We Are the Change-Makers and Future-Shapers

By Jessica Lall, Managing Director, Downtown Los Angeles

Jessica enriches her role by drawing on her public/private partnership experience to head civic engagement initiatives and is an active board member for several organizations.

Whether in public service or the private sector, my mission remains the same: create positive change.

The year before I became the Managing Director of CBRE's downtown Los Angeles office, I ran for mayor of Los Angeles. I believed bridging the business community's expertise with the public sector's ability to execute on policy was the best way to create real change.

After I ended my mayoral campaign, many questioned why I was "abandoning" my vision. What they didn't appreciate was that joining CBRE provided me with a new platform to promote change through collaboration and ultimately deliver greater benefits to the entire community.

“We see the potential around us and possess the skills to convene, collaborate and advance tailored solutions.”

The economic challenges facing cities like my home of Los Angeles demand more than incremental solutions. They require a fundamental rethinking of how we build, how we partner and how we lead.

Meaningful solutions emerge from a dynamic exchange of ideas, knowledge, influence, relationships and, dare I say, compromise. This is where commercial real estate professionals excel. We see the potential around us and possess the skills to convene, collaborate and advance tailored solutions.

Today, I challenge my fellow CREW Network members to adopt the same approach to community partnership. We can:

Be Data-Forward: Data is the language of progress. At CBRE, we proactively share our market intelligence with leaders and policymakers to empower them to make decisions for their communities based on data-driven insights.

Think Cross-Industry: Lean on local experts and foster collaboration by inviting community leaders into the conversation early and incorporating their feedback into project plans.

Humanize Our Work: Highlighting the human impact of our work—like the creation of job opportunities, revitalization of underutilized areas and improvements to residents' quality of life—can help build support for new projects.

Commercial real estate goes beyond bricks and mortar; we build communities where people can thrive. Let’s leverage our expertise, influence and passion to build the future, together.