2021 Women in Professional Services: Jillian Mariutti, JLL

Name: Jillian Mariutti

Title: Director

Company Name: JLL

Real estate associations or organizations that you are currently a member of:

• Girl Gang,
• CREW,
• Board of FOG and frequently attends IMN, ALIS, and Bisnow Conferences.

How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles?
I keep my team motivated by fully embodying positive thinking. When negative obstacles come my way, I always think, why is this happening for me, not to me. Our thoughts and mindset are powerful and controllable. We are magnets that attract what we speak and think about. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Having a positive attitude despite conflicts thrown at you, will in essence help attract more positive things into your life.

How have you adapted and changed in the last 12 months?
Like most professionals, I pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue being successful and learned to embrace and hone new skills. For example, prior to the pandemic, a normal day consisted of breakfast, lunch and dinner with clients in order to transact business with them; however, I innovated and now spend my days reading, researching to expand my knowledge, and enhancing my technical skills–all to provide better solutions to my clients, in addition to what I gain personally. As things merge into our new definition of normal, I will blend my new routine with my old and provide even more robust advice and service.

In the past year, what project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of spearheading an initiative at JLL on C-PACE financing. The goal of the initiative was to educate our clients on this financing tool, and I worked closely with our Hotels & Hospitality Group to launch this marketing campaign earlier this year. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, clients have approached JLL seeking alternative sources of capital for hotel projects facing liquidity issues. For hotel developers who have recently completed construction (ground-up or adaptive re-use) or major renovations, retroactive C-PACE financing is an under-utilized and often misunderstood source of efficiently priced capital, and we can run a competitive process to ensure they receive the best C-PACE terms.

What steps have you taken to ensure the continued success of your firm?
I have studied all of JLL’s offerings and learned that there is nothing we can’t assist our clients with in CRE from debt advisory, investment sales advisory, loans sales, agency lending, equity advisory, M&A and corporate advisory, derivatives consulting, loan servicing, etc. By speaking with my colleagues regularly and learning about their businesses, I’m able to successfully cross sell and ensure my clients are having all their needs met. In addition to cross selling, I have always focused on building strong and reliable relationships with my clients, which allowed me to advise and guide them during this past year of challenges.

Why should women consider a career in commercial real estate and related services?
One of the main reasons why women should consider a career in CRE and finance is that the results are tangible and extremely rewarding. It’s a stellar feeling when you look at your city skyline and know that you had a part in financing it. This is a fantastic industry for women who have desire to exemplify their quantitative and interpersonal skills. An overwhelming majority of CRE professionals are male and there is a void to fill with a woman’s perspective. With a more diverse group of people and perspectives, different experiences and ideas are brought to the table, thus offering more well-rounded and robust feedback for our clients.

Women have made significant progress in the last year towards equality in the workplace. How do you advocate for your fellow women in real estate?
I am actively a part of various groups that support fellow women in CRE like Girl Gang, which is an organization of women in the industry that hold networking events once a month. The commercial real estate industry has amazing women who have mentored me and have been a sounding board when I needed advice during pivotal moments in my career. As a result of the guidance of my parents and mentors, I can now mentor younger female professionals in the space because I know how instrumental that was for me.

What books or social media influencers would you recommend to other women?
I would recommend “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, which has taught me the power of positive thinking, along with another favorite of mine, “Think and Grow Rich – The 13 Principles” by Napoleon Hill. One of the first principles in the book is the burning desire for success which I have applied to my CRE career.