Membership Spotlight: Amy Lang

Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023

Amy Lang, Strategic Talent Development Leader, Colliers international, Vancouver

Amy Lang is the Director, Talent Development, North America at Colliers and is based in Vancouver. In her role, she leads talent planning, learning & development, and sales & leadership programs. With nearly 15 years of experience in real estate, Amy brings a business-driven approach to talent development, partnering with leaders to identify opportunities to maximize their talent and achieve results. Amy specializes in developing programs for leaders, sales professionals, and furthering our commitments diversity, equity & inclusion. Amy is a certified organizational coach, enabling individuals and teams to maximize their full potential.

Amy, thank you for being our Member Spotlight! Can you tell us how you first became involved with CREW Vancouver? As someone who works in the field of career growth and professional development, why do you feel being a part of organizations like CREW is important?

I was first involved with CREW Vancouver several years ago when I was new to CRE. Colliers is a long-standing supporter of CREW and I saw it as an opportunity to learn more about the industry and expand my network. Professional associations are a great way to explore your industry through making connections and taking advantage of learning opportunities. Organizations such as CREW offer both networking and development opportunities at all levels. As a member, I am most excited to support the development of others while learning about other areas of CRE. I am a big believer in giving back but definitely see opportunities for my own development too.

How did you get into your current role as the Director, Talent Development at Colliers? What motivated you to pursue a career in talent development?

My career progression has been a matrix and I have been lucky to be at an organization that has allowed me to carve my own path. I started my career in real estate at a boutique luxury residential marketing & sales firm in 2008. The 2009 recession presented a unique opportunity to join Colliers, where I spent several years within brokerage operations. The common thread for me has always been improving the way we work and developing others.

In 2018, I joined our Junior Broker Development program, drawing on the unique experience I gained working within brokerage and apply to training & development. That experience was the catalyst for me – I found my purpose and could see the opportunity to evolve the way we develop our people and prepare our industry for the future.

Over the last six years, my role has expanded along with my personal & professional development. I am motivated by how we are evolving and the opportunity to influence the future of commercial real estate. After all these years, I am still excited for what is next and how I might grow into the next role.

How has the real estate industry changed since you first started your career? What skills do you think are most important for professionals to possess in today's market?

When I started in CRE 15 years ago, we weren’t talking about Talent Management and Development in the same way, if at all. For starters, we weren’t talking about how we can diversify our talent. I recall a lot of fixed mindset around predictors of success, even who could be successful – this is changing because we are intentional about it. How we develop our early careers talent feels entirely different – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “back in the day you got a desk, a phone, and a phonebook”. So yeah, we’ve changed, we’ve become more sophisticated in many ways while maintaining many of the common traits of this industry.

Today, we see much more of an advisory approach within our industry, which requires professionals to deepen their emotional intelligence, communication, and growth-mindset skills. Together, these skills become the foundations for business development, negotiations, or putting together a great pitch. These are the skills that are emphasized as our industry, our clients, and technology evolve - It’s exciting.

Finally, what keeps you energized and fulfilled outside the office and how do you make time for these pursuits? What advice do you have for professionals struggling to find work-life balance?

I have a young active family, so we spend lots of time together in the yard, on the water, and at the ice rink – we recently all got in to pickleball and welcomed a puppy to the family! It’s fun to be able to share in things while the kids are still young. I am always looking for ways to learn and develop myself, I recently completed an Organizational Coaching certification. While a huge time commitment, the work was so energizing and rewarding.

I think about things in terms of work-life integration. I am focused on delivering results for our clients and stakeholders, enabling my team to do their best work, and supporting each of us as whole people. I am fortunate to be able to flex my time, which means that sometimes I take work calls at 7:30am and so I can take my kids to a skating lesson at 3:30pm or getting in a workout. Other days I’m still working at bedtime. This works for me and for the family. I encourage my team to find what enables them to deliver results, be responsive, and find their own balance.

My advice is to be intentional with your time and your energy, focus on results, and communicate relentlessly. If you’re struggling to find a level of balance for you long-term, it’s time to take an inventory of your priorities and how you are structuring your time. Focus on what gives you energy and infuse that into the other areas of your life.