Stacy Farmer

Meet Stacy Farmer

What is your role at Avison Young?

VP Marketing NC & Southeast Region Marketing Lead; I plan and execute marketing and communication strategies focused on growing the Avison Young brand and delivering results.

How did you get into commercial real estate?

Short answer - the good Lord closed a door and opened another one. I had been working as a marketing specialist for a hospitality FF&E company when a recession hit, and I lost my job. Within a few weeks, I landed an interview with the Southeast's largest REIT, Highwoods Properties. I had a close friend who worked in commercial real estate and I knew she enjoyed the work. So, I wanted that job and was thrilled they hired me in a marketing role. That job became a 10-year journey where I became a CRE sponge. I attended every meeting I possibly could in order to listen and learn as much as possible. I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity they gave me.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life?

Without question, my mother has been the most influential woman in my life. I tried to think of women in my career path, but none compare to my mother. She was a single mom working for a Fortune 500 company. She worked her way up the ranks as far as she could go without a college degree.

I remember when I was a child, she told me how much she wanted to go to college, but her parents could only afford to send one child, their son. Mom was one of seven children (6 girls and 1 boy), so her brother would go to college. Mom and her sisters were expected to either get married or go to work. I vowed that if I ever had a daughter and she wanted to go to college, I would find a way to make it happen. Later in life, Mom would survive breast cancer and I learned she was even more amazing than I realized. And from this incredible woman who I'm so lucky to call "mom", I learned the importance of a strong work ethic, determination, commitment, resiliency, kindness, compassion, and faith.

What advice would you give women starting out in real estate?

My advice to women starting in real estate would be to dive in and immerse themselves in all facets of the business. Learn all you can and then figure out what you can offer that no one else can. Be true to yourself and who you are as a person. And be a sponge!

This year's IWD theme is Choose to Challenge. What do you choose to challenge or celebrate to help create more inclusion in your community?

I choose to celebrate women who have overcome adversity or been overlooked. I challenge myself to seek out and support women who want more and need an advocate. And I challenge myself to tell women when I see something amazing inside of them that they don't see in themselves. Whether working outside or inside the home, supporting our moms, friends, colleagues, sisters, and daughters has never been more important. And if I can lift up just one person and help them achieve their best self, then that's a good day.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I was a dancer when I was young. My mom had me in my first dance class when I was only two years old. It was a passion, and I danced throughout my youth until I graduated high school. I learned so much from dance including discipline, self-confidence, and teamwork. To this day, dance is a big part of our family's life now that my daughter is a dancer.

What women’s organizations would you recommend other women get involved with?

In the commercial real estate industry, CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) is the gold standard for women wanting to get involved in an organization.