2016 Women in Real Estate: Ali Ruth Davis

Ali Ruth Davis, Real Estate Board of New York

Title: Chief of Staff

Company Name: The Real Estate Board of New York

Email: [email protected]

Years in real estate: 9-ish

Telephone: 212-616-5272 

How did you get your start in real estate?

Working for the City on post-9/11 lower Manhattan redevelopment

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of?

REBNY!

What recent project or transaction are you most proud of?

The aspect of working at REBNY that I find challenging and exciting is managing several complex public policy issues simultaneously. For example, the City Council just passed legislation that for the first time puts in place a set of common-sense deadlines for the historic designation process. That resulted from work I started three years ago. Now, I am working with the hotel workers union and state legislators to strengthen the laws against illegal short-term stays in multi-family rental buildings. I am also overseeing REBNY’s efforts to help our members (especially on the brokerage side) become more aware of and engaged in some of the legislative and policy issues that affect their work on a day-to-day basis. Finally, I am working with our members and groups like the Real Estate Roundtable to forge a consensus around a long-term extension of the EB-5 program.

What have been some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor?

I’ve been lucky to have some great mentors – Manhattan borough president Gale Brewer (my first introduction into government) and REBNY executive vice president Jim Whelan (who I worked for at the city, and who hired me at REBNY) have both been invaluable in my career. A good mentor can help you meet people and get experiences that will foster your personal development and long-term career goals, and be a sounding board to discuss ideas and opportunities that arise. They will also take the time to celebrate your strengths, point out areas where you need improvement, and throw you into the deep end of the pool when they think you can handle it (even if you don’t think so yourself).

What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you?

I’m not sure if this qualifies as time management, but I have a very advanced system of tracking my projects that involves Post-it notes. They’re all over my desk, and there’s something very satisfying about being able to crumple one up and throw it away when I complete a task. In all seriousness, though, I try to be as organized as possible with my electronic files (let’s not talk about the stacks of actual paper) and file everything as soon as it’s completed – that way I know that anything in my inbox or on my desktop still needs to be finished.