This story is part of our March 2026 issue. To read the print version, click here.



Kimberly Follett

Managing Director and Market Leader, CBRE

Growing up in San Luis Obispo as one of three girls, a triplet,
Kimberly Follett might easily have followed her family to Cal
Poly. Instead, she chose to attend college in Sacramento, carving
out a different          path that would
eventually lead her to oversee brokerage teams across Northern
California and Nevada as managing director and market leader at
CBRE.

She enrolled at Sacramento State and initially studied interior
design, but partway through the program, she realized it wasn’t
really for her. Classes were difficult to access, and progress
felt uncertain. When she walked into the business department and
learned how easily she could change majors, she did.

That pivot was shaped by a strong sense of independence early on.
“I didn’t really have a safety net in family or wealth, so I knew
I had to get a job and take care of myself,” Follett says.

She selected a concentration in real estate and land use and was
introduced to the industry through an internship at Wachovia
Securities, working downtown. From there, she joined CBRE’s
research team, a common entry point into commercial real estate,
and has remained with the firm since then. This spring marks
nearly 20 years at the company.

Over the past two decades, Follett has worked her way through
office leasing, tenant representation and management. For more
than a decade, she focused exclusively on office product,
following CBRE’s philosophy that brokers build credibility
through specialization. Each deal reflected a different mix of
tenant needs, investor goals and market conditions.

Today, Follett is a managing director and market leader at CBRE,
overseeing brokerage teams across its Sacramento, Roseville, Reno
and Central Valley offices. Her role includes managing the
advisory side of the firm’s commercial real estate business and
supporting salespeople involved in leasing and transactions that
shape how companies operate and how cities function. She works
closely with brokers on business planning, development,
forecasting and pipeline reporting, and supports teams across
multiple service lines.

Follett describes herself as a connector. “I’m always thinking
about how to help solve the problem,” she says. “Sometimes that
means introducing someone to the right person. Sometimes it’s
helping them see a different path.”

She credits early encouragement from mentors with shaping her
approach to leadership. Mark Fujiwara, who supervised her during
her internship, helped her recognize her own value early in her
career. Later, Dave Brennan, her predecessor in the regional
manager role, made sure she was included in important
conversations. “He pushed me to do things I didn’t always want to
do,” she says. “But it gave me the reps.”

“I’m always thinking about how to help solve the problem.
Sometimes that means introducing someone to the right person.
Sometimes it’s helping them see a different path.”

In her current role, Follett focuses on developing early talent,
strengthening market coverage and helping brokers respond to
shifts in how companies use space. She works closely with teams
on business planning and forecasting while identifying gaps in
coverage across the region. She recently completed her presidency
with the Association of Commercial Real Estate and continues to
stay involved in industry initiatives.

Outside of work, much of Follett’s time is shaped by her husband,
Patrick, and two children, Chase, 9, and Kira, 7, whose sports
schedules fill much of the family calendar. They enjoy traveling
when possible, often planning weekend trips or visiting other
cities to attend professional sporting events. At home, the
household includes a 3-year-old goldendoodle named Harry, a
13-year-old Maltese schnauzer mix named Chuck and a fish named
Norris Junior.

When asked about her goals, Follett points to how emerging tools
like artificial intelligence may support decision-making in a
relationship-driven business. “Understanding what those are and
making sure that we are deploying those tools in a responsible
way, but also at the time that we should be, so we’re not losing
ground.” She also emphasizes building stronger coverage across
the region and continuing to invest in talent development, with a
focus on helping teams adapt to a changing market while
maintaining the relationships that drive the business.

–

View the list of
honorees from 2015 through 2026.

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