2019 Ones to Watch: Lauren Curcio, Worth Property Group LLC

Name: Lauren Curcio 

Title: Executive Vice President, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 

Company Name: Worth Property Group LLC 

Address: 1230 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 200, White Plains, N.Y. 10605 

Who or what do you attribute to your success? 
My mentor, Michael Pescatore, the president of WPG. I joined the firm in 2015 starting out with no experience in the real estate industry. I first began my career as an assistant filing paperwork in the office. Very quickly, I realized how interesting real estate was, and thus, my thirst to learn was born. Michael has been a large part of my success, and has taught me to always believe in myself, and that my only limitation, is myself. He has shown me the valuable meanings of hard work, and dedication. I can truly say that I’m forever grateful for the opportunities he has afforded me. 

What do you consider to be your greatest success in the past 12 months? 
Working closely with the owner/ developer who converted a loft building in East Williamsburg from M-1-3 zoning to residential. I managed the entire project end-to-end, from construction through interior design, and was selected as the exclusive agent of the building. I leased out every loft in the building, within a three-month period, including the retail space on the ground floor. In addition, my work at the Lofts paved way to a neighboring block-to-block exclusive directly across the street from Brooklyn’s Biggest Music Venue–Brooklyn Steel, where I have been working closely with hospitality groups to position a restaurant/bar.

What advice can you offer to someone who is just getting started in your industry? 
If you really want to be successful the in the industry you have to be prepared to work very long hours, often sacrificing weekends, and understand that failure and rejection, is a part of the process. Success in real estate is not defined as a 9-5, office desk job. To thrive in this industry, there is no clock, each day is a new challenge, and the long hours and countless appointments, including last minute cancellations, are all a part of the journey. I always tell others, “eat, sleep, and breathe real estate.” There is so much to learn and so many different facets, but what keeps me going every day, is the results of my hard work, and always seeing the smiles I put on my clients faces. Even beyond just closing deals, I feel that all of my clients become true friends, people that I care about and stay in touch with. Thus, real estate has given me much more than a career— it’s fostered relationships, and lifelong friendships that cannot be bought. 

Who are some leaders that you admire and why? 
Although it may be cliché, leadership runs in my family. My father is the CEO of a regional family owned transportation and logistics company based in New York, and from a very young age, I was always taught the value of hard work, and what it meant to “earn a living”. As a young girl, I was forced to work, including summers, where I had friends who would go so sleepaway camps. I would be the first one up in the morning, and work at restaurants, bagel stores, gyms—you name it. In my eyes, leadership is born this way. Every leader has to start from the bottom, and understand every single component to their job. I admire my father’s leadership style because it goes far beyond traditional management styles. Although he is very methodical, and organized, he leads by example and is a master networker. He has a “Type A” personality and is always thinking of things outside of the box to be different. Also, he genuinely cares about everybody in the company and their livelihood, including their families. His success comes from the success of those within, and because of their success, the company succeeds. Lastly, he’s mentally tougher than anyone I have ever met. I think true strong leaders, need to have the mental fortitude to overcome adversity, which is a part of any job or workplace. I try to exude many of the same qualities as him, and although I work in a different industry today, many of the qualities described above, are universally as important to succeed in any industry, and I think they are inherently part of who I am.