Meet Hillary Taatjes Woznick!

Why/how did you choose this career path?

After leaving a career in Chicago I moved back to Grand Rapids and took a marketing position for NAI Wisinski of West Michigan. After that I decided I wanted to jump off the diving board into helping people with their real estate, because of how well I got to know the properties and people. Which led me to teaming up with my father, Doug Taatjes, who has been in the commercial real estate industry for more than 30 years.

If you had one piece of advice for someone starting out in commercial real estate, what would that be?

A wise person once told me, “Be faithful to the opportunities, and let God provide the results.”

Where do you see commercial real estate in 5-10 years?

I started my career right after the market crash in 2008, which was the most brutal market West Michigan has had. It now has started to climb, so I have gotten to see the bottom and the top. I think that it will level off at some point and see a type of correction.

What do you enjoy most about working for NAI Wisinski?

I enjoy the culture, collaborative spirits, pro-teaming, and that I have gotten to work with every broker here. Also, we care more about the people more than the results.

What distinguishes you from the competition?

Less than 5% of commercial real estate sales brokers are women. More women are becoming CEO’s and CFO’s and want to hear a women’s perspective as well. So being a woman at that table gives me an advantage because I bring a different perspective.

My favorite part of real-estate is..

Every day is a surprise because I am not doing the same thing every day. I could be in a hard hat at a construction site, looking at a vacant piece of land, in an office building, or along the lake shore. I am never bored. Seeing the properties and seeing the people gives me energy.