A Common Ground Conversation with Debra Tantleff
Debra Tantleff
Our Common Ground campaign for Gender Equality continues! Today, we salute another pioneering woman in real estate: Debra Tantleff! Debra is Founding Principal of TANTUM Real Estate. We’re proud to shine a spotlight on Debra and so many other trailblazers in the field. These women have paved the way for others to follow. Here’s to every achievement earned, every milestone passed, and every glass ceiling shattered!
Debra Tantleff, Founding Principal – Tantum Real Estate
As Founding Principal of TANTUM Real Estate, Debra Tantleff operates a certified Women’s Business Enterprise focused on creating boutique multi-family and mixed-use communities in the New Jersey region. Prior to founding TANTUM, Deb was a Vice President of Development at Roseland, a Mack-Cali Company, where she established a highly-acclaimed reputation for delivering exceptional mixed-use projects, with a portfolio consisting of more than 5,000 residential units and 200,000 square feet of retail space.
Deb serves on the New Jersey Committee of the Regional Plan Association, the Executive Board of Directors for Downtown New Jersey, and is also a member of New Jersey Future and New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA). She was named Real Estate Forum’s “Top 40 Under 40” in 2012. Deb received the Women Builders Council’s 2015 Outstanding Women Award, and was listed as a “Forty Under 40” in 2016 by NJBiz. She has been recognized numerous times by the National Association of Home Builders and the NJBA. In 2015, she was awarded the NJBA Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Political Action. Deb is also a member of the Executive Committee at the Center for Real Estate at Rutgers Business School, where she also serves as Co-Chair of the Emerging Leaders Council. She holds a Masters in Real Estate Finance from the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University.
What a delight to chat with Deb for our Common Ground campaign. It’s fascinating to hear about her career, her achievements, and her advice and encouragement for other women! Click on any or all of the videos below to see Deb’s thoughtful responses.
Q: How did you get your start in the real estate industry?
Q: Did you or do you have any role models in the industry, or someone who influenced you in a significant way in the field?
Q: What are some obstacles or challenges you faced along the way on your career path?
Q: Have you seen changes in gender equality since you started in the field?
Q: What’s one major milestone or achievement you can share from your career?
Q: Is there something you would still like to accomplish in your career?
Q: What advice would you give to women who may be starting out, trying to break in, or trying to advance in the field?
Q: As part of our campaign for gender equality, we’re working with Bottomless Closet, a local non-profit that helps disadvantaged women who are transitioning from unemployment and public assistance into the workplace. Do you have any words of encouragement or advice for these women who are attempting to find work and establish a career – in any field – in spite of severe hardship?
Q: Last question, on a more lighthearted note: tell us the last great book you read or show you binged…