Hurd of Heddings considers social media a great branding tool

Name: Kristin Hurd Title: Associate Broker and Managing Director Company/Firm: Heddings Property Group Years with Company/Firm: 1.5 years Years in Field: 10 Years in Real Estate Industry: 10 Address: 1140 Broadway, Suite 902, New York, NY 10001 Telephone: 201-759-5239 Email: [email protected] URL: www.heddingsproperty.com Real Estate Organizations/Affiliations: National Association of REALTORS, Real Estate Board of New York, Manhattan Association of REALTORS During the last 10 years of your career, which professional accomplishment, honor or achievement was most meaningful to you and why? I am especially proud of an award I received in 2006, prior to joining Heddings Property Group. At the time, I held a management position for a company that sought to hire as many brokers as possible. As someone who always favors quality over quantity, I chose to focus my recruitment efforts on attracting talent, and successfully brought 40 top-notch brokers onboard. That year, our team ranked fifth highest in profitability out of more than 200 offices, the majority of which boasted triple-digit rosters, and I was named manager of the year. Which project, deal or transaction was the "game changer" in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I entered the New York City real estate market at the end of 2010. At the time, my peers told me not to expect a deal for two years. Now, I am happy to say that I proved them wrong. In my first four months, I completed 10 transactions totaling over $15 million, and I think that set the pace for my career here. It was a game-changer and reputation-maker for me. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry? As a managing director for Heddings Property Group, I have the pleasure of helping my fellow agents learn and grow. Additionally, I have helped take our company to the next level by attracting talented agents and helping open five new offices across the Greater New York Region. I believe my greatest impact on the industry is my business ethic. It is easy to let greed get in the way of what truly matters, but I believe in honesty and integrity, and in putting my client's interests above my own. I would like to think my values and strong principles have a positive impact. What advice would you give to women just starting out in real estate? My advice to the next generation of women real estate professionals is to maintain your integrity, think long-term when building your business, and never make decisions at the cost of a relationship, whether it is with another broker or a client. Start by aligning yourself with a mentor that demonstrates the principled success you strive to achieve. How do you manage the work/life balance? Time with family and friends is non-negotiable; I schedule it in. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why? I have been surrounded by some of the best and brightest in real estate, and am fortunate to consider a diverse group of professionals, both men and women, my mentors. They have taught me the ins and outs of the industry, about everything from managing money and client relationships to conducting business with integrity and class. How are you using social media to promote yourself, your products and / or your firm? For me, social media is a great branding tool. I find that my Facebook business page, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts are an excellent way to build name recognition and educate consumers about my listings. Additionally, Heddings Property Group maintains a strong social media platform. We believe social media is essential to building the Heddings name and connecting with prospective buyers in all markets. Where would you like to be 10 years from today? I want to grow my business into the multi-family development sphere, and hope to delve into my first project, local or international, within the next ten years. It is also very important to me to give back to my community. My second goal is to not only increase my involvement with EUVA, a non-profit that runs health and wellness programs in the New York City public school system (I am a current board member), but also take on new leadership roles and engage in more philanthropic activities.