Dunn

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Theresa Dunn

Senior Managing Director

Charles Dunn Co.

Claim to Fame: Brokered $25 million in transactions in 12 months

Theresa Dunn first broke into commercial real estate to earn spending money for visits to Disneyland.

That was more than three decades ago, when she was a 10-year-old helping her dad with open-house signs and mailing labels at the family’s business, Charles Dunn Co.

Despite that early history, Dunn didn’t go back to work for the family business right away after graduating from Georgetown University. Instead, she entered the real estate banking field with Union Bank in Los Angeles. But in 1977, Dunn Co. hired its first woman broker, and that prompted Dunn to return to the 77-year-old company.

“At the time, it was bad enough to be the child of the owner to have to prove oneself, let alone being a woman,” Dunn recalls. “I figured if she could do it, I could too.”

Dunn does a little of everything when it comes to real estate services, representing both buyers and sellers in building transactions, as well as landlords and tenants in lease deals. Her clients have included Prudential Life Insurance of America, American Express and Bank of America.

“I am an old-style broker. I like to work with both sides of the transaction, which opens up more doors and lets you understand how each side works,” she said.

In the last 12 months, Dunn has closed $25 million in sales encompassing more than 330,000 square feet of space. Notable transactions include representing the Fritz Burns Foundation in the $10.3 million sale of its 200,000-square-foot shopping center in Panorama City, and the sale of an 180,000-square-foot Wells Fargo office building in Simi Valley to Schmid Development Co. for $11.3 million.

She has established a number of long-term relationships, often going back 15 years. One such veteran client is Novato-based Firemen’s Fund, a property/casualty insurance company, which Dunn has represented in multiple lease transactions over the years.

“She’s extremely responsive to our needs and quickly returns phone calls, which makes our jobs easier,” said Don Dole, project manager of leasing for the Firemen’s Fund.

Nola L. Sarkisian

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