IAMC Member Spotlight

As an organization, IAMC fosters relationships that turn into both business partnerships and long-term friendships. The path to corporate real estate varies widely, and our members come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds.

We thank Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Senior Real Estate Specialist, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., for sharing hers!

1. Tell us a little bit about you and your background. My name is Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, and I work in the Real Estate Department at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. I’ve lived in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania (about an hour north of Philadelphia) for over 20 years, but I grew up in northern New Jersey, not too far from Manhattan. I received my BA from Muhlenberg College and my MBA from Lehigh University.
2. Tell us about your path to corporate real estate. I started working for Air Products as a Financial Analyst, and after a few years in the finance area, I was looking for a change. A position opened in the Real Estate Department, and it caught my interest. It just so happened that the manager at the time had come from the finance area as well. I gave it a try and have now been in the Real Estate Department for over 8 years.
3. What is the scope of your responsibilities at your organization? My primary responsibilities are for real estate transactions in the southern portion of the United States as well as many special projects in other parts of the country. My responsibilities include property acquisitions comprising of contract execution, acquiring easements and working with governmental bodies on potential rezoning/variance issues, managing the sale and disposal of surplus properties and conducting lease negotiations for office and manufacturing and plant locations.
4. What is your favorite part of your role, or the industry as a whole? My favorite part of this role is that every day is different. I get to work with numerous functional areas within and outside of Air Products. Plus, even after being in Real Estate for 8 years, I am still learning new things and am being constantly challenged. Each project has its own unique set of challenges and opportunities that needs to be resolved.
5. What is one skill specific to your job could you share with the rest of the membership? A skill that was necessary to develop is problem solving and conflict resolution. Because of this, I have become pretty good at coming up with solutions when things might not be proceeding as smoothly as anticipated.
6. Tell me about your tenure in IAMC My former manager always spoke very positively about IAMC. So naturally, when an opportunity to attend presented itself, I was very eager and excited to participate. IAMC has so many great people to connect with, and the educational programs are excellent. I also thoroughly enjoy the outside speakers, including the economists. I always leave the forums having learned so much!
7. Fun Facts!
   • What was your first job? My first job was in high school when I was in sales at a clothing store called Mandee’s in New Jersey.