In this episode of the Beyond on the Resume Podcast, presented by Jackson Lucas Executive Search, Chris Papa and Lisa Flicker sit down with David Wheeler, Chief Operating Officer at Silver Star Properties, to explore his incredible career shift from civil engineering to real estate leadership. David shares his unique journey from the construction site to the C-suite, detailing the bold transition into the self-storage market, how technology is reshaping property management, and what he looks for when hiring future real estate leaders.

Whether you’re curious about breaking into commercial real estate, navigating a career pivot, or learning what it takes to lead a company through strategic transformation, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration.

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Chapters:

(01:26) Overview of Silver Star Properties REIT

(04:45) Why self-storage is a scalable, tech-driven model

(08:21) David’s background: From civil engineering to business

(10:04) Discovering business and finance in college

(11:58) Early real estate projects and entering development

(17:46) Lessons from starting during a real estate downturn

(18:26) Investment sales as a foundation for a real estate career

(19:49) Transitioning from brokerage to principal side

(23:28) David enters the Hot Seat 🔥

(26:18) Most memorable deal: $259M refinance with Goldman Sachs

(27:44) What David looks for when hiring real estate professionals

(29:21) Key mentors and career influencers

(33:40) On holding grudges and moving forward

Links

YouTube: https://youtu.be/nqt1RJkirso

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/35ZJGLT

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3I3nkG9

Web: https://www.jacksonlucas.com/podcast/david-wheeler