2016 Women in Real Estate: Christen Portelli

Highcap Group" width="150" height="150" /> Christen Portelli, Highcap Group

Name: Christen Portelli

Title: Managing Principal

Company Name: Highcap Group

Email: [email protected] 

Years in real estate: 15

Telephone: 646-546-5255

How did you get your start in real estate?

My career began in the real estate department at the law firm, Duval & Stachenfeld as a legal assistant. My plan was to attend law school but got side tracked by the NYC brokerage world and I’m ever so grateful! In addition, I learned a myriad of lessons at D&S from due diligence analysis, effective negotiating, meticulous attention to detail, document interpretation and communication skills. However, the most significant life lesson learned was the passion I had for NYC real estate.

What have been some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor?

When starting out in this industry its crucial to have a mentor as there are never truly black and white answers in this industry especially when negotiating, this type of mentoring sounding board is helpful at any point in one’s real estate profession. At this stage in my career, being a mentor is inspirational, especially when working with a fresh eyes perspective. Seeing new agents develop and grasp the business is also incredibly rewarding. Being on either side of the fence creates a synergy of positive energy; brainstorming and strategizing about analyzing, logic, reasoning and even psychology on a deal are benefits to both being a mentor and having a mentor.

Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why?

The strongest influence on my career was going through the last quarter of 2008 and going into 2009. Having the industry come to a complete halt was shocking but navigating through the following year or so brought not only challenges but a wave of creativity which was an incredible experience. Having not been through a true down cycle before this time, I quickly learned that there are innovative ways to make deals no matter what type of market you are in. Going through that experience was extremely influential as it taught me about resilience.

What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you?

Prioritizing!