Associate Spotlight: Rachel Slater

At CASTO, we take pride in celebrating the talented associates who bring passion, expertise, and creativity to our projects every day. This month’s Associate Spotlight features Rachel Slater, General Manager of Winter Park Village, who joined CASTO in 2019. From leading a major property renovation to fostering a collaborative and close-knit team culture, Rachel’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Winter Park Village into the thriving shopping center it is today.

Over her 20-year career in commercial real estate, Rachel has developed a deep expertise in property and asset management, revitalizing properties, strengthening tenant relationships, and guiding teams to success. At CASTO, she’s combined that experience with her enthusiasm for teamwork and innovation, overseeing a full-scale renovation that brought Winter Park Village to 100% leased and transformed it into a true family lifestyle destination.

Read on to learn more about Rachel’s career journey, her favorite projects, and her perspective on where the future of commercial real estate is headed.

Tell us about your background with CASTO. 

I joined CASTO in 2019 as the General Manager of Winter Park Village. I was thrilled for the opportunity to oversee such an iconic property here in Central Florida. During my tenure at CASTO, I navigated everything from a potential sale of the property (which fortunately didn’t move forward) to the challenges of COVID, followed by a full-scale renovation that not only transformed the physical space but also brought us to 100% occupancy. To say “there’s never a dull moment” at Winter Park Village is an understatement – it has been a true joy.

What do you like best about CASTO? What makes CASTO different?  

I love our Winter Park Village crew. We operate as a close-knit team, and it is a pleasure to come to work every day. I also thoroughly enjoy the collaborative nature between the property team, CASTO Southeast, and CASTO corporate. Everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful. I have also found that our executive leadership team operates as an interested and compassionate landlord. We have not just the property, but our tenants’ best interests at heart, and it shows.

What service or project have you liked working on the most while at CASTO? 

We had this renovation project at Winter Park Village that conceptually began at the end of 2020. It was a huge undertaking and kept us highly entertained and busy for quite some time. We had five tenant relocations, 20 tenant build outs, façade replacement, site work, re-working of infrastructure, hardscape and landscape renovations, and more… all while the center remained open and active. I would say the value-add result of that project will likely be the highlight of my career.

Here’s a video showing our before and after of this project:

https://vimeo.com/929997455/29dac22dbc?share=copy

Share a little bit about your expertise in the industry.  

 I have over 20 years of commercial real estate experience in both property and asset management.  Prior to CASTO, I specialized in receivership portfolios involving hundreds of retail, mixed use, and industrial properties with multiple teams across the southeast. My goal was to take distressed properties, fix them up, lease them up, and then ready them for sale or auction. My favorite focus of my career has been introducing and educating teams on all aspects of commercial real estate. I love this industry, and I love helping others to thrive in such a diverse field.

What changes or trends do you see happening in your area of expertise? 

 I think that, as with most things, technology will be key in the future of commercial real estate property management. I also think it will be interesting to see what the grocery and office markets look like in the next few years. Regarding Winter Park Village specifically, we are currently very marketing and event focused. Our renovation has allowed us to become even more of a family destination for our tenant’s guests. One of the things I love is walking the property and seeing how many people are out in our park area just enjoying the weather and the relaxed vibe.