Blumberg of Besen: Take utmost pride in work and create goals

Name: Lynda Blumberg Title: Senior Broker Company Name: Besen and Associates, Inc. What year did you start your career in commercial real estate: 2000 Email: [email protected] Real Estate Associations/Organizations: Aipac, Bronx Board of Realtors, Israel Bonds What recent honor, achievement or recognition has meant the most to you and why? My most recent honor and achievement was Besen and Associates honoring me with Deal of the Year -2014. The deal was a prime development site in Midtown - 249,251 and 253 East 50th Street. It was an honored to take this assignment from a long time owner who is also a family friend. I took it to the finish line fetching a price of $17,000,000. I achieved success through working diligently and effectively with the right developers following this deal to a close. When you launched your own business what were some of the initial challenges and how did you overcome them? Some of my initial challenges were how to be successful including: how to get a great reputation in the business, taking charge of my business model and making the correct contacts. Coming from a professional nursing career into the business world is a culture shock in itself. Nurses are task oriented, given doctor's orders to be carried out as opposed to commercial brokerage where you are given the opportunity to make and create changes in investor's lives and the private sector. Being part of bringing change to communities through taking part in bringing new developments to communities is the best part of this field. I take the utmost pride in my work and create everyday goals. If you are able to check off most of your daily goals you are doing well. Being a competitive athlete always helped me to the finish line. Coming from a real estate family I always felt was a challenge. I was going to work in a different borough and worked seven days a week. Through diligent and hard work I could say that everyone who knew me was proud to help make a great reputation for myself. My due diligence of the area I was working in was actually knowing every street, road and traveling to the area. Making this part of your routine is the basis for success. This takes approximately one year. This becomes the most exciting time in your career! Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why? Another veteran broker in my office Amit Doshi has been the strongest influence in my career. He has a very good work ethic and through his determination and inner strength has made me the broker I am today. What is the first thing you do when you arrive in the office in the morning? The first thing I do in the morning is canvas, canvas, canvas. What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you? Just canvassing is the only strategy most effective for me. What is the best advice you have received and who was it from? The best advice I have ever received was from the wisest man, my dad. He said: Always listen, never talk when people are talking to you. List 3 women that you would like to have drinks / dinner with and where would you go? My oldest friend Janice Morrow, who steered me into nursing, We like to go to T-Bar, My first cousin Ellen Kratchman, national fashion executive for Gucci. We always go for dinner at Tao on the Upper Eastside. And Christian Portelli, a close friend from the industry, we have drinks at places of convenience. What is your favorite quote? What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was a child growing up.