LaTonia Isenberg

I attribute my success to my mother, who is a broker on the West Coast. I grew up in the back seat of her car listening to real estate conversations and watching her handle clients and difficult situations with confidence and ease. I learned more about real estate from that back seat than I ever realized at the time. She taught me to always listen — and to never stop reaching for my dreams. Those lessons still shape how I show up for my clients today: I try to identify opportunities others may have overlooked, meet challenges without intimidation, and stay open to the next adventure rather than letting fear or uncertainty hold me back.

The best career advice I received came from my mother: you do not have to be the loudest person in the room to have influence. Sometimes, the most influential person is the one who listens. That principle has shaped the way I work with clients, negotiate transactions, and approach challenging situations. I believe that listening carefully, preparing thoroughly, and understanding what people are truly trying to accomplish can be more powerful than simply being the most vocal person in the room.

My advice to young women entering the real estate industry is that you do not have to know the entire path before you begin. You simply have to believe in your vision enough to take the first step. Real estate can be challenging, and commercial real estate has traditionally been a male-dominated field, but I encourage women to prepare themselves, listen, learn their business, and not allow intimidating situations or environments to define what they believe they can accomplish. Stay disciplined, remain determined, and keep reaching for your goals even when the path ahead is not completely clear.

One of the biggest challenges in my field is strategically determining how to structure a transaction so that it truly works for the client. My role is not simply to sell a property; it is often to understand what the client is ultimately trying to accomplish and then help identify a path to get there.

For example, I worked with an older client who had placed all of his investment properties into a family trust. His children had different objectives—one wanted the proceeds immediately, while another wanted to continue investing. I had to explore different strategies to help address those competing goals and ultimately identified a potential path through 1031 exchange strategies that allowed us to move the transaction forward. Experiences like this reinforce that successful real estate advisory requires problem-solving, creativity, and an understanding of the client's broader objectives beyond the property itself.

The values that are most important to me are preparation, confidence, composure, perseverance, and the ability to listen. As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, I have learned not to be intimidated by the number of people in the room or by difficult situations. I prepare myself, listen carefully, and allow people to say what they need to say without feeling that I have to prove myself through volume or confrontation. Then, when the time is right, I focus on the work and finish the deal. I believe that staying grounded, prepared, and focused allows me to serve my clients effectively while remaining true to who I am.