2025 Women in CRE: Jane Elaine Ballerini, Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C.

What has been the most rewarding project or deal you’ve worked on in your career, and why? I can remember working on a $12,000 microloan for a daycare center and a multimillion-dollar shopping center refinance. For me, each closing is rewarding because the transaction is about the people running those businesses and my role in helping them make their goals a success. I love that my job is collaborative where other areas of the law can be combative. In the real estate and commercial finance world, we are all working together to get to the closing table – each transaction is a boost to our economy. Each closing is living proof that businesses small and large can thrive in New England.

What drew you to commercial real estate, and what keeps you passionate? The short answer – the people. However, that answer doesn’t begin to describe the amazing men and women that I come across in my work. It is always exciting to see what clients are creating in Connecticut and New York; the properties they are buying; the businesses they are starting, expanding or passing on to the next generation. The real estate profession is really about the people that use the land and buildings – those companies fuel our economy, and I take both inspiration and energy from them. Even more so, the profession is about connection – everyone moving forward together.

What’s a challenge you faced early in your career, and how did you overcome it? I wish my challenges were in the past, but the reality is that my hardest challenges are today as I learn to balance my roles as a wife, daughter, and mother with the demands of my clients. This is a client-centered profession and, in order to take care of our clients, we must also take care of ourselves. The best approach has been to lean on the network of other female partners and clients who offer support, encouragement and perspective – every day is a challenge for all of us!

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in commercial real estate? DO IT! The work can be hard, but the pace and ability to work remotely enables you to control your life more than you would think. I can honestly say I love my job, my clients and my coworkers. I am lucky to follow the footsteps that some fierce female attorneys (many are my mentors!) set down for women coming into this field. Each generation has unique battles and the network of women leading the real estate field is growing, making real estate law more attractive every year. What we need are more mentees and I’d love to welcome them to a field that is rewarding, fast-paced, and here to stay.