There are countless reasons why we think commercial real estate is the best industry to make a career. Of course, we may be a bit biased. But even so, we clearly are not alone. Following are our picks for the annual 50 Under 40 awards—our list of rising young stars in the industry that we feel compelled to call out for their achievements. But while we think that CRE is the best industry to be in, we are under no illusions about what it takes to be No. 1. These men and women have all brought something unique to the table, to say nothing of hard work and a winning attitude, thus meriting their inclusion in this year's list.

HENRY "TRIPP" ALEXANDER, III COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL Beginning his real estate career as an intern in college, Henry "Tripp" Alexander III quickly transitioned to specialize in industrial brokerage. Driven by an unwillingness to fail, Alexander treats each transaction as a unique project while serving as partner and director of industrial services at Colliers Alabama. Focusing on industrial tenant representation, site-selection and marketing services within North-Central Alabama, Alexander successfully executed $97 million in transactions in 2018. Through a proven track record in helping occupiers make market-driven decisions and assisting owners to ensure competitive marketing, he aims to grow and support the brand locally and nationally with trusted, long-standing clients.

JOE AMBROSE UC FUNDS With a life-long passion for finance and an interest in tangible investments, Joe Ambrose commenced his career in real estate directly after college. He began leading UC Fund's screening and originations teams at the age of 29, and he has continued to do so for the past decade, completing more than $2 billion in closed deals. As SVP of production at the firm, Ambrose handles the structuring and credit evaluation of transactions. He evaluates loan requests, filters deals, proposes structures for potential opportunities, maximizes debt and equity investment volume and trains younger analysts within the firm. Ambrose's strong work ethic and abilities in yielding strong risk-adjusted returns have earned him in-house recognitions.