by G. Sax, Head of Communications, RESO
We were recently given an opportunity to ask Three Questions of Sara Cooper, EVP, Real Estate Market at CRS Data. We chatted about spending your career with one company, why a program like the Real Estate Network of Empowered Women (RENEW) matters and adoration. Enjoy!
Q1: You have been at CRS Data for nearly 25 years, accounting for the bulk of your career, which is a gargantuan achievement these days. Are you that excited about property data or is there something more to that longevity?
Sara (laughing): It comes from an abundance of opportunity to pursue different aspects of the business. I’ve worked in marketing, sales, product development and then some. It hasn’t always been smooth, but there has always been growth potential. And now I am managing people in my former roles, which has taught me empathy where I didn’t used to have it.
This is my first big girl job. I graduated college, had a baby and got this job. I literally answered an ad in the newspaper for a technical support role – now known as helpdesk – faxed my resume, was the last person that they interviewed and I got it.
I am not in any way, form or fashion excited about property data and never have been. But being able to move around within the company and change and grow over time is a dream scenario at any job. The comfort of the company keeps me there. I truly like the people I work with, and I’ll talk about that more in a minute.
We weren’t in the MLS business when I started, but we sold directly to REALTORS® and broker offices. The bulk of our customers were appraisers, so we served them.
All through college, I worked in a helpdesk role for students and faculty, so I was very comfortable with the assignment. I have always enjoyed helping people. I like to solve problems that someone may not have the skill set to solve on their own.
That sounds kind of weird as I say it out loud, because it’s property data. But if I can help people be more efficient, get them in and out without becoming an expert on tax data, then we get them out there working on what they would rather be working on.
Like I said before, I love the people I work with. They take care of you, and I don’t take that for granted. I know people who work at other organizations that don’t always allow you to do the things you need to do in your personal life. This place lets you have a personal life! People can take advantage of that kind of environment in a negative way, but that’s just a personnel issue. People here want to work and do well.
It helps that we are profitable and that things are humming along. If things were different, maybe that wouldn’t be the case, but it’s been good.
What I do now, which runs the whole gamut of real estate decisions, is to try to think how our customers – which includes staff at MLS organizations – can benefit from what we provide. We want to make their jobs easier, knowing that they have to talk to their boards of directors and stakeholders.
Maybe we can help them present information better. Somebody made a decision to sign up and pay for our company’s product. How do we keep providing that benefit across leadership changes?
So we give MLS organizations the knowledge of why this is valuable, especially when there are competitors doing a good job of providing similar products. We welcome the competition, but I believe that I can show our customers the difference between us and what’s offered by discounters and for free.
Q2: There are many exceptional women leaders in organized real estate, but proptech as a whole has a 3:1 ratio of men to women, with a staggering 16:1 ratio at the founder level. You are now an industry veteran and have been involved with movements like RENEW. Do you feel like the industry encourages founder and hiring diversity, and what role are you taking in such initiatives?
Sara: Obviously, I’m all about girl power, and I have a daughter. When you’ve grown up in a time like I have – the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s – there have been improvements since the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. But you can still feel a difference between men and women.
For me, personally, it’s about being aware of that difference, knowing how to combat it and how to use it for my own good. I don’t mean in a selfish way. I’m still in the service industry, after all. But you have to work harder, sound smarter, etc.
I do think that there is change happening by creating more opportunities for women to become leaders. I honestly don’t know if our industry as a whole has certain areas that need to change, but I can say two things.
First, the companies I have worked for leaned heavily on male managers with female support staff. When Matt Casey became CEO of CRS Data, he changed all that. He doesn’t look at gender as a measure for advancement opportunity. CRS is such a relaxing and easy place to be as a female, and I am thankful for that.
Second, what I learned at the last RENEW conference, while being able to attend on behalf of my sponsoring company, was that we weren’t there to hear industry news or to sell, but to better survive as females and to make female friends.
I was surprised by the number of people in our industry that couldn’t go because of budget or whatever other reason. I’m not saying that other companies did have the budget and didn’t want to support this endeavor, but I hope to see that change and grow over time. And it’s not just women supporting this effort. There are men, too.
All of that is to say, I don’t have the perfect answer to your question. But if everyone can understand that there is a difference in our struggles, that will make it a little easier to look beyond gender. For example, is there a bias in VC funding for businesses started by men over women? That would be interesting to look into.
Q3: This might make you blush, but you are widely seen as a force of joy and positivity in our industry. When your name comes up, the comment I hear most is, “Oh, I love her!” I suspect that this has something to do with a successful career in customer experience, but would you care to elaborate on your sparkling reputation? Does it come from upbringing, a natural love of people or are you just faking it?
Sara: All three! It definitely has a lot to do with my upbringing. My parents and grandparents provided a positive influence, especially my mom. She could talk to anybody about anything, and I’ve picked that up.
I’m close to my dental hygienist and Amazon delivery guy. I love to hear their stories. There are people who want to talk that maybe haven’t been heard. What’s it to me to listen if it brings them joy? It motivates me to ease somebody’s burdens, no matter how trivial. If I’m able to give a little bit of myself, and it makes their day, week or month, then that’s success in my book.
That’s what I’ve always been around growing up, and I enjoy that – the one-on-ones or small groups. I’m an introvert at heart and spend a lot of time with family. At real estate conferences, my interactions are more intimate. I don’t like big groups, and I’m not a late-night person.
Sax: I knew there was a reason why our paths rarely cross. You’re the smart one!
Three Questions is a lighthearted interview series that features real estate industry professionals, their businesses and how they interact with real estate standards.
