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Posted: August 18, 2020
2020 Ones to Watch: Robert Kempner, Kempner Properties
Name: Robert Kempner
Company: Kempner Properties
Title: Managing Partner
Education: University of Rhode Island
Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career?
After eight great years of retail brokerage deal making in Manhattan, the “game-changer” deal was my first building purchase: A six-unit multifamily property close to Yale University in New Haven, CT, that I closed along with my brother, Doug Kempner. Learning about a building acquisition with the mentorship of our father and seeing it through beginning to end for the first time was a favorite personal milestone.
How do you contribute to your community or your profession?
I have spent time serving on the Young Leadership Board for the Birthright Organization in New York City where I enjoy contributing to organizations outside of the real estate industry. I am also involved in starting a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching financial literacy and providing networking opportunities to marginalized communities. This is extremely important right now and a personal interest of mine. I feel strongly that people should be charitable and give back to make the world a better place.
What led you to your current profession?
I practiced retail brokerage in Manhattan successfully for eight years and was also influenced by my father Peter Kempner who introduced us to the ownership side of the business.
What do you like most about your job?
Being out in the field with my brother Doug Kempner and meeting new brokers. Both Doug and I were brokers ourselves prior to working together and we greatly value and constantly remind ourselves how important the brokerage community and these relationships are.
What social media platform do you use the most professionally?
Originally LinkedIn…but more recently, now Instagram. We do not have a lot of followers but it has worked so far, creating new relationships and leading to new opportunities. It’s also a fun way to showcase what we are working on and much easier to use.
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