Sherry Chris, A Real Estate Icon In 'Pantone Pink,' Broke The Mold

Over her decades-long career in real estate, Sherry Chris was the rare executive who was smart, intuitive and always fun, Brad Inman writes. “Even in retirement, she will only be a call away.”

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Sherry Chris retiring? Are you kidding, no way.

Yes she is, and she earned it.

READ NEWS ABOUT SHERRY CHRIS’ RETIREMENT HERE

In 2011, the iconic real estate executive and I were sitting at the bar at Jean-Georges, the four-star restaurant at New York City’s Columbus Circle.

Sherry Chris

Seated next to us: music mogul Timbaland, with whom we struck up a conversation.

Sherry had just been awarded her very own Pantone color — Sherry Chris Pink, otherwise known as SC 2011— a rare achievement, which impressed the R&B pioneer.

When Sherry went to the bathroom, Timbaland said to me, “She has style.”

Style indeed and an industry legend — an original, like her Pantone color.

Timbaland | Getty Images

A friend of mine who recently met Sherry described their first encounter: “She has a calm magnetism, making me feel important and good all over.”

Sherry is smart, intuitive and fun. From London, Ontario, Canada, this upbeat Irish girl — through grit, brains and charm — grew up to become a powerful and influential American business leader.

An executive recruiter called me recently about putting Sherry on a company board. I said, “You would be so lucky.”

She builds brands and companies and can work with anyone, no matter how influential or not. She treats a waiter with the same respect as she does a fellow CEO.

Sherry cuts mega-deals with the old guard but loves helping new agents and does so with passion, grace and dignity.

She takes the time to listen intently to a 25-year-old tech entrepreneur’s ideas about changing the world but also gives the eager founder candid feedback about their new product.

Not just our colleague, Sherry is a friend, a mentor, a coach, advisor, therapist and champion of good causes and of creating a better industry. She gives far more than she takes.

Shattering the Glass Ceiling

Sherry Chris shattered the real estate industry’s glass ceiling and stood up for diversity long before it was the fashionable thing to do.

The real estate brand she founded 15 years ago, BHGRE, was the first to develop a set of core values — and she works hard to live by them.

Sherry always shows up and the industry loves her for it. Her classic response to any invitation is “sure.” Not where is it, or who will be there?

I witnessed Sherry at a real estate conference in Asia where Realtors swarmed her, pleading for selfies. Picture the same scene at an LGBTQ conference, where the crowd smothers her like she’s Cher.

Team ERA | Sherry Chris

Ask Sherry to do a panel at a conference and she says “100 percent,” not “I don’t do panels,” as some big shots feel they are bound to say.

She could write a book on manners, another on style, and a best-seller on loyalty.

During the Great Recession, when my parents died back to back and my businesses were struggling, I felt down and out in California.

On one particularly bad day, I called Sherry. The next day, she knocked on my door unannounced, after canceling her business appointments in New York, jumping on a plane and flying across the country to tend to me.

Chanel

A fierce Tigress, Sherry gets what’s best for her company but without crushing others. She understands that the best deals are when both sides feel like they won.

Humility may be her best personal and professional quality — not arrogant, not a snob, not a corporate elitist.

When you talk, she listens, looking you in the eye, not over your shoulder at the next opportunity.

Her industry roots are deep and she will never wander too far away. She is retiring from her current role, but continuing at Anywhere as an advisor.

Sherry deserves a break. No one works harder.

Even in retirement, she will only be a call away and you can always find her smiling face, maybe with a pink Chanel bag, on Instagram @sherrychris.