Jane Hinton, Commercial Real Estate Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth, Los Angeles.
Hinton is a partner in the firm's real estate practice, focusing on all aspects of real estate transactions, including advising lenders and borrowers on complex mortgage financings.
Jane Hinton. Courtesy photo.
What was your greatest challenge or obstacle in your job? Being a woman in a job is difficult. We naturally take on more caring and caring chores around the house while trying to get everything done at work feeling like we don't always hit the mark somewhere. How the different parts of life should rise and fall / balance at any given time should be fine for any individual, but I find that as women we tend to be tough on ourselves and strive to do everything for everyone be without taking the "victories" for what they are – great accomplishments. The realization that I sometimes strive for perfection in my own way and allow myself to recognize that this is good enough has given me the freedom to devote my energy to the aspects that are most important to me and to surprise myself with the results.
Where should commercial real estate for women be improved? There has certainly been an improvement and we are now seeing women being very successful and holding important leadership positions. However, I think we need to keep reminding ourselves to bring others to the table to keep showing those who are new to the industry that it is possible. Taking gender-specific team members into account will further improve the situation.
Additionally, I would like more industry groups to consider diversity in general when putting together panels and speakers, as we still see panels from only white men – this is where all of us, including our male colleagues, can help by supporting their equally successful ones Women and diverse colleagues who bring them up and encourage participation. Recognizing diversity in thought leadership will help cement gender and diverse candidates as future leaders.
How can women better position themselves for success? In my opinion, this comes back to understanding some of our innate gender qualities. Women tend to not sign up for projects and roles if they don't believe they are 100% qualified, but we need to remember that no one has 100% of the skills and is not afraid to present themselves. You have to be there to win, and when you overcome these self-doubts, women, while tough, will gain access to more opportunities.
Do you have any special advice for the next generation? Just say "yes I can" and worry about how later. Of course there are limitations, including the actual time to complete the tasks, but I have found that when I put myself in a situation where I am not 100% comfortable, I often be surprised by the results and successes achieved am
Covid-19 is currently testing the skills of all leading members of the CRE community. In particular, what can women bring to the table if the industry continues to grapple with this crisis? Since the onset of the crisis, and because we're staying home, I've personally used the time and technology to make sure my team stays connected and in communication, be it through hosting additional Zoom office meetings or hosting social events. Providing support and power outlets to connect is key while we are still working on what the new office environment will look like, which I believe will include a much greater openness to remote working.
