The Shift is a LeaseUp podcast hosted by our founder Kurt Chisholm, in conversation with brokers at the intersection of CRE and tech
The Shift is a LeaseUp podcast hosted by our founder Kurt Chisholm, in conversation with brokers at the intersection of CRE and tech. The guests come from different professional backgrounds, but all leverage technology to get more deals done.
For the third episode of The Shift, Kurt spoke with Carrie Bobb, CEO of hellojenny and the founder and CEO of Carrie Bobb & Co.
“We've been so siloed in how our industry works for so long that the world has kind of passed us by on these social platforms and how money is being traded. We have to play catchup.”
Watch on YouTube
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Carrie got started in CRE in 2003, and throughout her 20-year career has proven adept at embracing emerging technology to innovate in the field.
Her company hellojenny in particular leverages platforms like TikTok and Instagram to reach consumers in novel ways and help landlords and brokers drive more sales via tech.
"We're following retail, where the money's going. It's social commerce. Social commerce is expected to grow three times faster than e-commerce. Money being spent through social media apps is supposed to hit $1.25 trillion by 2025. That's a lot of money being spent every year on social media apps.”
Carrie and Kurt discuss how Gen Z preferences are exacerbating this trend, and what it means for the future of CRE: “We're still in the early adopter phase for [social commerce in] commercial real estate… This is a whole new seat at the table.”
They also talk more broadly about changes in the CRE landscape, technological shifts ("When I started in retail brokerage, there was no online shopping... Our industry has changed a lot in 20 years”), and Carrie’s high-profile advocacy for protections against sexual assault in the workplace.
Originally from Arizona, Carrie Bobb has racked up an impressive resume as a tenant rep and CRE professional in San Diego and, more recently, Nashville, where she lives today.
She’s completed transactions exceeding $2 billion in total consideration, much of that during a 15-year stint at CBRE. Today Carrie wears multiple hats. She’s the founder and CEO of retail brokerage company Carrie Bobb & Co, and the CEO of hellojenny, a digital marketing firm specializing in social media marketing and digital strategies for brick-and-mortar retail properties.
She’s also co-founder of The Carrie Bobb Foundation, a philanthropic organization promoting “Carrie’s Law,” a bipartisan bill ending arbitration for sexual assault and rape in employment contracts. The foundation’s site states: “There is hope that can be found by turning the narrative around into a charge for awareness and championing in a new era of better, healthier workplaces.”
Kurt Chisholm is the founder and CEO of LeaseUp. Kurt’s been in CRE for over a decade, as a tenant rep broker, landlord, and investor. He left brokerage to build LeaseUp after realizing the need for a CRE deal platform that lets brokers leverage tech to get more deals done.
Stay tuned: Future episodes of The Shift season one feature insightful, impactful, and thought-provoking discussions with guests including Ra'eesa Motala from Rokos Advisors, Otso co-founder Marissa Limsiaco, and many more.
Sign up for a free trial to try LeaseUp firsthand.
