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Of the total, $1.7 billion is a civil fine and more than $2 billion is redress to consumers.

"The best advice I received was to speak the language of the individual/industry you're trying to influence," says Breana Wheeler, director of US operations at BREEAM.

"Building a cross-disciplinary network will not only help you develop clients and have trusted peers to refer to your clients, but it will also help you develop a dependable circle of informal advisors," says Robert E. McPeak of McDonald Carano.

"I encourage the next generation to learn about all the different types of real estate and choose to focus on either the development or finance side. Once that decision is made, continue growing in that sector," says Thirty Capital Financial CEO Kevin Swill.

"I think it is especially important to challenge, find new ways of working, and be strong in your conviction that just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean that it is right for the future," says Jeremy Bernard, CEO of essensys.

"Keep learning and take advantage of opportunities because career paths in commercial real estate are not linear. The best way to position yourself for success is education," says Damla Gerhart, principal and managing director at Avison Young.

"Unconscious bias creeps into every workplace. Although barriers to being welcome and included still exist, it is up to the individual to embrace similarities with colleagues even when they point out differences," says Colliers' Valerie Tatum.

"It's important to reflect on the feedback that you're given and leverage it to your advantage," says Taylor Parker, associate, branch manager at Bohler.