2023 Women in CRE: Jasmine Ortiz, HestiaLiving Corp.

What recent project, transaction, or accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of guiding my first-time multifamily investors, who are women of color, through their acquisitions and their 1031 Exchange process. This past year I have guided half a dozen BIPOC women as to the building blocks of investing in the multifamily space. Most of the multifamily investors are still white- and male- dominant; one of my goals as real estate broker, is with my professional skills and training is to increase the number of BIPOC women real estate investors. 

What are the most important factors women in your industry should consider when choosing a firm to build their career with? Women in the real estate industry, and particularly in commercial, should take into consideration the following questions for all firms: a) does this firm have a track-record of advancing women to the C-suite; b) what are the metrics for promotions/salaries, etc. and do they believe in pay equity for women or to super-exceed that expectation? c) And most importantly, does this firm’s mission align with my professional values and ethics? If all your questions have been answered, and as a woman, you are satisfied or comfortable with the response – proceed forward. 

Who inspires you most? What qualities do they possess that inspire you? The person that inspires me the most is my mother, Rosa J. Zorrilla Garcia; who was a community leader and the President of her co-operative building of 25-units in New York City for the last twenty years; she persevered through the transition of taking the building with the HUD Til Program from a building, previously owned by a slumlord to a renovated building in West Harlem, where her fellow tenants can live, investment, and take care of their 25-unit building, which many of them – first-generation, immigrant elders – who’ve been living there for over 50 years, can be proud of the fight and persistence my mother has delivered as a mission-driven leader. She is the inspiration behind my decision to establish a mission-driven real estate brokerage; and I hold on to the values she instilled in me in forging ahead with my new company.  

Why should this nominee be recognized in our Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight? “This nominee should be recognized in your Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight because Ms. Ortiz is not only changing the face of CRE Brokerage practitioners, but she is also opening the doors and encouraging other BIPOC women to become real estate investors as part of the wealth strategy for their families and the possibilities of leading real estate investment groups and firms. I believe with more CRE Women like Ms. Jasmine J. Ortiz, we can build more cohorts of women that believe in paying it forward, bridging the wealth gap that exists for fellow BIPOC women, as they are also rising to the top of their vision for their career life.” - Jasmine Ortiz, Founder/ CEO at HestiaLiving Corp.