Women Gather in Full Force at CREW’s 2018 Network Convention
GlobeSt.com was in attendance at the opening night of the CREW convention here in San Diego, where is is clear that women are entering and continue to grow in all fields of CRE.
SAN DIEGO— The industry has seen improved collaboration of leadership teams comprised of both men and women in commercial real estate firms. Many here at the 2018 CREW Network Convention and Marketplace in San Diego believe that women are more equally regarded around the table, while others say there is still a ways to go.
Karen Burges, executive director of NAIOP San Diego, encourages young woman entering the field to get involved. Whether with NAIOP or another group, Burges recently told Real Estate Forum that she encourages women to “make sure you’re an involved member of strategic association groups that can provide continuing education, high-level networking opportunities and an outlet for charitable work.”
A successful career, she says, is about who you know, what you know and what you do. “A high powered professional association is the perfect place to let people see you shine.”
Irvine, CA-based Karen Flanigan, EVP of management at Greenlaw Partners, she says it is exciting to see young women entering the commercial real estate industry. “The career path boundaries in this industry are becoming less predetermined, allowing for diverse opportunities for women to pursue. More women are entering all fields of commercial real estate, not just the areas there has historically seen a concentration of women such as property management and finance/accounting.”
Her advice for a young woman entering the field would be that “she should remain patient, and experience each element of the present, rather than focusing too much on the future. Ambition and drive are positive attributes, yet need to be coupled with the understanding that experience and organic, professional seasoning are invaluable. I would make sure she knows that advancement opportunities will be available to her. I would advise her to stay dedicated, gracious, and open minded to where she is in that moment. The grass is green everywhere – it’s just different shade of the color. She will eventually find the best expression of the color for her.
See below for a few pictures from the opening of the three-day event here in San Diego and be sure to check back with GlobeSt.com for full coverage from the panels at the event in the next few days.
