Decade Answers: Marie Zere

Marie Zere is founder and CEO at Zere Real Estate Services, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. What was one of your corporate or career highlights of the decade? "My greatest accomplishment in my 30 years in business is mentoring my three highly-motivated children to continue Zere Real Estate Services, Inc well beyond what was originally planned at the inception of opening of my company in 1980. Each one of them Michael, Michelle and David brings forth uniquely different real estate assets and skills that offer customers requiring commercial real estate services on Long Island an unparalleled level of expertise. All of them have grown up in the commercial real estate business since they were children apprenticing in my company in all areas of site development, servicing customers and working in every aspect of the industry treating everyone they encounter with respect and incredible knowledge. My eldest son Michael has been with the company since 1991, works tirelessly and continues to bring to completion an average of over 70 deals a year representing hundreds of properties, building owner property portfolios and numerous industrial parks. Michelle is a dynamo with an accomplished and highly impressive marketing background. She brought to fruition a $28.5 million deal in 2008 and continues to carve a path of success with a no-nonsense hands on approach. She started as my listings girl at age 11 in my first office in Great Neck and has assisted many of the fine brokers who have worked with my firm over the years organizing their deals to completion in addition to having a powerhouse of friends and contacts both nationwide and internationally. David's experience with land use, the development process, the Pine Barrens, and the obstacles associated with any land development is an incredible resource for our future growth and has sold in excess of $35 million in land sales in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. I could not be prouder of my children who all by choice are in the industry and to think I still have eight grandchildren that all want to be part of the Zere business in the future, sometimes I have to pinch myself when they are all around me."