Long-time JLLer
finds passion
for property management
Jay Pruitt says she loves embracing
the challenges and opportunities in the
industry
Jay Pruitt began her career in property management 26 years ago, by means of exploration. While she received her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and worked in radio, Jay soon realized it wasn’t the path for her.
“I decided to take on select temp assignments to see what interested me, and that’s how I landed in property management.”
Jay Pruitt and her family
Jay began as a Property Administrator at Manulife Financial in 1995 and worked her way up the ranks, where she now serves as an Executive Vice President/Group Manager and Market Sector Lead with JLL. “Early in my career, my goal was to master the skills of each position to ensure promotion every two years. I caught the property management bug and was hooked. The rest is history!”
History indeed, as Jay has real estate roots. While many people have inspired and shaped Jay’s experience, none have more so than her mother. “She was a pillar of strength, resilience and determination. An immigrant from Jamaica, she came to this country with very little and raised seven children, owned real estate that totaled half of a city block and did so as a single parent. I have yet to come across anyone that has had more of an influence in shaping my life than my mother.”
Jay and her team manage 3.2 million square feet in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. As a market sector leader for Northern Virginia, Jay is responsible for driving business development efforts, cultivating teams, and serving as a client relationship manager.
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According to Jay, “Property managers love a good challenge – we’re problem solvers. I like embracing what’s next and love that no one day is the same.”
While being a Market Sector Lead keeps Jay busy, outside of work she enjoys “anything related to creating (sewing, making jewelry, decorating).” She’s known for her cooking and baking, with her homemade ice cream, breads, stir-fries and West Indian dishes frequently requested by family and friends.
When asked who inspired her as the next wave of the future, she shared it’s her three-year-old great niece, Sky is “brilliant, beautiful, kind and has a great sense of humor.” Since she was two, Sky has been fluently reading, comprehending, writing, solving math calculations and conducting science projects with her mom. According to Jay, “her natural gifts, creativity and desires give me so much hope for the future.”