Larken Associates’ Creative and Marketing Director Melissa Nascimento Honored as an Enterprising Woman of Commerce by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey for Her Impact in the Real Estate Industry
Larken Associates, a regional leader in real estate building, development and management, announces that Melissa Nascimento was recently honored as an Enterprising Woman of Commerce by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey at their annual Enterprising Women of Commerce event held at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, NJ on August 17th, 2022.
Held annually, the Enterprising Women in Commerce Awards recognize women from across New Jersey’s business community who are leaving their mark in their chosen profession and inspiring and encouraging others daily.
Nascimento was selected in recognition of her work as the driving force behind the evolution of Larken Associates’ brand identity since joining the firm in 2002. In her time as Creative and Marketing Director, Nascimento has bolstered Larken Associates’ market position through her innovative marketing strategies leveraging the latest digital marketing, print design, public relations and social media tactics across the company’s diverse portfolio of office, industrial, retail and mixed-use properties.
Recently, Nascimento leveraged her creativity, vision and understanding of the marketplace to spearhead the implementation of a new data-driven automated marketing and leasing model. Focused on the residential sector, the platform uses innovative software to allow prospective residents to find an apartment, complete their application, sign their lease and pay rent through an easy-to-use online portal.
Melissa’s influence on the continued development of Larken Associates’ identity is a critical factor in the firm’s ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Witnessing her growth as both a person and professional over the past two decades has been an absolute privilege and we’re so happy to see her gain the recognition she deserves.
The integration of this software played a vital role in Larken Associates’ multifamily real estate portfolio consistently achieving 95 percent occupancy. Additionally, Nascimento’s leadership and seamless leasing process ensured robust leasing activity across the firm’s recently completed and under construction multifamily pipeline at properties such as Autumn Ridge, Hillsborough Village Center, Reserve at Crosswicks and Oaks at Copper Chase. In several cases, her leadership has helped properties become fully leased several months before scheduled occupancy.
Further highlighting Nascimento’s push to elevate Larken Associates’ brand, the firm recently earned 13 Awards of Excellence from the Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey (Metro BCA) for Autumn Ridge at the Metro BCA’s 38th Annual Awards of Excellence on June 9th, 2022 which included the Community of the Year award amongst several others. In addition, the firm also received five Sales and Marketing Awards (SAM) for Autumn Ridge at the 71st annual Atlantic Builders Convention hosted by the New Jersey Builders Association in October 2021.
Similarly, her marketing and leasing strategies have been influential in attracting hundreds of high-quality tenants across the company’s expanding multi-million square-foot commercial portfolio throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Beyond her role as Creative and Marketing Director, Nascimento serves as a powerful advocate and mentor to other women in the company providing them with opportunities to grow their careers through professional training and additional educational opportunities.
“Melissa’s influence on the continued development of Larken Associates’ identity is a critical factor in the firm’s ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace,” said David Gardner, President/Chief Executive Officer of Larken Associates. “Witnessing her growth as both a person and professional over the past two decades has been an absolute privilege and we’re so happy to see her gain the recognition she deserves.”
About Larken Associates
Larken Associates is a regional leader in commercial and residential real estate building, development and management. Leveraging over 50 years of experience, they are dedicated to bringing great spaces to live and work to life through a long-term ownership strategy and full suite of in-house capabilities. With a diverse commercial portfolio consisting of nearly three million square feet and 800 tenants across office, industrial, retail and mixed-use and approximately 2,000 owned and/or managed residential rental units across 22 unique communities, Larken Associates is deeply committed to the communities in which they work as well as the tenants and residents who call their buildings home. To learn more about Larken Associates, please visit us at https://www.larkenassociates.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.