- CREW Miami hosted a breakfast panel on Oct. 14 at Marsh in Brickell on how human trafficking intersects with property ownership, management and hospitality in South Florida.
- Panelists said trafficking can occur in hotels, multifamily communities, luxury apartments and short-term rentals, and urged anti-trafficking policies, frontline training and contractor vetting to limit legal, financial and reputational exposure.
- A federal prosecutor outlined legal consequences for owners who skip precautions, including the government seizing properties tied to trafficking crimes, and urged reporting suspicious activity even without the full picture.
Commercial Real Estate Women Miami hosted a human trafficking panel on Oct. 14 at Marsh in Brickell, with a federal prosecutor, a survivor-services CEO and a risk consultant on the dais.
The breakfast, titled Real Estate on the Front Lines, examined how trafficking intersects with ownership, management and hospitality in South Florida, a region with heavy tourism, big events and a growing real estate market.
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Who Was on the Panel
Wendy Ruiz Cofiño, vice president at FALKE and CREW Miami’s Member Services Committee director, moderated. Amanda Altman, CEO of Kristi House, joined Gina Hunter, a healthcare safety consultant and leader partnership manager at Marsh, and Abbie Waxman, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida.
Marsh senior vice president Christy Trocino hosted the session.
Trafficking Does Not Require Travel
At the CREW Miami event, Altman drew the line between sex and labor trafficking and made clear that victims are not always moved across borders or from place to place. She also covered what makes people vulnerable to traffickers and what survivors confront when rebuilding.
Drawing on Kristi House’s Project GOLD program, CREW Miami reported she highlighted counseling, prevention education, services built around trauma and help returning to work. Staff who deal with the public, especially in hospitality, need regular training, she argued.
Where Owners Carry Risk
Hunter took a risk-management, insurance and operations view, per CREW Miami. Trafficking can surface in hotels, apartment communities, luxury residences and short-term rentals, she said, at times with owners and managers unaware.
Her advice for owners: adopt anti-trafficking policies, train frontline staff, vet contractors and weigh what a trafficking link could cost a property in legal, financial and brand terms. She also shared a family experience that showed how long exploitation can last.
The Federal View
Waxman walked through how federal trafficking investigations run and why victims are hard to identify, per CREW Miami. She described warning signs in hospitality and residential properties and the legal consequences owners can face when they skip appropriate precautions.
The talk also covered federal forfeiture, which can reach properties connected to trafficking crimes. Waxman urged people to give authorities what they know, even when the situation is not fully clear to them.
Why It Matters
Audience questions ranged from short-term rental oversight to property management, staff training, labor exploitation and jobs for survivors, per CREW Miami. The takeaway was that spotting red flags is only a first step. Prevention also takes written policies, trained staff, reporting procedures and cooperation with law enforcement and community groups.
Emily Butler, 2026 CREW Miami board president and office managing partner at CohnReznick Miami, said the chapter wants women in the industry to become informed voices inside their organizations and the wider business community. That fits a broader industry conversation, from the CRE pay gap to who gets a voice in the room.
What’s Next for CREW Miami
CREW Miami’s next program, The 9 Things I Wish I Knew, runs Oct. 30 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Haber Law Wynwood, 251 NW 23 St. Meryl Blau moderates, with Jackie Salcines of Salcines Law, Adriana Jaegerman of Stantec and Tamika Moses of Robin Bird Realty. Tickets are $35 for members and $50 for nonmembers.
The chapter’s seventh annual golf tournament follows on Nov. 6 at Miami Shores Country Club, with proceeds supporting its scholarship fund.
