46 — October 2026 — Women in Business — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
W omen in B usiness
By Linda Brown and Reneé Nichols, LMT Commercial Realty, LLC What we’ve learned: A year in review for women in commercial real estate
T
he commercial real es- tate industry has cer- tainly changed over
and while women are well rep- resented throughout commer- cial real estate, only about 9%
deals, and learning how to navi- gate the challenges that come with keeping a deal together.
One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is that you don’t need to know everything.
coordinating with commercial trades and unexpected property issues, you often have to think
the years; h owe v e r , some things have been a bit slower to change. Women cur- rently rep- resent about 38% of the in-
hold C-suite or ownership positions. Although those statis- tics are inter- esting, they only tell part of the story. A career in
“For women building careers in CRE, our advice is to learn the business, trust what you know and seek answers from experts when needed. Speak up when you have something to contribute and ask for new business. Ask the question even if no one else is asking it. And don’t assume that someone with more years in the industry automatically has a better idea.”
Linda Brown Reneé Nichols
dustry according to MIT Center for Real Estate 2025 bench- mark study, a percentage that has remained relatively un- changed for nearly two decades,
commercial real estate has taught us that success in this business comes from knowing your market, building strong relationships, negotiating
It also requires confidence, par - ticularly when you find yourself in a meeting or negotiation where you may be one of only a few women in the room.
Commercial real estate has a way of presenting new chal- lenges with almost every trans- action. From zoning and financ - ing to negotiations, inspections,
creatively to keep a deal moving forward. Knowing when to ask questions and who to contact can be just as valuable as having the answer yourself. We’ve also learned not to underestimate the importance of relationships, while continu- ing to build new ones that can broaden your client base and open the door to new opportu- nities. Deals come and go, but the relationships you build with clients, colleagues and other professionals can last for years. Listen to people. Find out what they’re trying to accomplish. Be straightforward with them, and when you say you’re going to do something, follow through. For women building careers in CRE, our advice is to learn the business, trust what you know and seek answers from experts when needed. Speak up when you have something to contribute and ask for new business. Ask the question even if no one else is asking it. And don’t assume that some- one with more years in the industry automatically has a better idea. Having good mentors and colleagues is vital. CREW Net- work’s 2025 Benchmark Study found that women once again identified access to a senior executive mentor as the most important factor in their future success. We proudly see the val- ue of learning from experienced people ourselves, everyday. Commercial real estate will continue to change. We hope one of those changes will be seeing far more women choose CRE as a career, build longev- ity in the industry, and move into leadership roles. And maybe, years from now, that 38% statistic will be a very different number. Linda Brown serves as Office Manager and Sales and Leasing Associate at LMT Commercial, while Reneé Nichols serves as Director of Marketing and is also a licensed Delaware real estate agent. MAREJ
Joe Latina, SIOR Managing Principal Commercial Real Estate Services Serving Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Around the Globe! Jim Tancredi Principal Chris Moore, CCIM Managing Principal, Broker
Sales & Leasing Tyler Foresta, Sean McNeice, Mitch Berkowitz, Zach Rempfer and George Frankel
Business Specialist and DE Liquor License Consultant Mary Ann Heesters
Office Manager and Sales & Leasing Linda Brown
Director of Marketing and Sales & Leasing Reneé Nichols
1117 N. Franklin Street Suite A Wilmington, DE 19806
+1 302 414 1000 www.LMTCRE.com
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