2022 Women in Professional Services: Jennifer Djurkovic, Djurkovic Investment Properties

What advice would you give the next generation of women in your industry? Throughout my career as a commercial broker I was fortunate to have an All Star class of mentors that I considered “My cheat sheet to life.” I truly believe you need to be a sponge and absorb as much relevant information as possible and to learn as much as you can. You can’t let the bastards get you down. Having thick skin in this cut-throat industry is essential. Always stay in your lane and stay laser focused on your goals. The only person you should be competing against is yourself. Be better than yesterday. Be kind, being nice is cool, having an ego doesn’t get you anywhere and it just turns people off. If you are too sensitive you lose more opportunities in the long run. I joke that I’ll never be a shark, I’d rather be a dolphin, technically the dolphin has the capability to kill the shark, and nobody likes to be around the shark. I can’t stress the point enough that “You don’t learn by learning you learn by doing.” That mindset, jump in, have fun and network, network, network!

In the last 12 months how have you helped your industry grow through professional creativity, innovation and leadership?
I work with many real estate developers and owners of commercial buildings. Post pandemic I spearheaded something new for me by conducting and organizing some focus groups at my firm to assist landlords in getting tenants back in the office. It’s no secret that out of all the asset classes, office buildings have especially taken the biggest hit. I’ve been reporting back to owners and developers on what office tenants want now in terms of giving employees reasons for being in the office. Developers are implementing some of this feedback and working with architects to design their new projects. They are really looking into how to implement more creature comforts and aesthetics into the workplace. Employees want more fresh air in a building, more natural light and other amenities. By utilizing top notch HVAC systems, cascading open terraces, collaboration rooms, quiet nooks and open spaces, employees can choose where and how to work. I’m encouraging owners to make building modifications and investing more in their assets in order to accommodate these needs and how they can capitalize on the opportunity and bring their buildings up to standards in the long run. Tenants want to encourage their employees to come to the office and therefore want the buildings that are going to put the tenant’s health and happiness first.