Influential Woman · Commercial Real Estate
Cecilia Xu
Managing Principal, GT Global Advisory Inc.
New York, NY
Her Story
About Cecilia
I've been in commercial real estate since 2016, and my journey has been quite unconventional. My educational background was never in real estate or finance - I studied journalism for my undergraduate degree and linguistics at NYU for my master's. Despite this, I've excelled in the industry, getting promoted faster than others my age and even being invited to speak on a panel with the CEO of one of the biggest industrial companies in the world at a comparatively younger age. I spent almost 10 years with Cushman Wakefield, one of the top commercial real estate brokerage firms, working on the equity and seller side. Last October, I made a significant pivot to become a partner at Blackship Capital, a Canadian private credit fund and family office. This move came after graduating from Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development, which strengthened my leadership skills and made me realize I wanted to do something beyond the traditional corporate 9-to-5. Now I'm on the buy side, working in private credit and debt rather than equity, which offers better work-life balance and long-term economic benefits through carry and cash flow. The transition has been challenging - I'm responsible for every decision, from analyzing deal risks to managing legal costs and everything in between. As an Asian woman in commercial real estate, an industry dominated by white men, I've had to develop extra confidence to make my voice heard. People often mistake me for an analyst because I look younger than my age, but I've learned to project confidence from the inside out to earn respect. I'm proud that I've been willing to try new things even when I wasn't confident, because I believe if you don't try, you'll fail, but if you try, there's always possibility. My open-mindedness has given me more opportunities. Currently, my goal is to expand the U.S. market presence for my company, as this is our first year operating in the United States.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cecilia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being open-minded and willing to try new things, even when I'm not confident or when it's not something I'm naturally best at. I force myself to try because I believe that if you don't try, you'll fail, but if you try, there's always possibility. My open-mindedness has given me more opportunities throughout my career. I'm willing to make mistakes, learn from them, fix them, and grow every single day. Even though my educational background was never in real estate or finance - I studied journalism and linguistics - I've been able to excel in commercial real estate because I'm willing to step outside my comfort zone. I also believe strongly in the power of confidence, especially as an Asian woman in an industry dominated by men. I've learned that you have to believe in yourself first before other people will trust you and give you opportunities. When you project confidence from the inside out, people will respect you and see your capabilities. This self-belief has been crucial to my advancement, allowing me to get promoted faster than my peers and to be invited to speak alongside industry leaders at a comparatively younger age.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to women starting off in commercial real estate is to really believe in yourself. A lot of women, especially when beginning their careers, are always very cautious and afraid of making mistakes or doing something wrong. But I think it's crucial to trust yourself, because a lot of people will see your confidence and then they will trust you. Sometimes you have to believe in yourself first to let other people believe in you - if you're not even believing in yourself, people won't trust you and won't give you opportunities. Confidence is very, very important, especially for minority women. As an Asian woman in commercial real estate, I feel this even more acutely than people who grew up in the U.S. might. The first thing is that you have to believe you can make this work. You can make it, and other people will actually be affected by your confidence and they'll want to give you a try. This is particularly important in commercial real estate, which is dominated by men, and where there are very few Asian women. You need that extra confidence to make your voice heard and to have your opinions respected by others in the industry.
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