2024 Women in CRE: Ximena Rodriguez, CetraRuddy

What recent project, transaction, or accomplishment are you most proud of? 

We’re excited to be working on a number of major commercial-to-residential conversions in the Financial District, including 25 Water St.. Adaptive reuse initiatives are a special focus for our firm, and over the course of 30+ years we’ve converted dozens of historic structures throughout New York. It’s meaningful to give new life to older buildings, and we’re proud of the fact that CetraRuddy has created thousands of new housing units through adaptive reuse.

What are the most important factors young women should consider when choosing a firm to build their career with? 

There are many factors that any aspiring commercial real estate professional needs to consider when choosing a firm, but for young women especially, company culture can have such a powerful impact on what kind of career trajectory seems possible. It’s important to find a firm that clearly values a collaborative sharing of ideas, actively promotes opportunities for growth, and has a diverse team. I’m especially proud that CetraRuddy is more than 50% women and very international.