When Irene Hosford began her career as a commercial real estate lawyer 31 years ago, she usually was the only woman at the negotiating table.
“That’s no longer the case,” she says.
The neighborhood resident is now a partner with the downtown firm Brown McCarroll Attorneys at Law, and she attributes her success to Commercial Real Estate Women Dallas (CREW). The nonprofit organization provides mentoring, marketing and business opportunities to women in the industry, and this year the group marks its 30th anniversary.
“Even in the early to mid-’80s, there were women out there who knew the value of CREW. I knew it immediately,” says Hosford, who joined in 1985 and served as president in 1994.
It started in 1980 with a small group of 12 women networking over lunch, exchanging ideas and learning from each other how to succeed in a male-dominated business. That eventually evolved into regular speakers, panel discussions and workshops.
Today, CREW has more than 300 local professionals affiliated with 8,000 members nationally through other networks throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“I would say that for 15 years now, maybe more, more than half of my business connections are from CREW,” Hosford says. “A good bit of that is national connections.”
But it wasn’t all about getting ahead. The members also wanted to give back to the community. Hosford incorporated CREW’s 510(c)3 status and served on the board of trustees, helping the organization carry out its philanthropic mission, CREW Careers — helping disadvantaged girls pursue a good career, whether in commercial real estate or any other field.
“We want to be the women who help other women,” Hosford says. “We got into this to help other women.”
They started in 2003 by giving to Girls Inc. and Dallas Habitat for Humanity. Neighborhood resident Eliza Solender, a broker with Solender-Hall Inc. and 1995 CREW Dallas president, co-founded the national CREW Foundation. She says the Dallas chapter paved the way, and CREW Career programs soon began rolling out to chapters throughout the country.
“Using Dallas’ philanthropic model, we inspired on the national level to give back,” Solender says.
Eventually, as the needs of charities increased, CREW partnered with the Dallas Women’s Foundation to cover more ground.
“We outsourced it to the experts,” Hosford says.
CREW board members submitted recommendations to the foundation, and over the years, grants have been awarded to nonprofits such as The Family Place, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Genesis Women’s Shelter, YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas and Interfaith Housing Coalition, as well as a more concentrated effort with the Irma Lerma Rangel School, a DISD magnet school for girls in grades six through 12.
Since 1985, CREW Dallas has raised $2.8 million for more than 40 local nonprofits focused on helping women and girls.
“Women are really interested in giving back to the community,” Hosford says. “(We want) to show disadvantaged girls that they can do more than flip burgers.”
Solender, whose brokerage company represents nonprofits, says her involvement with CREW shaped her life.
“It was very helpful to have other women I could talk to,” Solender says. “They were mentors. It really makes me much more valuable as a leader.”
The commercial real estate industry has come a long way, Solender says, and the best part is when there’s a room full of CREW members negotiating a deal. Really, a room full of friends.
“That’s really fun.”
