International Women's Day 2025: Zoe Brook

When Zoe Brook made the leap from a high-profile private developer to launching her own consulting business, she stepped into the unknown with a mix of confidence, risk, and intuition. Now approaching two years in, she’s thriving as a leader in the real estate industry while navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship and family business. We sat down with Zoe to discuss her journey, her approach to leadership, and her vision for the future of the industry.

Zoe, thank you for joining us. Let’s start with the beginning—what drew you into real estate, and how did your career take shape?

I actually grew up surrounded by development. My parents were both educated as architects, and my dad ran a successful development consulting business. I was exposed to the industry from a young age - mostly through conference calls on the drive to school - but I never really thought I’d end up in the field. I studied marketing and international management at McGill, and real estate wasn’t on my radar at the time.

That changed when I landed an internship at Grosvenor, an international property company. I started on the marketing side, which aligned with my background, but over time, I transitioned into development management—an uncommon horizontal career move. Grosvenor recognized my potential, and I worked hard to build my skills in development management. I was there for nearly ten years, and the culture and work experience shaped me into the professional I am today.

One of the biggest milestones in your career was leaving Grosvenor to start your own consulting firm. What inspired that decision?

I always had a sense that I’d eventually be self-employed, but I had to be ready. In 2023, everything aligned— I had developed a strong network, a solid skill set, and the confidence to go out on my own. It was exciting to start the new business, but tough to leave a place that felt like family. I had no clients lined up, but I trusted my intuition that my reputation and relationships would help me land on my feet.

My dad, Chuck, is an industry veteran with an impeccable reputation, and when I told him about my decision to leave Grosvenor, we realized we had an opportunity to revive the Brook brand and work together. The Brook name is both a privilege and a responsibility—I know I have to uphold the standard Chuck built. Fortunately, we got a great response to our announcement in late 2023, and within the first year, we had 18 new clients, with 75% of them coming through my own network. This validated my decision and proved that I could carve out my own space in the industry.

That’s an incredible achievement. What has been the biggest challenge in striking out on your own?

The uncertainty. When you work for a large company, you have a safety net—stable income, clear career progression, a built-in support system. When you run your own business, you have to create all of that yourself. 

That said, I am gaining much more experience - across markets, asset classes, project sizes and client groups - family offices, boutique developers, nonprofits, government and institutions. I’m deepening my expertise in each stage of development - it’s challenging work and incredibly rewarding. I’ve also enjoyed returning to my marketing roots, helping developers with project positioning, marketing strategies and managing marketing & sales agencies to launch pre-sales and rental projects on time and on budget.

I love the flexibility of this way of working. My schedule ebbs and flows depending on project demands. Some weeks or months are incredibly intense, but I also have the control to take my foot off the pedal. For example, I was able to work remotely from Egypt and France last December. This level of autonomy is key to creating a balanced life.

You’ve mentioned that you now work alongside your father, and recently, your cousin joined the business. What’s it like working in a family-run firm?

It’s been an incredible experience. Chuck has so much wisdom, and we learn from each other every day because we have complementary skill sets. We share the same core values—trust, integrity, excellence, and generosity—which guide everything we do. 

Rather than operating like a traditional firm, we’ve built a network model with trusted partners. This includes my cousin Veronique Turner, Principal of VT Development Consulting, and others we’re excited to announce soon. We don’t take on overhead in the traditional sense; instead, we form ‘super teams’ for each project. This keeps us nimble and allows us to tailor our approach to each client’s needs. And without overhead, fees go farther and this allows us to be quite competitive. 

Women in real estate development have historically been underrepresented. What’s your take on the progress being made?

We’ve made strides, but progress isn’t linear.

I’m lucky to work with many women in leadership roles, and I make it a priority to pay that forward by mentoring young professionals.

At the same time, development economics are changing. Highest and best use is shifting from concrete towers to woodframe typologies - often on smaller sites and in markets outside of Vancouver. This decentralization of influence is creating opportunities for a broader range of players, including women and other minorities, to collaborate, and that’s something I’m really enjoying.

Mentorship is clearly something you value. How has it played a role in your own career?

I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors at every stage—leaders at Grosvenor who believed in me, both my parents’ guidance, and friends and peers who have been incredibly supportive. Notably, being part of the Young Leaders Group at ULI was instrumental in building my industry profile. Now, I actively mentor through programs like ULI’s Etkins program, and I get so much fulfillment from helping others navigate their careers. 

But mentorship isn’t just about giving back—it’s a two-way street. I’m focused on seeking mentorship, particularly in running a business. There’s always more to learn and the best leaders aren’t afraid to say “I don’t know”. If you're reading this and feel I could learn from you, please get in touch! 

If you could give one piece of advice to young women entering the industry, what would it be?

Stay curious. Curiosity is what leads to opportunities, what helps you connect with the right people, and what keeps you engaged in your work. Ask questions. Get comfortable with constructive feedback. Learn from different perspectives. 

And trust your intuition. Some of the best decisions I’ve made in my career weren’t necessarily the safest or most obvious ones—they were the ones that just felt right. If you have a gut feeling that something is the right move, don’t ignore it.

Zoe, thank you for sharing your story with us. It’s inspiring to see how you’ve built something so meaningful while staying true to your values.

Thank you! I love what I do, and I feel really grateful to be part of this industry. I’m excited for what’s ahead.

Read more about the other inspirational women we are featuring for IWD 2025 HERE.