Mary Ricks

Managing Director of Commercial Investment Sales

Kennedy-Wilson International

Claim to Fame: Handled sale of 100 Wilshire in Santa Monica

When Mary Ricks played center field for UCLA’s national-champion softball team, she caught the eye of a pro scout though not the sports kind.

“A recruiter from the Hanes Co. came to UCLA and he believed that athletes have what it takes to be successful in real estate,” she said. “So he was referred to me, and I got hired.”

After a stint at Hanes, Ricks left for Kennedy-Wilson. Today, as managing director of commercial investment sales, she oversees $500 million annually, mostly for large institutional investors. Earlier this year, Ricks represented Douglas Emmett Realty Advisors in the acquisition of 100 Wilshire in Santa Monica for $91 million, one of the year’s biggest transactions.

“I think her most important merit is that she is a very good communicator and a good listener,” said Shino Fujisawa, vice president with Shimizu Development (New York) Inc. “She listens carefully to what the parties have to say, and she manages to find a common ground between them.”

At 34, Ricks is younger than most of those people she works with. “It’s a bit like a changing of the guard,” she said. “When younger people show that they can get the job done, senior people will give them more responsibility. They need to because, after all the downsizing we’ve seen the last couple of years, that is the only way to get more work done.”

Ricks is working on another major deal, the sale of 1801 Century Park East. The 360,000-square-foot office building was put on the market by a trust represented by Heitman Real Estate Advisors, which in turn enlisted Kennedy-Wilson to represent it. The building is expected to sell in the upper $70 million range.

So do athletes really make good real estate brokers? Ricks thinks the two disciplines are, in fact, related.

“Athletes have the discipline and the drive that you need in this profession,” she said. “And aside from being competitive, you’ve also got to have team spirit.”

Edvard Pettersson