SAN DIEGO—In partnership with GlobeSt.com, the CCIM Institute Global Meeting and Conference hosted a Women of Influence session on Monday at their event here in San Diego. The session featured small, interactive group discussions led by 2019 GlobeSt. ELITE Women of Influence award winners in brokerage, asset management, investment, innovation, and more and was moderated by GlobeSt.com's own Los Angeles-based Kelsi Borland.

For each of the panelists, the challenges have been different in their field—each work in a different property type of sector. For Renee Savage, president of Capital Growth Properties, who focuses on property management, the challenge really stems from leadership development. "We don't have enough qualified individuals to manage the properties."

One solution, she said, is to make sure the role of property manager is out there as an option for young professionals. "Encouraging young professionals to get engaged in our industry has been my focus. Many fall into it and love it but many people don't know what it exists and don't know what it means."

Panelist Barbara Crane, an office broker and 2019 president and senior instructor of CCIM Institute, has had the opportunity to work with all kinds of people and all they want to know is how they can make themselves better. She notes that education is key. "If you ask a young person today about what they think about a career in real estate today, the first thing that comes to mind is the person that sold their family their house, so unless you have a family business, this industry isn't as known."

Crane said "we have to do a better job promoting this industry as a career path and a professional. We aren't creating enough people in the bottom of the pipeline so we need to cast a wide net."

Panelist Sue Earnest, principal of Avison Young, added that commercial real estate is an industry where you can create your own destiny. "Depending on how much work you want to put into it, the sky's the limit." She added that "The limitations you might set on your self needs to be removed."

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CCIM Women of Influence Panel Talks Challenges

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