2016 Women in Real Estate: Leslie Feifer

Leslie Feifer, Jaspan Schlesinger LLP

Name: Leslie Feifer

Title:   Partner

Email:    [email protected]                  

Years in real estate: 19

Company Name: Jaspan Schlesinger LLP          

Year Founded: 1946

URL: www.jaspanllp.com

Telephone: (516) 746-8000

How did you get your start in real estate?

My firm was willing to hire me based on my limited experience with coops and my career just grew from there.

What recent project or transaction are you most proud of?

I am so fortunate that I have the opportunity to work on such a wide variety of matters. In one day I can run the gamut from representing a client purchasing and redeveloping a shopping center to representing a landlord leasing out property to representing a borrower refinancing its property to obtain funds to perform improvements at its property.  One of the highlights of the matters which I worked on this year was helping a family buy back a home which it had previously lost in a foreclosure proceeding. The purchase was from the successful bidder of the home at a foreclosure auction. It is always rewarding to complete a task and see my client accomplish the goal it had in mind when it initially sought me out.

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

My most recent experience as a mentor has reminded me of the knowledge and resources that I have available at my fingertips. Mentoring others is a great way to reinforce how valuable your skills are to others and sharing and passing on your knowledge and contacts to a mentee is a great way to reinforce that. Acting as a mentor is also a great way to meet new clients and contacts, expand your network and participate in activities and opportunities which may have never otherwise presented themselves.

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

My family has always been the strongest influence on my career by supporting me in my efforts to achieve my goals.  Their constant encouragement and enthusiasm has consistently motivated me to have the drive and ability to push forward on whatever endeavor I am working on.

What is the best advice you have received and who was it from?

My father always told me that perseverance was necessary to obtain what I desired and nothing worth achieving was ever easy.  Looking back, he was right. The harder I worked at something, and the more challenging it was to achieve, almost always resulted in me achieving what I initially desired and appreciating it even moreso.