Cindy Zhao
Cindy Zhao is a Realtor with Crye-Leike Commercial and a key member of the Tedesco Commercial Real Estate Advisory Team, bringing international business perspective, asset-oriented thinking, and proven transaction experience to commercial clients throughout Georgia and beyond.
Cindy’s professional background is unusually well aligned with commercial real estate. She began her international journey at age 18, moving to the United Kingdom to pursue higher education, where she earned her master’s degree in Hospitality Management. That field emphasizes operations, asset performance, customer experience, and long-term value creation, all disciplines that translate naturally into sophisticated commercial real estate representation.
She remained in the United Kingdom for eight years, combining higher education with practical professional experience in hospitality. She later spent approximately 10 years in the international hospitality sector, including roles with Marriott International, before relocating to the United States in 2005 and continuing her career with Marriott in the U.S. market. This background gave Cindy a strong understanding of operational standards, brand positioning, investor expectations, and the relationship between service quality, asset performance, and long-term value.
In 2014, Cindy transitioned fully into real estate and has since built an impressive record of performance, including approximately 12 years of experience with a strong emphasis on commercial real estate and more complex transactions. Over the course of her career, she has been recognized as a Statewide Top 1 Sales Producer eight times, reflecting consistent execution, market adaptability, and the ability to perform at a high level across changing market conditions.
Cindy’s commercial experience includes work involving commercial buildings, mixed-use assets, investment properties, and development-related transactions. She works with property owners, investors, developers, and professional partners to support decisions that align near-term transaction objectives with broader asset strategy. Together with her partners, she has successfully completed transactions across Atlanta, Georgia, and across state lines, demonstrating the ability to handle multi-market coordination, valuation strategy, and cross-jurisdictional complexity.
One of Cindy’s most important strengths within the team is her deep understanding of both Eastern and Western business cultures. Having lived, studied, and worked extensively in the U.K. and the United States, and having substantial experience working with Chinese-speaking and international investors, she is exceptionally well positioned to help bridge communication style, relationship expectations, and decision-making approach in commercial transactions. That is especially valuable in North Georgia and metro Atlanta, where Chinese and broader Asian investor participation continues to play an important role in commercial ownership, investment, and business expansion.
Cindy also brings a highly strategic mindset to representation. She understands that many commercial real estate decisions are not isolated transactions. They are tied to long-term asset performance, market timing, investment strategy, business expansion, family wealth planning, or generational objectives. Her ability to see beyond the immediate transaction and focus on broader ownership and investment goals makes her especially valuable to serious investors and business clients.
As part of the Tedesco Commercial Real Estate Advisory Team, Cindy helps expand the reach of a proven commercial platform through direct commercial experience, international perspective, and trusted access to Chinese-speaking and cross-border investor relationships. Clients benefit from both Tony Tedesco’s seasoned commercial judgment and Cindy’s ability to help the team communicate, position, and execute effectively with a sophisticated investor audience.
Cindy approaches commercial real estate representation as a long-term advisory relationship, not a one-time transaction. Her focus is on helping clients maximize asset value, improve market positioning, and achieve successful outcomes through informed, strategic, and professionally guided representation.
