- 3225 Cumberland Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30339
- 404-806-0140
Chereda Miller
Miller Realty Commercial
Chereda Miller is the owner of Miller Realty, which is located in the heart of Atlanta. Her interest in real estate was sparked in college, and she used her career as a flight attendant to fund her real estate career. With a degree in Business Administration and Finance, she established an understanding of the analysis of numbers, which has proved to be very beneficial to her real estate career.
Immediately after college, she entered into residential real estate, flourishing into her own real estate brokerage in November 2004. As a boutique real estate firm, its primary focus was on providing clients with superior service and knowledgeable solutions for their real estate needs. Clients ranged from builders, homeowners, start up businesses, investors, and companies needing market analysis. In 2006, the company grew over 50 percent and began servicing commercial business client needs.
When the real estate industry experienced the largest shift in market history, Chereda Miller spearheaded the company’s redirection and was able to survive the largest downturn of the real estate market in the world’s history by changing the company’s market focus. After servicing larger corporate clients and focusing more on the analytics of financial projections of hardest hit communities, it brought Chereda back to her passion for numbers. It was during this period that she decided to focus more in the corporate commercial arena.
After building a lasting reputation with practitioners in the industry, it was easy to make the transition. Her reliability and dedication to her craft preceded her and after one conversation with someone in the industry, she was introduced to the resources necessary to expand her commercial career. She was asked and accepted the secretary role to work alongside one of Atlanta’s most respected commercial real estate brokers on a diversity initiative that would provide more access to minorities and women.
It was during this tenure that Chereda was chosen as a mentee in the Inaugural Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors Diversity Committee Mentor Program. With one of the industry’s top commercial leasing agents as her mentor, she was nominated by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one to watch as an “UP AND COMER’ in commercial real estate
With her work ethic, business savvy, and attention to detail, she not only operates Miller Realty but also currently works on joint ventures with T. Dallas Smith & Company. Other career accolades include real estate features in the Atlanta Journal Constitution Newspaper and HGTV’s House Hunters. She was also voted best broker by the Empire Board of Realtists.
Her hobbies and passion are in fitness and health where she has instructed boot camps, fitness challenges, and thrives on sharing innovative ways to eat healthy on the go. She also enjoys spending her time volunteering with various community organizations including Buckhead children’s ministry with the toddlers.
Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO FOUND THE COMPANY AND WHAT WERE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACED?
I was always fascinated with numbers and loved that, with mathematics, there always is a solution. From that fascination, I found myself very interested in college electives that explained how to generate income and how to succeed in business.
As a child I watched my mom work day in and day out to provide us with the finer things in life. I wanted this lifestyle, and I also wanted time to enjoy life. My solution was entrepreneurship. In college, I took a real estate elective course and that was when I settled on real estate as my business.
My initial business model was assisting friends and family with their residential real estate transactions. Over time, the business has evolved to assisting clients obtain returns on their real estate investments with technology spearheading our approach.
My initial business model was assisting friends and family with their residential real estate transactions. Over time, the business has evolved to assisting clients obtain returns on their real estate investments with technology spearheading our approach.
One of the main challenges in starting my business was changing technology, raising capital, and finding agents.
Q: DID YOU START THE VENTURE ALONE?
I started the business alone.
Q: WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS MODEL, AND HOW HAVE YOU GROWN YOUR REVENUE?
Our current real estate business model assists companies locate real estate solutions that increases their bottom line. We accomplish this by using our industry expertise and network to find clients office space, land, or buildings. We identify the best solution and use a team approach.
An Interview With Ben Ari
“Start from right where you are.
Your real estate goals are achievable.”
Your real estate goals are achievable.”
Asa part of our series about “ 5 Non-Intuitive Things One Should Know to Succeed in the Real Estate Industry”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chereda Miller.
Chereda Miller is the owner of Miller Realty, located in the heart of Atlanta. Her interest in real estate was sparked in college, and she used her career as a flight attendant to fund her real estate career. With a degree in Business Administration and Finance, she established an understanding of the analysis of numbers, which has proved to be very beneficial to her real estate career.
Immediately after college, she entered into residential real estate, flourishing into her own real estate brokerage in November 2004. As a boutique real estate firm, its primary focus was on providing clients with superior service and knowledgeable solutions for their real estate needs. Clients ranged from builders, homeowners, start-up businesses, investors, and companies needing market analysis. In 2006, the company grew over 50 percent and began servicing commercial business client needs.
When the real estate industry experienced the largest shift in market history, Chereda Miller spearheaded the company’s redirection and was able to survive the largest downturn of the real estate market in the world’s history by changing the company’s market focus. Servicing larger corporate clients and focusing more on the analytics of financial projections of hardest-hit communities brought Chereda back to her passion for numbers. It was during this period that she decided to focus more on the corporate commercial arena.
After building a lasting reputation with practitioners in the industry, it was easy to make the transition. Her reliability and dedication to her craft preceded her, and after one conversation with someone in the industry, she was introduced to the resources necessary to expand her commercial career. She was asked and accepted the secretary role to work alongside one of Atlanta’s most respected commercial real estate brokers on a diversity initiative that would provide more access to minorities and women.
It was during this tenure that Chereda was chosen as a mentee in the Inaugural Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors Diversity Committee Mentor Program. With one of the industry’s top commercial leasing agents as her mentor, she was nominated by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one to watch as a “UP AND COMER’ in commercial real estate.
With her work ethic, business savvy, and attention to detail, she not only operates Miller Realty but also currently works on joint ventures with T. Dallas Smith & Company. Other career accolades include real estate features in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Newspaper and HGTV’s House Hunters. She was also voted best broker by the Empire Board of Realists.
Her hobbies and passion are in fitness and health, where she has instructed boot camps and fitness challenges and thrives on sharing innovative ways to eat healthy on the go. She also enjoys spending her time volunteering with various community organizations, including Buckhead children’s ministry with toddlers.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the Real Estate industry?
In college, I majored in Finance. It was then I learned about investing. One semester, I took a real estate course at Morehouse College. It was in this course that I learned about real estate as a career. One summer, I attended a self-improvement course that had me empowered to take actions in my life that seemed impossible before taking the program. It was after that self-improvement course that I set my goal to become a flight attendant to fund owning my own real estate company and eventually make my earned income make money for me by investing in real estate.
In 1994, I became a flight attendant. In 1996, I got my real estate license. By 1997, I’d sold my first real estate property. I navigated the real estate world while flying. Technology became my best friend.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
My most recent project was with a feminine care products company. This project was near and dear to my heart because it was founded by an African American woman and because the products organically address issues for women that have not been discussed as openly as this line shares. I was also able to contribute to hard-working human beings with hearts as big as the world. They truly are difference-makers in the world and care about humanity.
Another project that I’m working on is very special as well. I’m helping a company that specializes in caring for animals. This is another area that is near and dear to my heart.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
My company stands out because we care about humanity. We truly want to make a difference in people’s quality of life. Whether it is where they live or work, we are committed to providing great service to our clients so they can be their highest level of contribution to the world. We do this through our authenticity, our listening to people as human beings, and our integrity.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My mom was my biggest contributor to getting me to where I’m at. She showed me how to be strong and believed in me. She was instrumental in providing the foundation for me to learn and grow. As a kid, she would go to the ends of the earth to be sure we had the finest of everything. She was the first African American woman in her company to work her way up from a secretary to an executive. I watched her fight cancer with the best of spirits. She was truly a fighter.
Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. The Real Estate industry, like the Veterinarian, Nursing, and Public Relations fields, is a women-dominated industry. Yet despite this, less than 20 percent of senior positions in Real Estate companies are held by women. In your opinion or experience, what do you think is the cause of this imbalance?
People’s humanity and lack of knowledge. I think corporate real estate or commercial real estate is heavily network based. Meaning naturally, people tend to gravitate to people who are similar and who make them feel comfortable. Because it has been dominated by men for years, they are comfortable with people who look like or act like them. With the push for diversity in the world, I feel as though this must change.
What three things can be done by a)individuals, b)companies, and/or c) society to support greater gender balance going forward?
- 1. Being curious about a person.
- 2. Treat others with respect.
- 3. Letting go of biases about groups.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
- 1. Different styles of communication.
- 2. Proper rest.
- 3. Feminine vs. masculine energy.
Can you share three things that most excite you about the Real Estate industry?
- 1. Growth
- 2. Providing living or working solutions.
- 3. Returns on investments.
Can you share three things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
- 1. Stable, secure facilities.
- 2. Regulations on off-market listings.
- 3. Access to information on commercial spaces.
What advice would you give to other leaders to help their team to thrive?
- 1. Be related to each person as an individual.
- 2. Be clear in all communications and be sure the message you are conveying is received the way you intended.
- 3. Have fun.
Ok, here is the main question of our interview. You are a “Real Estate Insider.” If you had to advise someone about 5 non-intuitive things one should know to succeed in the Real Estate industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each?
- 1. Real estate affects every aspect of life.
- 2. It looks simpler than it is.
- 3. Always view property in person.
- 4. People will always need a place to live.
- 5. Start from right where you are. Your real estate goals are achievable.
Because of your position, you are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
- Emotional intelligence.
How can our readers follow you online?
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chereda/
- Instagram: Crechereda
- Millerrealtycommercial.com
- Millerrealtyatl.com
This was very inspiring and informative. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview!
SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS
Miller Realty LLC
Our team of real estate professionals will research your market, and pair you with the best property that will bring you the highest return and meet your needs.
Contact Us
Address: 3225 Cumberland Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30339
Office Hours
Monday – Friday:
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
Saturday: By Appointment
Sunday: Closed