2017 Women in Building Services: Jennifer Carey, JLC Environmental Consultants

Name: Jennifer Carey

Title: CEO

Company Name: JLC Environmental Consultants

Years in real estate: 30

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of? CREW New York, Women Builders Council 

How have you navigated obstacles to achieve success in your career?

Building a strong professional network to better serve our clients has helped me and my firm succeed. There are no cold calls in the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network and knowing I can rely on the 10,000+ members of CREW for assistance with any kind of RE deal is a great resource professionally as well as personally. Being part of the supportive environment of CREW and also the Women Builders Council (WBC) has given me leadership opportunities, enhanced my confidence and these organizations also help move the goal of diversity in real estate forward. 

How do you play your strengths to your advantage in your career?

One of my strengths is that I consider myself to be an extrovert and love to meet new people. Networking for business is fun and exciting to me. Instead of feeling stressful, I feel a challenge when walking into a room full of people where there are opportunities to forge new connections by getting to know them. Sharing tips on successful networking with JLC’s employees encourages them to challenge themselves to go outside their comfort zone in order to grow. It enhances my success when I help others make connections that eventually make “rain.” 

What trends are you seeing so far this year? 

Our firm has experienced strong growth this year and it appears that real estate and construction should continue to do well for the foreseeable future. A recent New York Building Congress analysis of labor data reported that construction employment rose for the fifth consecutive year in 2016 (highest in four decades) and another analysis of U.S. Census data noted that the number of residential units permitted for construction during Q1 2017 reached its highest level in a decade. Given the relative strength of the overall economy, I think that we still have some growth left before any downturn in the market. 

 What do you do for fun?

I like to spend time with my family and enjoy traveling, stand-up paddle boarding, golfing, surfing, reading and writing.