Mary graduates from Florida State with an MBA in Real Estate.
Mary Sweitzer went to college thinking she wanted to be a dentist — until a summer internship making crowns in a dental lab made her realize it wasn’t the career path for her. She decided to pursue her MBA from Florida State University. There, while taking a class in real estate principles, she discovered real estate was her true calling, and today she’s a real estate development analyst in our Gainesville, Florida, office.
“I didn't exactly know what I wanted to do with my undergrad degree,” Mary says. “I didn't have everything figured out as much as I wanted. But during my MBA courses I was told I had a personality that would do well in real estate, and I also enjoyed the financial and data management part of real estate. In my role here I’m constantly reminded this is one of the best places for me to be.”
Others in the industry must agree, because Mary was selected to join the Housing’s Future Leaders program with John Burns Research and Consulting. The one-year program, billed as "a learning and networking opportunity for the industry’s emerging stars," gives Mary the opportunity to learn about the residential housing market from her peers across the U.S. via monthly virtual meetings.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet people, which is so important in this business,” she says. “It gives me a chance to glean insight on the state of the industry in different markets and learn about how local economies impact housing.”
In her day job, Mary spends a lot of time looking at budgets, analyzing data and calculating financial returns for various project options.
“Funny enough, our office here in Gainesville is right next to a dental office,” she says. “Every day I walk right past their door on my way to our office. I frequently think about the choice I made that led me here instead of there and smile about it, knowing I could have easily been working in the space next door. But I know I made the right decision to go into real estate.”
Mary represents Weyerhaeuser at the annual FSU Real Estate Trends Conference last year.
GET TO KNOW MARY
Why did you choose Weyerhaeuser?
I did some research on the company’s values, what we do, and how real estate fits into it all. It was intriguing to me. During the interview process, I felt like the team was exactly what I was looking for from a culture standpoint.
What's your role as a real estate analyst?
I serve the Real Estate Development team, doing anything that requires financial justification. I work on budgets and help the Finance team in Seattle with reporting for my teams. I also work with consultants to study market feasibility. We have consultant teams and projects in so many areas, so I assist with project management. I also support the mitigation banking services team, as well as the team doing alternative and small parcel acquisitions. It's cool because I get to touch a lot of different work.
How do you explain Weyerhaeuser to your family and friends?
Most people in the Southeast are not as familiar with Weyerhaeuser as communities in the Pacific Northwest, so there is a bit more background to explain. First, I tell them about the value we add as a Real Estate Development team, how we can do that through sustainable management of the forest, through horizontal infrastructure, and through our oversight of projects. At the end of the day, I tell people I’m here to ensure projects make good fiscal sense, and typically, that clicks.
Mary’s the board treasurer for the Humane Society of North Central Florida. Here Mary and her fiancé Daniel enjoy the annual fundraiser event, Woofstock.
Have there been any surprises in your experience so far?
I didn't have much education in the urban planning side of real estate; I focused more on the acquisition and disposition side of things. So, when I started working with the development team, I quickly learned just how much goes into developing relationships with communities, learning about people and what they need and want, how utilities work, and how local governance works. That’s been a huge learning experience for me.
What’s been your favorite project so far?
I like working on our West New Bern master-planned community in North Carolina because I’ve gotten to touch so many different aspects of a long-term development project — planning, construction, multi-family, single family… it’s a whole community being built.
I also love helping justify parcel acquisitions. It’s exciting work, and I'm grateful to be included on things that are outside of my day-to-day job. I get to learn so much about markets, properties and what makes them valuable.
What do you like most about the team?
I really love the people I work with. Everyone I've met within the company has been so helpful, kind, genuine and honest, and I really appreciate that.
What makes this position a good fit for you?
I’ve been able to prove that my initial feelings about Weyerhaeuser were correct. I believe that what we do is ethical, valuable and important… for forestry, timberlands and wood products all the way through real estate development. It's a good fit for me because of all these things, and because I can come to work, add value to my team, learn and keep building on all that. Plus, I really like what I do.
