Elysa Berlin, Massey Knakal Realty Services

Name : Elysa Berlin Title : Senior Associate Company/firm : Massey Knakal Realty Services Years with company/firm : 3.5 Years in field : 3.5 Years in real estate industry : 3.5 Address : 275 Madison Avenue Third Floor New York, NY 10016 Telephone : 2126962500 Email : [email protected] URL : www.masseyknakal.com Real estate organizations/affiliations : REBNY What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2010? We sold the first property that I originated, becoming one of the top five land sales in Manhattan for 2010, selling for $18.7 million. The transaction was a development site located at 431-437 West 37th St. that will be a 100,000 s/f residential project. Although we had significant competition for the listing, we were able to secure the business after our presentation in June. For me, this transaction is the culmination of my hard-work, perseverance and continued determination to be a success in my career. For years to come, this sale will always represent my first professional milestone. What was your most notable project, deal or transaction in 2010? We sold the first property that I originated that became one of the top 5 land sales in Manhattan for 2010, selling for $18.7 million. The transaction was a development site located at 431-437 West 37th Street that will be a 100K s/f residential project. Although we had significant competition for the listing, we were able to secure the business after our presentation in June. For me, this transaction is the culmination of my hard-work, perseverance and continued determination to be a success in my career. For years to come, this sale will always represent my first professional milestone. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry? My contributions to MK have been my commitment to being a team player and my focus on generating revenue for the company. Being an active team member as helped facilitate and execute transactions. It has also allowed me to take on more work as other team members know they can rely on me. Additionally, I generated $18.7 million is sales volume which contributed to the company's total gross revenue. What advice would you give to women just starting out in commercial real estate? Do not let this industry intimidate you from being successful. Although at times it may feel that working in a male dominated field can be an additional hurdle to overcome, it isn't.What I have learned is that the greatest equalizer in our business is revenue generation. My advice would be to stay focused on growing your business and closing transactions. How do you manage the work/life balance? The term, "working" has different implications in Manhattan than in other cities. The 80 hour work weeks, competitive environment and intense focus on building a career can become top priority; and thus, time for your family, friends and self is often sacrificed. I realized that my professional success directly related to my personal happiness and I needed to maintain a balance. I now schedule personal time as well as business appointments during the week. This has allowed me to stay healthy, maintain friendships and expand my career. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? My fear of failure has been the driving force in my career. I realized quickly that working with the chairman of our company and being a part of his team came with tremendous responsibility. Within our team we all have specific tasks and responsibilities that we are held accountable for. The realization that my contributions were directly relied upon by others sparked a strong sense of obligation to become an invaluable team member. The fear of failing them and myself influences me everyday to deliver the highest standard of work I can. What impact has social networking had on your business? Networking outside of industry events has generated several business opportunities for me. I found that socializing after work either by having dinner or a drink at the bar opens a tremendous amount of doors. This city is so diverse one never knows if the person sitting next to you may be actively involved in real estate or knows someone that wants to sell a building. I found that being friendly and offering advice and knowledge to others will generate new business relationships.