Build Me Up: Celebrating Women in Commercial Real Estate with CREW

According to CREW Network’s 2020 Benchmark Study Report, women make up just under 37 percent of the commercial real estate industry. This number has not changed much over the past 15 years. While the number of young women joining the industry is growing, commercial real estate still has a ways to go in terms of inclusion and diversity.

CREW, or Commercial Real Estate Women, is a network of professionals dedicated to transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing women globally. With over 12,000 members worldwide, CREW Network connects through business networking, leadership development, industry research and career outreach.

Mary Jo Kelly, Vice President of Kraus-Anderson’s Financial Services Group, has built her career in commercial real estate at KA since 1976. She worked her way up from an administration role and has become a leader in the industry, serving as the 2016 president of CREW’s Minnesota chapter.

Claire Roberts, Vice President at Colliers International, is also heavily involved with MNCREW, serving as the 2014 president, a former CREW Network global board member, and will serve as the 2022 chair of the CREW Network Foundation.

On the latest episode of KA’s Build Me Up podcast, Mary Jo and Claire discuss how they have paved such successful careers in a male-dominated industry, how CREW has been a resource, and the future of commercial real estate.

Starting Their Careers in Commercial Real Estate

Claire’s career began in southeast Michigan, where she leased space for her business just outside of Detroit. The landlord of the retail center sent out flyers with a group of men standing in front of the commercial real estate firm he owned. Claire noticed that there were no women in the photo and challenged him on it. He told her that women don’t belong in commercial real estate and he had never met a woman who could handle it. Claire continued to challenge him over the next few years, determined to prove him wrong. Eventually, he invited her in for an interview. After a rigorous interview process, she was hired. Now decades later and serving as Vice President at Colliers International, Claire has seen a lot of progress in terms of inclusion in the industry. But she acknowledges that there is still a ways to go.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#cc0202″ class=”” size=”18″]”There’s just something about seeing how commercial real estate shifts and changes with the needs of the community. Over the decades that I’ve been in the industry, it’s really fun to see. It’s always so tangible.” [/perfectpullquote]

Mary Jo started her career in life insurance and became hooked on commercial real estate once she began at KA. While she never felt intentionally excluded by any of her colleagues, she felt very alone during her early years as the only woman in the room. She did her best to blend in, keeping her hair short and wearing a rotation of gray, black, and navy blue suits. There were still meetings where it was assumed that she was there to get coffee or take notes, and Mary Jo felt that she constantly had to work twice as hard to prove herself. At times it was exhausting, but she loved the work and loved the people, so she persisted.

Forging a Path Through MNCREW

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#cc0202″ class=”” size=”18″]”My big, audacious goal is that in 25 years, we don’t need an organization like CREW – that people are seen as people … And in that light, I think we still have a ways to go.”[/perfectpullquote]

Claire and Mary Jo didn’t have a lot of women role models in the workplace when they began their careers, but the network of women they’ve met in leadership roles through CREW has helped them flourish. It brings together representatives from a variety of roles within the commercial real estate industry to network, exchange information, and build each other up to succeed. Mary Jo was recently recognized as a Power Woman in Minneapolis by Bisnow for her illustrious career in the industry. Both Mary Jo and Claire credit their success to the guidance, leadership, and friendships that emerged from being part of CREW.

To hear more about Mary Jo and Claire’s careers in commercial real estate, tune in to the latest episode of Build Me Up. You can subscribe to Build Me Up wherever you get your podcasts.