This week's guest is Tanya Reu-Narvaez.
Tanya is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the Realogy Brokerage Group (RBG) and the Realogy Franchise Group (RFG) business units of Realogy.
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Empowered Women Empower Others Q+A with Tanya Reu-Narvaez
Tanya Reu-Narvaez, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the Realogy Brokerage Group (RBG) and the Realogy Franchise Group (RFG) business units of Realogy which include both franchise and company-owned brands such as Better Homes and Gardens®, Century 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Corcoran®, ERA Franchise Systems® and Sotheby’s International Realty®. Appointed to her expanded role in 2018 with HR leadership responsibility for Realogy’s core businesses, she leads a comprehensive HR function focused on strategic talent initiatives that drive business outcomes.
Reu has been responsible for aligning talent efforts with business objectives for 18 years at Realogy with specific focus in areas including talent strategy and management, employee engagement, leadership development, talent acquisition and retention.
Reu has also led and been a champion of the Diversity & Inclusion efforts for RBG & RFG to diversity the company’s distributed sales organization. She is a founding member of Realogy’s Diversity & Inclusion Council and is responsible for partnerships with professional diversity organizations, including the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA,) the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP), the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) and WomenUP!®.
She is a current member and former Chair of NAHREP’s Corporate Board of Governors and is a former national Board Member of AREAA and Big Brother, Big Sisters of Northern New Jersey.
Reu has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including NAHREP’s inaugural Ernest J. Reyes Founders Award for her work in advancing the cause of sustainable Hispanic homeownership and NAGLREP’s Pinnacle Award, the association’s highest honor, which recognizes individuals devoted to the success of the association and who support the LGBTQ+ community. She has also been named to HousingWire’s Top 20 Women of Influence in Housing and as a Woman Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal.
Q1: What was your first leadership role? Did you ask/ apply for it or were you recruited?
Recruiting Manager for Globix Corporation
Q2: Tell us about the journey to your current leadership role.
It has been quite a journey! While I was in my first leadership role leading a global expansion for an ISP that was in growth mode during the tech boom, 9/11 occurred and I happened to work nearby the World Trade Center. Simply getting through that day alone was one of my earliest leadership lessons in my career. Based on the events of the day, I decided to look for a new opportunity in New Jersey. That decision led me into the real estate industry which I have come to absolutely love. I joined Cendant at the time (now Realogy) and I ran HR for some of the largest global real estate brands in the world. I quickly realized how tied to this industry our leaders were and dove into the business to learn all that I could. That was pivotal for me as I came into an industry as a young, Hispanic female with no real estate experience and that was tough.
Based on my tenacity, learning the business, and intuition, I was able to establish credibility quickly. I worked really hard, identified gaps with solutions, and drove execution. My ability to provide strategic consultation on how talent drives business outcomes led me to many leadership roles up to and including my current one. My leadership scope was continuously expanded - most recently taking on Realogy's two core businesses - Realogy Franchise Group and Realogy Brokerage Group. During that 18 year period, I've led through the best real estate market in the industry's history, to the worst market/financial crisis to leading through the current pandemic. The leadership lessons were massive. From launching brands to integrating global organizations and everything in between, I've been fortunate to have had these opportunities.
Q3: What has been your biggest leadership lesson this year? How did you learn it?
Resiliency, Inspiration and the importance of deep connections
“Reach out and reach UP.”
Checking in with your teams to ask “How are you feeling?”
Q4: What were your top takeaways from WomanUP!® 2020?
Hearing the amazing stories of growth and resilience through a time of adversity. So many stayed laser-focused and leveraged the silver linings as they saw them while balancing so much on the personal front. I've never seen so much energy around women lifting women - it's incredible.
WomanUP® truly inspires you to take a chance, build up your confidence and live your best life.
Q5: Final words of wisdom?
I'm a believer that how one is raised and one's early life experiences truly shapes one. I had a very challenging childhood (addictive family) but I wouldn't change a thing as it truly motivated me to take a different path, do the right thing, and be all I can be. I was ever so fortunate to be surrounded by amazing women - my grandmother who raised me. She was the valedictorian in High School in Puerto Rico before coming to NY and then ultimately quitting her job to raise me. My mom was a single mom who was the first to take the non-traditional career route and paved the way for me. Resiliency is so important. We have to believe in ourselves and maintain and build confidence to be our best selves.
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