2021 Women in Commercial Real Estate: Kimberly Sluter, Vice President, New England Construction

What led you to your current profession? I have always LOVED sales. Most kids had a lemonade stand. I did not. I dug for night crawlers with my Grandfather and then would package and sell the worms to fishermen at the end of my driveway. “Kim’s Worms” was my first entrepreneurial experience. I still love sales and I still work with my family!

What are some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor? A mentor is all about chemistry and trust. This creates a rich experience for both roles. For me the most rewarding career mentoring relationships I’ve had were built organically. I’ve benefited with increased confidence to make pivotal career decisions and felt supported in strategic decision making for our organization.

What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you? Make your kids do chores! In all honesty, automate and delegate what you can and don’t feel bad about it. I never stop seeking more efficiencies. I prioritize getting up at 4:30am because I’m guaranteed not to be double booked and over the years I’ve learned that I am most effective when sticking with routines. When all else fails there is always wine and take out.

What trends will dominate your industry in the coming months? Talent acquisition and retention. The construction industry is beyond busy right now and there is a definite shortage of talent across GCs and subcontractors. Hopefully material sourcing and cost escalation will begin to level out in early 2022. In the past year, what project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of humanity this year. It’s easy to see and feel negativity during a global pandemic and polarizing political climate but there are so many good humans out there. We happen to have more than 60 of them at NEC! I am most grateful and proud of our growing team. They motivate, inspire and challenge me every day and I’m better for it. One thing that makes NEC unique is the number of women we have on our team. Industry average is less than 10% and we have 30%. I love growing our footprint too and am happy to be spending time in our Boston office to support our clients.

What is one characteristic that you believe every woman in commercial real estate should possess? The best advice ever given to me was “if it works for you then it’s the right choice.” Every woman should carry this as their mantra. This one statement empowers women to be authentic. Work/life balance is no longer a picture of a scale. It is all about work/life integration. As a business leader I personally want to see women leading fulfilling lives both personally and professionally and not one at the expense of the other. YOU set the priorities.