Why CRE's Next Generation Of Leaders Will Depend On Sponsorship

Commercial real estate is heading into a major leadership transition and female executives have a rare opening to claim more seats at the table if the industry embraces sponsorship, visibility and intentional succession planning now. That was the clear message from the From Ascent to Legacy: Navigating Leadership at Every Stage advisory board panel at the GlobeSt. Women of Influence Conference in Denver.

CRE Faces A Retirement Cliff

With women holding just 9% of C-suite roles in commercial real estate—a gain of only one percentage point over the past decade—the current leadership pipeline is not built to deliver a more diverse executive tier on its own. Panel moderator Melina Cordero, president of P20 Leadership, told attendees that the status quo needs to change and urged them to use the conference to think deliberately about their own paths to leadership.

The timing is urgent. Panelists cited data showing that an estimated 40% of the commercial real estate workforce and 56% of current industry leadership are expected to retire over the next 10-to-15 years, a wave many have labeled the sector's "retirement cliff." Cordero called those figures "big numbers" but framed them as a moment of opportunity rather than just a looming problem for owners, investors and operators.

Rather than letting leadership gaps emerge by default, the advisory board urged firms to use this period to reshape their C-suites and build more diverse executive teams. The panel featured Marissa Limsiaco, co-founder of Otso; Curtis Bodison, head of global corporate services at TIAA; and Allison Weiss, founder of CRE Recruiting, who all spoke about leadership across its full lifecycle—from rising into the C-suite to exiting in a way that creates a lasting legacy.

Sponsorship, Not Just Mentorship

For Bodison, the data underscores why sponsorship has to become a core part of how CRE firms manage talent. "I love being data driven," he said. "Data tells us that sponsorship is important. It is someone showing up for you every day, ensuring that you get promoted."

He drew a clear line between mentorship, which often centers on advice and sponsorship, which involves actively advocating for someone's advancement in the boardroom and at the decision-making table.

"We all get to a certain point in our career where you need sponsorship to get to the top and you need someone to fight for you in the boardroom and at the table," Bodison said.

Bodison urged attendees who lack that kind of champion to be intentional about finding one while also taking ownership of how they move through the organization. He stressed the importance of understanding how their company—and the companies they work with—make money, describing career progress as a two-way street that has to work both for the organization and the individual.

Cordero added that women in commercial real estate remain significantly under-sponsored, even as firms talk more about diversity and inclusion. She emphasized that sponsors do not need to share the same gender, background or career history and encouraged attendees to "seek sponsors who are diverse and different from you."

Visibility And Incremental Gains

Weiss echoed the importance of sponsorship but warned that professionals need to do their part to become visible enough to attract it.

"It is much easier to find someone to mentor you," she said. "A big part of sponsorship is for you to work on your visibility within your organization as well as external audiences."

She highlighted practical steps: serving on internal committees, speaking on conference panels and taking on public-facing roles that push professionals beyond their comfort zones. Weiss pointed to the Women of Influence event itself as a venue attendees can use to connect, share advice and think more strategically about who sees their work and leadership potential.

Weiss also cautioned against waiting for dramatic turning points and instead urged executives and emerging leaders to focus on incremental progress.

"Set incremental milestone goals," she said. "Instrumental small choices and decisions have a cumulative effect over a year that can be transformative."

Throughout the discussion, the advisory board kept returning to the idea that leadership in commercial real estate is not only about reaching the C-suite but also about what happens afterward. As firms brace for significant turnover at the top, the panelists argued, intentional succession planning and sponsorship can determine whether today's leaders leave behind vacancies—or a more inclusive legacy for the next generation of investors, owners and operators.

Come back to read more coverage from our conference.

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