Bringing the Principles of Design to CRE
I wanted to translate the luxury living of higher end apartments into more affordable solutions.
Chelsea Garber began her career focused on residential and commercial interior design. She transitioned to commercial real estate in 2019 founding an investment called Ascend Equity but she didn’t leave behind her esthetic-driven focus entirely.
“I’ve done everything from design to the construction remodeling of multimillion dollar homes to office space,” she tells GlobeSt.com. “Design has been a common theme throughout this work.”
Garber is one of the speakers at GlobeSt.com’s upcoming Women of Influence conference later this month. GlobeSt.com caught up with Garber to discuss how she made this transition and the worldview it has given her.
About design: I also own ROI ByDesign. It was founded because I noticed a large disconnect when it came to remodeling Class B and C apartments. I wanted to translate the luxury living of higher end apartments into more affordable solutions.
On transforming older apartment buildings: I always feel we are bringing life back to communities with these designs and do that through market research and understanding the resident profile. Older properties are not always the most appealing and you have to work with what you have. But we try to bring a modern fresh approach to the building, starting with the signage and the brand. The name of the community always makes the first impression.
Then we focus on the exterior design, including light fixtures, door hardware, all the way into the interiors. Just because a Class A might be out of the reach of a resident at this time in their lives doesn’t mean we can’t deliver the same look and feel. We just choose different products at lower price points. We want the residents to feel good about where they are living.
On working with women investors: One focus for me is helping women become financially free. I have a tribe of like-minded women who are successful in their careers, but have been afraid to talk about money even though they are top income earners. They learn how to invest and diversify and make sure they are making the most of their retirement cash
On why I transitioned to commercial real estate: I was living in New York City and had a very successful career. I owned my own design firm and thought when I had a certain amount of money my problems would be gone. But then I realized I wanted to venture into something that would leave a legacy for my family, which then transitioned into a desire to help others.