On most mornings, Perry Degulis enjoys taking her dog, Traveler, out on hikes near her Orange County, California, home before work for a good start to her day as a real estate executive.

"It's impossible not be in a good mood seeing your dog running around with his tongue hanging out," Degulis said.

Degulis was formally named this month as executive managing director of Southern California for Houston-based Transwestern Real Estate Services. That's not bad for someone who says she ended up in her chosen career by mistake.

The San Diego native said she left CBRE after 16 years to join Transwestern for the chance to help expand the company’s operations in Southern California. During her rise in real estate she's stayed grounded in the daily routines of life, including being a mom and walking the dog. It's part of how she got in the business, after learning lessons from her family's plumbing firm.

“Maybe it’s from growing up in the family plumbing business, but I love to build,” she said. “At CBRE, I was fortunate to build and develop new systems, platforms and teams that were global, national and regional in scope. And the opportunity at Transwestern presents the best type of build.”

At CBRE she served in multiple roles, including most recently as managing director of the greater Los Angeles region. But real estate wasn't on her radar after getting her Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California in the early 2000s.

"I fell into it by mistake,” she said. "I've had to make my own way."

While finishing her MBA, a friend called her and mentioned an opportunity to work in the marketing and public relations department at Trammell Crow Co. She had a marketing background and agreed to take the job where she developed an interest in real estate.

Degulis then moved over to CBRE, where she led the asset services and capital markets marketing center.

She held a number of other roles, including vice president of strategic planning, managing director of business development, vice president of strategic initiatives, vice president of global program management, division client care director of the Pacific Southwest and, finally, managing director of greater Los Angeles.

"With all of those experiences, it never occurred to me to leave real estate after that," Degulis said. "It was always exciting."

Looking back at her time working for her family’s plumbing business, Degulis said what she learned there prepared her for a career in commercial real estate, even if she didn’t know it at the time.

“Most of the incoming calls were about an immediate need — a broken garbage disposal on Thanksgiving, no hot water, a burst pipe — or an ongoing repair project,” she said. “And what I realized was that every call represented a problem that needed to be solved.”

She’s been able to directly apply the experience she picked up learning how to listen and empathize with customers and how to diffuse difficult situations, Degulis said. She also learned, Degulis said, to accept responsibility when making a mistake and finding a way to fix it as well as connect with and treat with respect the company’s employees.

As she settles into her new job, she said she realizes that timing played a key role in her decision to move to Transwestern.

“With our kids in their teen years, my husband and I are entering a new chapter in our life,” she said. “Our kids still need us, of course, but in different ways now that they are building their own lives. It’s always tricky to find the proper work-life balance and, at this point, I am better able to pour myself into a leadership role at work while still being a good mom and wife.”