You may not know it but the real estate industry hosts some of the most amazing women CEOs. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, this is amazing. What could these women have to be able to penetrate the holy of holies of the real estate industry? Let's take a look at them. We might learn a few things about these women that made them successful in real estate.
Jean Kane is the CEO of Welsh Co. and Colliers International, Minneapolis St. Paul. Her company is a full-service commercial real estate organization. The staff of Welsh Co. has increased to 300 employees since she took the helm of the company.
Jean is also a board director of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). She served as the association’s chairman in 2014. In 2011, she earned the honor of being one of the hall of famers in the Midwest Estate Hall of Fame.
Dottie Herman is the CEO of Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City. Forbes Magazine included her in its list of one of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women.” Her company is one of the most popular real estate brokerage groups in the world. Why not since it rakes in more than $27 billion sales every year? Her real estate firm also employs over 7,000 agents selling their brand.
But this is not all there is to Dottie. She also spends her time in philanthropy work. Dottie supports a long list of charities. They include such as hospitals, the American Heart Foundation, and art performance centers. She also earned an award. This is the “Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award” for her work in the United Nations.
Debra Cafaro is the CEO of Ventas Inc. Her company is a Real Estate Investment Trust. It owns, finances, and operates real estate properties that produce income. Ventas Inc. owns approximately 1,300 seniors, life science, and healthcare housing properties. She was able to increase the market capitalization of her company from $200 million to $24 billion. She did this when she took over as CEO in 1999. Debra also holds the position of Board Chairman of Ventas Inc. She served in a multifamily REIT as an attorney and president before she worked as CEO of Ventas Inc.
Andrea Olshan is the CEO of Olshan Properties since 2012. Her company is a privately held real estate investment firm. Previously, she served as its COO. She took over the responsibilities of her father, Morton L. Olshan upon his retirement. Andrea was able to produce double-digit income and increase the company’s asset value as its CEO. Her company owns and operates 10 million sq. ft. of retail space, over 1,400 hotel rooms, 3 million sq. ft. of office space, and 14,000 multifamily units.
Mary Ann Tighe is the CEO of CBRE’s New York Tri-State Region. She has served in this position since 2002. Mary Ann has over thirty years of experience in this field. She was responsible for over 97.5 million sq. ft. in commercial real estate transactions. She earned the distinction of being the first woman to be appointed as REBNY Chairman serving a three-year term that started in 2010.
Women can also succeed in the male-dominated real industry. These women CEOs did it. Other women toiling in the industry of real estate ought to emulate them.
