Membership Spotlight: Jessica Toppazzini

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2023

Jessica Toppazzini

Jessica Toppazzini, Photo Credit: Caroline Ross - charlsross.ca, Instagram - @carolineross

Jessica joined Avison Young in 2022 as Senior Vice President and Practice Leader of Valuation and Advisory Services to help lead the newly formed Valuation and Advisory team, and CREW Vancouver is proud to Report Jessica has now been appointed as Managing Director of the Vancouver office – as Avison Young Canada’s first female Managing Director at the market level! Jessica brings a decade of experience in valuation services, with a focus on expropriation, development land, purpose-built rental housing, and social housing. Prior to AY, Jessica was a partner at Garnett Wilson.

Jessica, thank you for being our Member Spotlight! You have been a long-time member and volunteer of CREW, what drew you to join the CREW network, and can you share a few things you have gained being apart of/ volunteering with CREW?

CREW Vancouver was a game-changer for my career! It introduced me to a supportive community of amazing, like-minded women who shared my drive and aspirations. Being part of this group was a turning point for me. We volunteered together, learned from each other, and developed insights that helped us grow, both personally and professionally. These inspiring women have become some of my closest friends today. I'm truly indebted to CREW Vancouver for the unwavering support they've given me throughout my career and the doors it opened for me.

Congratulations on your recent appointment as Managing Director of Avison Young Vancouver! This is an impressive achievement and a testament to your hard work and expertise. What does it mean to you to be named Managing Director and what element of the new role excites you the most?

Thank you! I’m incredibly honoured to be taking over the reigns from Michael Keenan. He’s built something very special here at Avison Young, and I don’t take my duties lightly. My biggest goal is to take the strong foundation that he’s built and help take it to new levels. The most exciting part of the new role is the ability to go out and engage with all the stakeholders in the market and leverage the incredible tech that Avison Young has developed.

Throughout your career, you have accomplished impressive growth, what are some key strategies or practices that you have implemented to continue growing and advancing your career and what advice would you give to other professionals looking to do the same?

Figure out what your values are. This will guide what kind of person you want to be. This exercise was a game-changer for me, especially in my 20s. It's one of the best forms of professional development I've ever done. You need to be able to lead yourself before you can lead others, so master that first. Also, find some friends in your industry (shout out to my WIRE ladies!).

In the ever-evolving world of real estate, whether it technological advancement or shifts in consumer behavior, or something else entirely, what trends or development do you see on the horizon that have you particularly optimistic about the future of the industry?

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies is very interesting to me and a highly promising trend in the real estate industry. This development has the potential to transform numerous aspects of the industry, particularly property valuation and predictive analytics, both facets of the market that I’m highly invested in.

Do you have any good book or movie recommendations?

Bob Iger – The Ride of a Lifetime