2026 Women in Commercial Real Estate: Karen Wentz , Hanna CRE

What leadership lesson has made the greatest impact on your career?

A mentor once told me, “Your reputation is built in the deals nobody sees you working on.” That stuck with me. Early in my career, I thought success meant having all the answers. Over time, I realized listening matters more than talking and that the best outcomes come from truly understanding what a client needs, sometimes before they’ve fully realized it themselves. Now I spend more time asking questions. I’ve learned real leadership has less to do with being heard and more to do with earning trust one deal at a time.

What was the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in the past 12 months, and why?

This year I worked on was an office lease for The Arc of Rensselaer County, a nonprofit advocating for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The challenge was consolidating multiple departments into one space that worked for everyone involved. Coordinating everyone’s needs into a single workable layout took patience and a lot of moving pieces.

What trend or change in commercial real estate do you believe will have the biggest impact over the next five years?

The trend I’m watching most closely is how new industrial and warehouse development is pushing housing demand further outside the urban areas and city centers. When companies build large distribution facilities in outlying areas, workers need places to live nearby, and that demand often shows up in smaller towns before investors notice.

Combine that with changes in how these projects get financed, and I believe the next five years will reward brokers who pay attention to new development early, not just the active listings.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women entering commercial real estate?

My advice to the next generation of women in commercial real estate is to learn to read the market before you learn to sell it.

Understand zoning, financing structures, and economic development activity in your target markets, that knowledge earns credibility in rooms where you may be the only woman at the table.

Don’t wait for someone to hand you a deal; build your own pipeline by tracking what’s happening. Confidence in this business comes from preparation.