisors, Erica Penrose oversees a portfolio valued in the billions of dollars.

Penrose is responsible for the portfolio’s overall asset management, operations, capital and leasing, and marketing. Prior to being promoted, she served as Toronto-based GWLRA’s vice-president of asset management, leading her group’s development activities from initial concept to operational excellence across Canada.

Penrose strives to shape the Canadian landscape through her work by developing communities. She takes great satisfaction in being involved in a concept and bringing it to life.

In addition, Penrose gains energy from coaching and mentoring people around her. She takes great pride in watching people transform and helping them take steps to gain empowerment and confidence in their work.

Outside of her regular job, she serves as a mentor with the Toronto chapter of CREW, having joined in 2020.

Penrose found success early in her commercial real estate career, serving as an analyst for one of Canada’s largest multi-residential property owners and developers, Starlight Investments.

According to a colleague who nominated her for a Canadian Women in Real Estate Award, she was a lead analyst in the IPO of one of the largest privately held apartment portfolios in Canada. She also played a major role in the subsequent $2.5-billion privatization of the same multi-residential REIT.

After about four years at Starlight, she moved on to Trinity Developments, where she rose quickly to become the firm’s associate vice-president of development, all while starting a young family.

In 2020, she joined GWLRA.