C-Suite Awards: Brooke Butler, Turton Commercial Real Estate

Business Journals

21-07-2025

How long have you worked in your field? 13 years
What's the most rewarding part of your job? I enjoy contributing to the behind-the-scenes work that helps spark momentum for a building, a corridor, or an entire district — ultimately elevating Sacramento as a destination city. Identifying a property's unique value proposition and using storytelling to bring it to life is at the core of our campaigns. These efforts connect landlords and tenants, buyers and sellers, and often result in new businesses, new developments, and renewed energy in spaces where people live, work and play.
What boards do you serve on, or what type of volunteer or philanthropic work do you do? I've been involved with Urban Land Institute's Women's Leadership Initiative since 2021, first as a committee member and now as the 2025 Chair. WLI supports the advancement of women in real estate through initiatives like the Dinner Series, which features candid conversations with prominent women leaders, and the Women's Golf Academy, which helps participants build confidence in a traditionally male-dominated networking space. I also participate annually in Habitat for Humanity's Women Build Day to support affordable housing.
What would be your dream job, if it's not what you're already doing? I earned my master's in marketing in Budapest, Hungary, where tourism was naturally part of the coursework, as the city is a major tourist destination. If commercial real estate ceased to exist tomorrow, I'd pursue a path in tourism marketing. There's so much overlap — both rely on destination promotion and strategic messaging to drive economic activity. Tourism marketing attracts travelers, while commercial real estate marketing attracts businesses and developers. In both cases, the goal is to elevate the destination and deliver meaningful impact.
Who has been the most inspiring or influential leader in your career? I found the GE Honors Program at Sacramento State (2009 to 2013), led by Dr. Roberto Pomo, incredibly inspiring and influential. The program challenged me to think critically, engage globally, and take an active role in shaping the world around me. With their support, I earned a scholarship to study and volunteer in Budapest, Hungary. It also led to career-shaping opportunities, including an internship with the Sacramento Kings and my role at Turton. I met my husband and some of my closest friends through the program. It laid the foundation for the life and career I have today.
How do you unwind after work? Unwinding looks very different these days — I have a two-year-old son named Oslo, so evenings are usually full of toddler energy. Once he goes to bed, I head out for a walk around the neighborhood with an audiobook. It's helped me get back into reading and get my steps in after a day at the desk. I prefer not to extend my workday with self-help or professional development books — I stick to fantasy and enjoy a much-needed escape into a different world.
Tell us more about your hobbies: With the hustle and bustle of work and family life, regular hobbies can be hard to keep — but my husband and I try to escape once a year and travel. We've visited 35 countries across four continents. Highlights include riding a camel to the pyramids in Egypt, exploring Chernobyl in Ukraine, shopping at the Grand Bazaar in Turkey, and taking a cooking class in Thailand. Travel keeps me curious, grounded and inspired in both life and work.
Do you have children/pets? My husband Kyle and I have been married for almost 11 years and have a 2-year-old son named Oslo — named after the capital of Norway. We also have two cats, Mario and Luigi, named after the Super Mario Bros because of their mustache-like markings. They have very different opinions about living with a toddler: one hides, one supervises.