2018 Women In Real Estate, Professional Services: Karen Rodgers, Garfunkel Wild, PC

Name: Karen Rodgers, Esq. 

Title: Partner

Company Name: Garfunkel Wild, PC

What are some of your biggest accomplishments in the last 12 months?

Over the past year I have closed transactions focused on the change of skilled nursing operations and the simultaneous transfer of the underlying real property with a value in excess of $150 million. The majority of these transactions involved skilled nursing portfolios in New York and nationwide. Of particular interest, and a new growing and highly profitable trend, was the acquisition of 29 nursing facilities, acquired utilizing bridge to HUD financing and simultaneously triple net leased to unrelated skilled nursing operators. 

How many messages are in your inbox right now and how do you manage email?

Sadly right now I have 4,622 emails in my inbox. Proudly, I will note that they have all been read and are properly organized by transaction. Email organization is essential in an environment where each transaction can generate 100s of emails in any particular day. 

What do you do like to do for fun?

I try to spend as much time outside as possible. Gardening, hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding are all routine activities that I enjoy.

In one word, describe yourself:

 Relentless

What blogs, resources, podcasts or influencers have helped you?

I think I’m influenced by a variety of sources, newspaper and industry specific publications keep me focused on current trends while a close observation of the business aspects of the transactions help me identify key issues and potential risks that any particular client may encounter. 

How important is it for women to create a personal brand?

I think establishing a professional niche is very important for women in the legal industry. Being an authority on very specific transactions and industries helps to solidify professional stature and branding. Clients are comfortable allowing me to take the lead and guide them—even when they may be tempted to resist the direction which my professional opinion tells me is best.