Sunita Holzer: Going Beyond Boundaries

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By John Black

In applying innovative methods beyond the boundaries of her job description, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Realogy Holdings Corp., Sunita Holzer has an undeniable talent for creating spaces where employees thrive. Rather than taking a narrow view on the real estate industry and customer needs, Holzer’s approach uses a wide and inclusive lens.

“I’m a firm believer that if you open people’s minds, you improve their lives,” Holzer reveals. “Go to a museum, read a book, or take a course that has nothing to do with your job, but [that] you are passionate about or always wanted to try. Having those kinds of life experiences makes you a better person and can positively influence your career.”

Holzer’s holistic view of the world places value on culture, art, science, and ideas that may not appear to correlate with real estate, but that enable her to connect with, and relate to, all sorts of people and, as such, help her company meet the needs of a variety of unique individuals.

“My greatest passion is diversity,” Holzer declares. “The real estate industry has to be a leader in diversity, both in terms of the people who work with realtors, and of the realtors themselves. Because it is such a customer based industry, the marketplace demands it. And it’s not just about ethnic diversity.  It’s working across generations. Millennials, for example, have very different housing needs than their parents and grandparents. It’s also working with those who have unique physical needs. A diversified workforce is better able to understand and serve a diverse customer base.”

The focus on diversity was a seed planted inside the heart and mind of Holzer years earlier. “Having been the Chief Diversity Officer at American Express early in my career, I saw the importance of having an inclusive workforce. Since then I have tried to drive inclusion in the companies I work at, and in my personal life. I believe you have to live inclusion; you don’t just do it as a task or assignment.  It is part of who you are. And you can learn it if you are open to it.”

For Holzer, the bottom line is about creating genuine connections in diverse areas of interest that go beyond the task at hand. Helping people feel at home requires knowing what home feels like for them.