Leading With Curiosity: How Saadia Sheikh Is Shaping the Future of Commercial Real Estate
Women of Coldwell Banker Commercial Podcast Feature
In commercial real estate, we often talk about strategy, market cycles, and asset classes. But some of the most meaningful insights come from the lived experiences of professionals shaping communities and creating opportunity along the way. That spirit is at the core of the Women of Coldwell Banker Commercial initiative — a platform designed to spotlight and elevate the women making an impact in CRE. In a recent episode of the CRE with CBC Worldwide Podcast – Women of CBC Edition, host Jenna Hille sat with Saadia Sheikh, global commercial real estate leader, CEO of Powersense, and the youngest female Global President of SIOR. Known for her people‑first approach and multi‑market expertise, Saadia shares how curiosity, intentional leadership, and strategic reinvention have shaped her career and where she believes commercial real estate (CRE) must evolve next.
From navigating her early years as a commission‑only industrial broker to advising global occupiers, serving in top leadership roles, and launching her own advisory platform, Saadia’s journey highlights the resilience and vision needed to thrive in today’s CRE landscape.
Discovering the Power of CRE Advisory
Saadia began her career almost by accident—wandering into a commercial real estate booth at a college career fair. What started as curiosity quickly became purpose. Through internships, early brokerage roles, and hands‑on exposure across industrial and office markets, she learned that every business needs space and every space involves strategy.
Her path wasn’t linear. After several years in industrial brokerage, she pivoted into office advisory, discovering a passion for client‑centered consulting and market‑wide portfolio strategy. That flexibility, paired with a desire to learn continuously, became a defining hallmark of her career.
Building Expertise Through Community and Credentialing
Professional networks played a pivotal role in Saadia’s growth. Organizations such as CCIM, CREW, and SIOR offered not only education but also mentorship, community, and cross‑disciplinary exposure. These connections helped her build a national network, deepen her industry knowledge, and gain clarity about her strategic path.
Her involvement eventually shaped her leadership voice culminating in her historic election as Global President of SIOR, representing more than 4,000 CRE leaders across 50+ countries.
Launching Powersense: A New Model for Collaborative Advisory
After years inside both local and global brokerage environments, Saadia launched Powersense, a collaborative advisory platform grounded in strategy, data, and partnership. Inspired by SIOR’s culture of cross‑firm collaboration, she built the company to help organizations make market‑agnostic, people‑driven real estate decisions.
Powersense rethinks the brokerage value model by incorporating engagement fees and strategic advisory services—recognizing that clients need ongoing insight, not just transactional execution.
With CRE increasingly shaped by AI, data analytics, and technology‑enabled insight, Saadia stresses that brokers must embrace the “human + data + expert” model. The competitive edge now belongs to professionals who integrate tools with advisory excellence.
Saadia Sheikh’s journey is a powerful example of what happens when curiosity, community, and ambition converge. Her work with Powersense and SIOR reflects a broader shift happening across CRE, one that values partnership, strategic insight, and the evolving expectations of modern occupiers.
Listen to the entire podcast episode here.
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