Every major real estate project starts as an idea. Before new homes are built or financing is secured, someone has to bring together the legal pieces that make the project possible. That kind of work rarely makes headlines, but it shapes communities every day.
For Gita Sankano, that challenge has defined her career. From growing up in New York City to working on Wall Street, graduating near the top of her law school class, and handling sophisticated real estate finance transactions, she has built a career around solving complicated problems. Along the way, she has remained focused on something bigger than legal documents.
“The definition of success is subjective,” Gita says. “However, for me, it’s giving back to my community and pouring in whatever knowledge I have to the youth.”
How Gita Sankano Built a Career in Real Estate Law
Gita Sankano was born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx. Education became the foundation for everything that followed.
She attended CUNY John Jay College, where she earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration. While finishing graduate school, she worked as an auditor at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Headquarters on Wall Street.
The experience gave her an early look at how large organizations operate. It also strengthened the attention to detail that would become one of the defining traits of her legal career.
Her path was not always easy.
“Being the first in my family to attend college was an obstacle,” she says. “However, I was able to find mentors to help me navigate my way.”
Those mentors helped her see opportunities she may not have recognized on her own. Years later, she still believes in paying that guidance forward.
Why Law School Became a Launching Pad
Gita continued her education at the University of Maryland School of Law. She graduated Cum Laude and finished in the top 20 percent of her class.
She also stayed active outside the classroom.
She served as Associate Symposium Editor for the Business & Technology Law Journal and Staff Editor for The Authority National Affordable Housing Law Digest. Her academic work earned her the Dean’s Fellow Scholarship for academic excellence and first place in the Paul Cardish Writing Competition.
These accomplishments reflected more than strong grades. They showed a willingness to study difficult topics and communicate them clearly. Those skills would later become essential in transactional law.
What Kind of Work Does Gita Sankano Do?
After graduating, Gita clerked for the Honorable Michael W. Reed at the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland. The clerkship gave her valuable insight into legal reasoning and judicial decision-making.
She then joined a large law firm, where she spent about five years representing the nation’s largest lenders.
Her work centered on the origination, sale, and servicing of commercial loan transactions sold to secondary market investors, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. She represented lenders participating in Fannie Mae’s Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS) program and Freddie Mac’s Capital Markets Execution (CME) program.
She also coordinated financing closings across the country for multifamily housing developments and health care facilities financed through FHA insurance programs.
Many projects involved several moving parts at once. Some combined Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, tax-exempt bonds, bridge loans, state and local financing, Section 8 contracts, Section 202 and Section 236 Use Agreements, and mezzanine financing.
Each transaction required careful planning and close coordination among lenders, developers, government agencies, investors, and legal teams.
How Big Ideas Become Successful Projects
Today, Gita represents the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development in complex affordable housing finance transactions.
Her work includes reviewing and drafting legal documents, advising on housing policies, and helping structure transactions that often involve multiple funding sources, property acquisitions, and dispositions.
While affordable housing is a major part of her practice, her experience also reflects the broader world of commercial real estate and transactional law. She understands how legal strategy, careful planning, and collaboration help move projects from concept to completion.
Her role is often about creating solutions before problems arise.
That ability to organize complex transactions has helped support projects that serve both investors and communities.
The Mindset Behind Gita Sankano’s Career
When asked what has made the biggest difference in her career, Gita points to something simple.
“Believing in yourself and believing that you have control over your destiny.”
That mindset has helped her navigate each stage of her professional journey, from being the first in her family to attend college to handling some of the most detailed financing structures in commercial real estate.
She also credits one person for setting that example early.
“My mother has been my biggest influence,” Gita says. “She is a hard working woman who never gives up and keeps going forward.”
Those lessons continue to shape how she approaches both her work and her life.
Outside the office, Gita enjoys traveling, hiking, painting, Pilates, and exploring art. She has also shared her experiences as a keynote speaker at the Smiling Coast Women Conference, encouraging others to pursue education, seek mentors, and invest in future generations.
Looking back, her career is not defined by a single transaction or accomplishment. Instead, it is built on years of thoughtful work that has helped turn complicated ideas into real projects. Whether working on commercial real estate financing, advising on housing policy, or mentoring others, Gita Sankano continues to show that meaningful progress often comes from careful preparation, steady leadership, and a commitment to creating opportunities that last.
