Question 2

Asset Management | Chicago | Female | 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Embrace your differences and use them to your advantage.

Be comfortable standing out because you will. Embrace your differences and use them to your advantage. It's often said that African-Americans have to work twice as hard as their counterparts. I'd say in real estate, be prepared to work three times as hard. The industry is filled with nepotism, so once you factor in the seats filled from that, there are few roles left, so you have to be extraordinary to get one of the last few seats.

DREAM Collaborative co-founder Gregory Minott
Architecture | Boston | Male | 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Let your work do the talking.

My first piece of advice to someone in the industry if they are black is to reinforce that they belong. Because by the time we’ve met, I know they’ve already had a negative experience with race in the industry. My second piece of advice is let’s not talk about race again. Let your work from now on do the talking. Advocate for yourself and others who may be overlooked because of the excellence you bring. Bring others along with you.

Peebles Corp. CEO Don Peebles
Development | New York/Miami | Male | 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

You will be underestimated frequently and therein lies the opportunity. 

My best advice is it’s harder than it looks; it will never be easy. You will be underestimated frequently and therein lies the opportunity. Success is sweeter as the obstacles are many and the odds great. When they are overcome and beaten, the victory is even more satisfying.

Finance | Charlotte | Female | 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Do not apologize for who you are.

When I first entered the industry, I was told that I would not be well-received by my firm’s clients, who tended to be older pale male developers, because there were few women and even fewer black women in commercial real estate. I was somewhat of an enigma. My advice to others in similar positions is to not apologize for who you are — progress is slow, but inevitable.

Chicago Trend founder and CEO Lyneir Richardson
Retail Brokerage/Development | Chicago | Male | 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

It's no longer about exposure.  

What I am seeing now with younger African-Americans in commercial real estate is there is a level of excellence and expertise. They are smart. They understand the business. It’s no longer about exposure. It’s now about how do I get access to the relationships that would give me the right career opportunity, get me the access and build relationships to people with capital and deal flow and the key tenants to make a deal financeable. Focusing on those relationships that allow you to do that is the key part.

Marketing | Atlanta | Female | 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Stay focused and always be professional.

You will run into people with racial biases — young and old — who have yet to evolve and still maintain preconceived notions about people who look like you. Stay focused and always be professional; your goal is to deliver results for your clients. That’s how you’ll change minds.

CRE Consulting | Charlotte | Male | 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Be a voice, not an echo, and always be eager to learn.  

Retail Brokerage | Houston | Female | 7 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Speak up.

Speak up. Don’t be afraid to have a voice and a unique perspective. People will expect you to be quiet or in the background but then they will use that as an excuse to not give you opportunities. Don’t let them.

JLL Senior Vice President Mark Washington
Investment Sales | Seattle/Portland | Male | 13 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Always be aware of the factors that can negatively affect your growth.

The candid advice I would give someone today is not so much to conform to the environments around you but to always be aware of the factors that can negatively affect your growth or vice versa. To be able to observe and interpret the room is a characteristic that will always assist on the path to growth. Before I started my career I was taught the importance of “code switching.” Code switching in its best form was leaving behind what is loosely defined as black culture and taking on an image that either diverges from black culture or that is more broadly acceptable to my Caucasian counterparts. When I use the term ”acceptable,” it is moreso meant to designate familiarity instead of differences, i.e. vernacular or form speech, golf, hunting, fishing, music, etc.

Affordable Housing Brokerage | Fort Lauderdale | Male | 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Being knowledgeable, resourceful and dependable are skills that are color blind.

Specialize. The best advice I received in the business is to find your niche. Relationships take time and if you're bouncing around trying to sell anything to anybody, you'll miss the opportunity to build long-term relationships that lead to many deals over the length of your career.

Being knowledgeable, resourceful and dependable are skills that are color blind. There will always be challenges being black and clearly a minority in this arena. For me the bottom line has always been that I'm providing my clients opportunities to advance their real estate position. Investing in the clients' success is color blind and rewarded accordingly.  

Investment | San Francisco | Male | 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Figure out ways to go around roadblocks. 

As there will be instances of prejudice — though probably not directly couched that way — figure out ways to go around such people and roadblocks. This is particularly true in the early years of your career.

Investment Sales Brokerage | Washington, D.C. | Male | 6 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

You have to outperform all of your peers.

Do not doubt yourself in this business based on race. You have to outperform all of your peers to get the deal and sometimes you still will not get the deal. Don’t get discouraged, because there is another deal for you right around the corner.

The Real Estate Associate Program Executive Director Ken McIntyre
Advocacy | New York City | Male | 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Focus on the doughnut, not on the hole! 

Focus on the doughnut, not on the hole! Instead of lamenting and staring at doors that are closed to you, find doors that are open or that you can open. Seek those who can and are willing to support you. Networking, continuing to educate yourself and expanding your skill sets are tools to finding open doors.

Investment Management | Chicago | Female | 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Don’t allow discriminatory or racist actions to stand without appropriate pushback. 

Have a tough skin, and don’t allow discriminatory or racist actions to stand without appropriate pushback. Hard work is mandatory, but it will not be enough — you need to cultivate a community of support and resources to keep you sane and potentially connect you to opportunities. Use every opportunity to learn and to bring that knowledge and experience to the game. Lastly, be your true self as it is really hard to maintain a false front for very long.

Brokerage | Chicago | Male | 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

You need an advocate. 

You need more than a mentor, you need an advocate who will stake their reputation and  business on your success. You are always being judged, so be confident and self‐assured without being defensive or combative. Stay true to who you are, stay rooted in integrity, stay committed to building relationships and stay focused on excellence.

Colliers International Executive Managing Director Eric Yarbro
Brokerage | New York City | Male | 32 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Always believe you're entitled to the same opportunities as anybody else.  

Always believe you're entitled to the same opportunities as anybody else. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. It's always going to be your perspective and if you think you're less than and you have to apologize for who you are, results will reflect that. But if you believe that you have the same level of entitlement to the best opportunities, then you're going to get the best opportunities that come up.

Multifamily Brokerage | Dallas-Fort Worth | Male | 8 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Have thick skin.   

Have thick skin. Regardless of one’s ethnicity, it’s a tough business. Research firms, join different organizations, obtain training, immerse yourself into whatever service line you choose. At the end of the day it's about results.  

Genesis founder Karim Hutson
Development | New York City | Male | 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

You have to put your head down and work hard.  

In real estate, as in any business transaction, things happen. Situations occur. The way the market views those can be biased in my view. Having said that, I think the relationship aspects of CRE in some ways can overcome that. The advice I've received is, we have to be prudent. You have to put your head down and work hard and figure out how to demand and achieve your market value and how to demand and achieve market results and not accept anything less. And I think that comes to your access to capital, that comes to access to deals, it comes back to access to relationships. To me, those are the things that create opportunities in our industry and you have to figure out a way to achieve those.

Multifamily Investment | Chicago | Female | 2 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Be strategic in your involvements.

As a young and ambitious woman in the industry, I began to stretch myself and became involved in everything I could, thinking that this was the best way to learn. My mentors range from leaders in almost every sector in the industry with various backgrounds. The most candid advice I received from them was to become really good at the numbers and to become strategic in my involvements. They suggested I focus on gaining a solid foundation in my area, read as much as I can and to learn industry language. This has helped me immensely!

Guesst founder and CEO Jay Norris
Retail/Tech | New York City | Male | 12 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

Learn the CRE game. 

CRE is an amazing business to be in! The race factors are minor if one has a clearly defined goal, strategy and objective. Advice to my protégés has always been learn the CRE game, then put your stamp on it!

JLL Vice President Jordan Yarboro
Brokerage | Boston | Male | 7 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 

It can be daunting to often be the only person of color in the room, but you can’t let that discourage you from finding opportunities or reaching your goals.