Her Story
About Ciarra
Ciarra Owen is a commercial real estate advisor based in Virginia who helps business owners, investors, landlords, and tenants navigate property selection, leasing, acquisitions, financing, and growth. She currently serves as a Realtor Associate with Alexandrian Partners, where she offers strategic guidance and strong negotiation on behalf of her clients. Her path began with a background in biology and psychology, followed by a leasing consultant role in property management that introduced her to real estate. She later earned her Virginia real estate license and worked in residential real estate, including with RE/MAX, before her interest in advising business owners led her to focus on commercial real estate. She continues to work as a radiologic technologist with Inova Health.
Ciarra is deeply involved in Virginia's business community. She serves as the commercial realtor for the Super Nova chapter of BNI and as an Ambassador for the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce. She also holds memberships with the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce. A former NCAA Division III women's basketball player, she brings a competitive, team-oriented mindset to her work. She builds lasting relationships through consistent follow-up, open communication, and honesty, and she owns her mistakes and sets expectations from the outset.
Education is at the center of the value Ciarra provides. She walks clients through every stage of a transaction, from lease negotiation and financing to long-term equity, so they can make confident, informed decisions. Motivated by her experience as a young woman in a male-dominated industry, she hopes to launch a training platform that gives new commercial real estate professionals a solid foundation in industry knowledge, prospecting, and client communication. Guided by a commitment to continuous learning and authenticity, she aims to help both her clients and the next generation of agents succeed.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ciarra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to three principles I live by every day: following up, setting clear expectations, and staying true to myself. They guide how I wake up, how I speak with people, and how I show up in every interaction, and they set the tone for every relationship that follows. I also believe in continuous learning and surround myself with people I can learn from, because if you're not learning, you're not growing. My early experience in property management taught me the value of relationship-building, organization, communication, trust, and follow-through.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to follow up, build genuine relationships, set clear expectations, and stay true to yourself. I've learned that networking is more than making connections. It means maintaining relationships, checking in consistently, being a trusted resource, and connecting people with others who can support them. I was also encouraged to stay authentic, remain curious, keep learning, and develop my own approach to my industry rather than conform to what others expect.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Build genuine relationships, set clear expectations, and stay true to yourself. Treat networking as an ongoing commitment: check in consistently, be a trusted resource, and help connect people with others who can support them. Stay authentic and curious, keep learning, and develop your own approach to the industry rather than conforming to what others expect of you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I see a major opportunity in the growing role of AI, which is simplifying administrative work and helping professionals become more efficient. The challenge I see is the education and training available to new commercial real estate professionals. Experienced agents are often extremely busy and the industry is highly independent, so new agents can receive fragmented training. This inspires me to consider building an educational platform or training company that gives new agents a strong foundation in terminology, transaction processes, prospecting, follow-up, relationship-building, and client communication. As a young woman in a male-dominated industry, I'm motivated to help both women and men enter commercial real estate better prepared and more confident.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My most important values are honesty, communication, transparency, education, accountability, and service. I bring my clients open communication and clear expectations from the start. We're all human and we make mistakes, so I believe in acknowledging them and being honest with myself and my clients. The greatest value I offer is education. I want business owners to understand the entire commercial real estate process, from choosing an appropriately sized property and negotiating a lease to understanding timelines, financing, growth, and long-term equity, so they build a strong foundation and understand the consequences of their decisions.
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