employees, and leaders encourage everyone to seek advice,
offer insight or express work-related concerns. However, lead-
ers also empower employees to do their jobs and take owner-
ship of their work, with the ultimate reward of becoming a
shareholder in the company. “This is a dynamic workplace and
a team-oriented work environment,” Karen Benoit, SVP of mar-
keting, says. “Employees are not only engaged to provide qual-
ity products and services, but they are proud of the work they
achieve together. Their efforts are what help us win business
and provide satisfied customers with quality products and ser-
vices.”
The quality work environment has not only helped Kidder
Mathews to attract talent, but the firm reports very little turn-
over.
Kimco Realty Corp.
“Simply put, Kimco cares about its people,” says Chris Freeman,SVP of property management at the firm. The Jericho, NewYork-based public REIT reports that its success is directly relatedto its talented workforce and company culture. That culture isfounded on inclusiveness, diversity, transparency and teamworkand an executive team that promotes collaboration, positivityand direct feedback from employees. In fact, the firm has nearlyperfect scores in its workplace surveys, with 91% of employeesresponding that Kimco is a great place to work, compared to59% at the average US company, and 96% responding thatKimco’s management team is trustworthy and ethical. “Kimcounderstands the importance and value of hiring top talent, compensating our people at or above market wages, and for investing in our people, so that we can attract and retain great people,” adds Freeman.
Kimco doesn’t just support their team in current roles, but cre-
ates an environment that nurtures career growth. The firm has a
multi-faceted approach to training and education. In 2019, the
Kimco completed 35,000 hours of associate training, an average
of 67 hours per employee. It also supports industry certifications
and offers tuition reimbursement of up to $6,000. Training is
important at every level in the firm, and Kimco provides manage-
ment education and coaching through Harvard executive pro-
gram, the Center for Creative Leadership. Ultimately, this pays off
through in-house promotions. The company promotes from
within whenever possible, and last year, 50% of all open positions
were filled internally. “Kimco has continually shown support for
employee advancement and takes pride in promoting from
within,” says Kristina Burmeister, a leasing representative. “This is
made evident by the executive team announcing company-wide
promotions on quarterly all-employee calls. I have personally
experienced advancement firsthand, receiving a promotion after
being at Kimco for only a few years. My manager worked closely
with me to make sure I was always learning and put pride in pre-
paring me for the next role.”
Beyond culture, employees have the tools that they need to per-
form their jobs. All employees get Apple laptops and iPhones so
that they can access the work system and video conference from
anywhere. It’s these small details that illustrate the leadership’s
contemporary thinking and commitment to its staff and inclusive
company culture.
LumaCorp Inc.
Although employees at Dallas, Texas-based property management
firm LumaCorp are geographically spread out at different assets,
the firm strives to create a close-knit, family environment.
“LumaCorp is a company that is in it for the long haul, and our
people and our practices reflect that,” Ian Mattingly, president of
LumaCorp, says. “From our humble beginnings as a simple prop-
erty management firm, to our current status as a full-service com-
mercial real estate company, we have remained true to the simple
axiom, people first. If it’s good for our people, we do our best to
make it happen. From affordable health insurance, a world-class
retirement plan, excellent mentoring and training opportunities,
we do everything we can to make this a place people want to be.”
The company urges employees to take advantage of continuing
education opportunities by paying for 100% of courses and offer-
ing an additional 48 hours of paid time off per year for employees
to take classes and seminars. “The ongoing education provided at
the company’s expense ensures employees that their company is
invested in their growth,” says Esther Torres, CPM and regional
manager. “We have excellent and supportive training, accounting,
best business practices, capital projects, screening and recruiting
departments.” Plus, employees are incentivized to grow and learn
through frequent in-house promotions.
Overall, LumaCorp describes its team as a family, and familiessupport one-another. So, the company also has bring-your-chil-dren-to-work programs and offers significant rental discounts foremployees who live at properties within the portfolio, among otherofferings. These features help create a seamless work-life balanceand a happy work environment.
Matthews Real Estate
Investment Services
In 2015, Kyle Matthews launched Matthews Real Estate InvestmentServices to bring a fresh perspective to the brokerage industry andbetter serve clients. To do that, he focused on building a solid team
