2019 Women in Real Estate: Diane Viggiano, Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG

Name: Diane Viggiano, MAI, AI-GRS

Title: Director, Property Analysis and Valuation

Company Name: Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG 

Association/Organization Affiliations (REAL ESTATE ONLY): CREW NY; Metro New York Chapter of the Appraisal Institute

What is your favorite motivational quote?
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” 

What was one of your biggest accomplishments in the last 12 months? 
I am part of the USA start up team for a large commercial bank based in Germany. I was the second “hire” last August 2018 and we have quickly grown to our targeted 9 people comprising Property Analysis and Valuation, Origination, Underwriting and Compliance. We are charged with growing the USA business of the bank and have a target of achieving $2 billion in loan originations in 2019. As of the third quarter, we are firmly on target to achieve our goals. 
Accepting this position required me to invoke my favorite inspirational quote “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail”. Leaving a stable position and joining a start up is risky but I knew this was an incredible opportunity. I oversee the valuations of our USA properties and present my analysis to the voting members in the home office along with the deal team. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience and I am so grateful I had the confidence to accept the position.
I have taken on many challenges and pushed myself beyond my comfort zone with this thought in mind. I attribute a great deal of my success to repeating this quote in my head to ward off fear of failure or the untested and go forward with a new challenge or opportunity.

How do you hold your own in a negotiation?
It is imperative to be prepared for any and every angle that could be presented and if you are prepared – you are confident. If you are confident, you can be a powerful and skilled negotiator because you are comfortable in your knowledge that your position is well founded. Confidence creates calmness and eliminates panic or disorganization. Never let them see you sweat!