Rose Law Group Reporter
In this week’s continuing Q&A series we spoke with Robyn Calihan, partner at LKY Development Company, Inc.
When did you know you wanted to go into real estate?
I think I had an idea I wanted to go into the real estate industry early-on. I took my real estate licensing classes when I was 18, the summer before I went to college, even though I didn’t take the licensing exams until later.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen occur in the course of making, or breaking, a deal?
Usually, I am more of a behind-the-scenes person, making sure things get done in order to complete a transaction. Last year, I watched one of our deals completely fall apart and come back together all because of the way words were interpreted. I listened to a group of intelligent and remarkable individuals all saying the exact same thing but in different ways and letting a deal fall apart because of it. I stepped in, re-interpreted and re-communicated the words and brought the deal back. It’s still one the craziest and key moments I have seen in my career, and a great lesson in communication. Words have power.
What do you do for fun?
Most of my free time is spent with my kids and their activities, which I love. But, every weekend my husband, Phil, and I have a standing babysitter, where we continue to date and hang out with each other. I also enjoy my Peloton bike; I am aiming to hit 500 rides in a few months.
You have a lot of baseball in your family- did you ever play and do you like to watch it? Who’s your team?
Baseball is in my family’s DNA for sure. I grew up watching the Milwaukee Brewers and the Phoenix Firebirds, and then watching my brothers play in North Scottsdale Little League, Chaparral, and onto Stanford University and Pepperdine and onto the Minor League system. However, I have never played softball, and I am the only one of my siblings that didn’t play a collegiate sport. I did work for the SID (Sports Information Director) for Vanderbilt University while I was in college, allowing me to work in the Press Box for all the home games. I love baseball, and now I am enjoying watching my own little leaguer.
We hear that during your middle and high school years you had dinner with you entire family every night but it was always at a restaurant – true/false and we need details (to share with Jordan who doesn’t cook)?
This “rumor” is true; we had our family dinners every night at restaurants for many years. Basically, this situation occurred organically and turned out to be one of the best things and where my family’s greatest conversations occurred. I am the oldest of four kids, and we are spread out by age over ten years. By the time I was a senior in high school, my sister was also in high school; I had one brother in middle school and another brother in elementary school. We all had various extracurricular activities and rigorous academic schedules. By the time we could all eat dinner together, usually we were all at separate locations. My parent’s solution was to meet up and eat out; my mom used to joke, “Dinner is ready, hop in the car!”
Family dinners occurred every night this way for years, and we had some wonderful, fabulous dinners together. (and not just because of the food!)
