As part of our Women's LEAD series, we are profiling women in leadership at Nicola Wealth. The series begins with a look at women leaders in our real estate team, starting with Stephanie Loucas, Senior Asset Manager. Having been with the company since 2020, Stephanie shares her insights on how role models have influenced her, paying it forward, and the impact of networking.
What leadership at Nicola Wealth looks like … for Stephanie Loucas
As Senior Asset Manager, Real Estate, at Nicola Wealth Stephanie Loucas oversees all the multi-family assets within the company’s real estate funds, with a growing portfolio including assets in Canada (approximately 950 units with 2,000 under development) and the U.S. (approximately 23,000 rental units mostly in the southeast region). Having joined Nicola Wealth three years ago, she brought with her 18 years of experience in the real estate industry, from residential sales to office leasing to rental leasing and operations.
Role models influence your leadership path.
When she first joined Nicola Wealth, Stephanie worked for Mary Aubrey, former Senior Vice-President of Real Estate, who retired in 2022 and who she describes as “a legend in real estate”. When Mary joined Nicola Wealth, there were only three people on the asset management team, and Nicola Wealth's Real Estate team was just starting to grow. “When you’re putting together a new or growing team, everyone has to pull their weight,” Mary reflects. “You need to empower people from the top and lead by example. That involves a lot of mentoring, listening and hands-on support." Mary saw Stephanie’s leadership potential through her prior experience with Aquilini properties, where she managed a strong team and honed her ability to work collaboratively with property managers.
For her part, Stephanie recalls what a great role model Mary was, especially her accessibility as a senior leader. “Any time you needed something from Mary, she was there. When she retired, I saw the entire real estate community reach out to her and congratulate her on her career. You know she is a good leader when everyone is coming to her.”
Nurture next-generation leaders to be aware of their career options.
This past summer, Stephanie had the opportunity to mentor the summer interns rotating through the Nicola Wealth Real Estate team. Sitting down with them and talking about the bigger picture of real estate allowed Stephanie to provide guidance and insights that can only be shared by someone who has walked the path. By explaining the ‘why’ behind decisions and processes, Stephanie wants to empower emerging leaders: “That’s the knowledge I valued in my career and the kind of knowledge I like to give to other people.”
Networking keeps you closer to the industry and peers, both of which are critical for professional growth and visibility.
Nicola Wealth’s Real Estate team has been active members with CREW Vancouver, an organization founded to give greater focus and profile to women in real estate. “Because real estate has always been a male-dominated industry, that might prevent a lot of women from starting a career or working in real estate,” says Stephanie. Joining a collective community like CREW can give exposure to the different career options and opportunities for growth. “The best advice I would give anyone looking to get into real estate is to network from a young age. The more people you meet, the easier it becomes to expand your network and climb the ladder.”
