Tanya Austin, project manager of project and development services at JLL, specializes in hotel renovations, adaptive re-use, and tenant improvement projects. Her role involves the development of scope, coordination of all project activities including budget and schedule management, bidding and negotiation, construction management, reporting and oversight of FF&E procurement. As a kid, young Austin was quite ambitious.

"As early as I can remember, I wanted to do three things; be a doctor, specifically an Obstetrician like my god-sister, a race car driver and a successful business woman. As a kid, I was always fascinated with doctor shows, like ER, and always got excited when I got to go to the hospital and chat with doctors and nurses. I was never afraid of needles or giving blood or anything like that so my parents always thought I would make a good doctor since I had no fear in that regard."

Once she got older and understood the amount of student loans she would be subject to in order to achieve that goal, she decided not to pursue that dream. "Instead, I chose to follow my dreams of becoming a successful business woman."

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On that path now, Austin is proud of where she has come thus far. As for how she picked commercial real estate? It was never something she looked at initially.

"When I graduated from LMU in 2009 (when the economy was at its lowest) and was looking for a full-time job and luckily, my recruiter found an open position for me to interview for at Gardiner & Theobald in Beverly Hills, CA, a project and cost management firm. I was hired for that job and was able to work on a few hotel and TI projects, met brokers, developers, etc. and it all came together. I have been in the industry ever since."

JLL's Hannah Levine, senior manager of editor content in the corporate marketing group, leads editorial content in the Americas for the company. After years as a journalist in New York City covering a wide range of topics—from showbusiness for TheaterMania to city government for the New York Times—she moved to Los Angeles in a bright orange van, without a plan.

"I took the job I could get: general assignment reporter and web editor at the Los Angeles Business Journal, thinking it would be temporary while I looked for a more exciting role. But as I covered stocks and dipped my toes in every other business sector, I became fascinated with following the (literal) money."

She explained that real estate was the most intriguing of all, "because physical space touches every aspect of our lives. I put myself up for a promotion to lead real estate coverage, and I got it. From there, I was recruited to launch the West Coast wing of The Real Deal, a real estate-only publication, which I grew from scratch to be an active online news site, print magazine and event series. It grew my passion for CRE…so much that I decided to hop over the line and actually join the field I had been covering."

When asked what CRE topics most excite her, Levine said that right now, urbanization, and how the rising populations in cities are shaping real estate is of interest. "Another is late cycle strategy, and the many different ways that investors are changing course after a 10-year upswing."

She adds that "the aging population –In the United States, the number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double from roughly 50 million today to nearly 100 million by 2060 – also has major CRE implications. How will we build enough hospital space and senior living facilities to meet that demand? It is unchartered territory. I'm also fascinated by the supply chain and how retail and industrial are evolving as ecommerce grows. Those are only a handful. I'm curious about everything."

Liz Newcomer, marketing manager for the Phoenix market at JLL, wanted to be a veterinarian when she was a kid. When asked who the biggest influence in her life was, she said that she has always looked up to her older sister, who has been very successful at work and in life. "I've learned a lot from how to be independent and work hard to reach my goals."

When asked what advice she would give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace, she said, "Don't be afraid to voice your opinion and be assertive. In this male-dominated industry, it's very easy to become a 'yes' person, but challenging coworkers can lead to great things."

More often than not, she says, "we have to be in charge of our own success, so be assertive in making things happen and don't be afraid to push boundaries instead of doing things the way they've always been done."

Instant Insights /

How These Women Professionals Picked The CRE Industry

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