Advancing the role of women in real estate through mentorship

Being a mentor is one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. It enables me to pick women from all walks of life, some who are brand new to the real estate industry and others who have a small amount of experience, and help them orchestrate a career and experience the business more fully. Taking on the job of teacher is an enormous responsibility and a huge time commitment, but the rewards are well worth the work. My knowledge, amassed from 20-plus years in the real estate industry, helps me to identify an individual's talents and strengths. For instance, some brokers are multilingual-a huge asset when you are working with a European retailer coming to New York for the very first time-while others are better suited to working with landlords. Women in real estate are innately proficient at what they do. One reason for their success could be that traditionally female characteristics are so useful in the field, but it may also be due to the high expectations placed on women. I remember what it was like to be the only woman at the table during the beginning of my real estate career. As the years progressed and national networking organizations were established, more and more brilliant women have joined me at the conference table, but we are still in the minority and cannot afford to become complacent. Still, early on in my career, I realized what a rarity it was to encounter a woman at the negotiating table or even in the halls of my own offices. I've always believed that women are ideally suited for the retail business. Many of us are great shoppers who have expansive knowledge of the current products in today's marketplace. Armed with that interpretation, I made it one of my top goals to encourage more women to enter the profession. The real estate profession has afforded me so many opportunities over the years. I strongly believe that my success in the industry did not happen in spite of my gender, but rather that my gender enhanced my abilities as a retail broker. Women in real estate have always excelled, but have made particularly noteworthy strides in recent years. I hope that my early efforts had a real impact in real estate becoming more welcoming to females. Faith Hope Consolo is the chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman's Retail Leasing and Sales Division, New York, N.Y.