Spotlights
2025 Women in CRE: Amy Staats, Katz & Associates
If you could change one thing about the CRE industry, what would it be and why?If I could improve one thing, it would be to bring more consistency and fairness to how brokers are compensated. Timely payment for services rendered shows respect for the value we bring.
2025 Women in CRE: Saemi Lee, Vocon
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? While it’s impossible to choose the most rewarding project from so many valuable collaborations, one that stands out is the repositioning of 11+15 East 26th St. for Rockrose. With Vocon
2025 Women in CRE: Sue Villarosa, Anchin
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? Since starting my career in commercial real estate in 2014, one of the most rewarding projects I’ve been involved in was a large-scale estate tax compliance engagement for a client with significant real estate investments.
2025 Women in CRE: Joanna Choinska, Foxy Management
What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in commercial real estate? Commercial real estate is a rewarding career — so go for it! It’s a relationship-driven industry, so build your network one genuine connection at a time. Don’t put all your energy into befriending the top leaders.
2025 Women in CRE: Kabaye Liku, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? It’s hard to choose a single project as the most rewarding, especially when my work involves a diverse group of clients and projects. One that stands out is when I advised Blackstone, as lender, on its $1.8 billion financing for the construction of The Spiral
2025 Women in CRE: Genessy Jaramillo, BKREA
What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today? Understanding sacrifice and the balance between risk and reward is key. In most CRE roles, success and even stability rarely come quickly. The ability to stay disciplined, resilient, and committed while others opt for a more predictable path
2025 Women in CRE: Luly Bestard Melarti, Reynolds Asset Management
What skill or quality do you believe is essential for success in your field today? Today, the most essential skill is the ability to think cross-disciplinarily. In commercial real estate, you need to understand design, finance, and market dynamics simultaneously. The projects that perform best are those where the team can anticipate how a design decision
2025 Women in CRE: Garima Kaushal, AECOM
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? The most rewarding project has been the $16+ billion Gateway Hudson Tunnel, where I lead the sustainability scope from AECOM’s side, pursuing Envision certification. As a megaproject with complex engineering, regulatory, and stakeholder challenges,
2025 Women in CRE: Gabrielle Everett, GirlGang
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? The most rewarding project I’ve worked on was the Arlo NoMad hotel, which I supported through three separate rounds of financing. I was involved when the concept was still in its early stages — walking through a raw construction site and sharing the vision through renderings on an iPad.
2025 Women in CRE: Tammy Jones, Basis Investment Group
What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? In July 2025, I celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of BRP Companies’ Ruby Square, a 614-unit mixed-income multifamily development in Jamaica, Queens, the neighborhood where I grew up.
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