Opening her own company was a "game changer" for Besheer

Name: Janet Besheer Title: Broker/Owner Company/firm: Keller Williams Realty Saratoga Springs Years with company/firm: 4 Years in field: 4 Years in real estate industry: 13 Address: 38 High Rock Avenue, Suite 1, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Telephone: 518-584-9990 Email: [email protected] URL: www.janetbesheer.com Real estate organizations / affiliations: Women's Council of Realtors (2008 President); Institute for Luxury Home Marketing; Greater Capital Association of Realtors; Warren County MLS Board, Secretary 2012; KW Commercial; KW Luxury Homes. During the last 10 years of your career, which professional accomplishment, honor or achievement has meant the most to you and why? In December 2011, I was awarded the Women's Council of Realtors "Entrepreneur of the Year." This award meant much to me as being a WCR member opened my eyes to the myriad opportunities in real estate not only locally but throughout the country. It was through Women's Council that I realized my confidence to open my own business. To be honored by the Capital Region Chapter and my peers was very meaningful to me. Which project, deal or transaction was the "game changer" in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? The "game changer" for me was opening my own real estate company, Keller Williams Realty Saratoga Springs in 2008. Although in one of the most challenging markets in recent history, my company has grown to rank in the top 10 companies in the entire Capital Region and have been profitable since our first year in business. My firm and agents are flourishing and setting the standard for excellence in our area. We have a great model to follow and a culture of sharing and caring. We are poised for continued growth and success. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry? In my role as broker/owner of KWSS, mentoring is a large part of what I do. With over 60 agents in our firm, I enjoy the opportunity to work with agents at all levels of their real estate careers. I help top agents leverage their time to increase their productivity and sales and show them how to form and manage a team to build their busines. New agent join me for training on gett their careers off the to a great start. I role play and hold accountability to sessions to ensure agents are staying on track to reach their goals. Through my affiliations there are endless opportunities to help agents and other firms build success. What advice would you give to women just starting out in commercial real estate? Knowledge is power. Learn. Familiarize yourself with your market. Know your company's inventory as well as your area's. Focus on building your business with people you already know and keep reminding them of what you do. Give your clients service, information and things of value. Stay focused on your database and touch it regularly. Get out and meet people. Develop business-to-business relationships to ensure a constant flow of business. How do you manage the work/life balance? Time blocking is the only way to make everything work. I try to schedule my family time before business time. I do take days off and turn off my computer and phone. I delegate when I need extra time. I have accountability partners who keep tabs on my schedule and how my time is spent. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why? The strongest influence on my career has been by husband, Peter. A true entrepreneur, he has built businesses, corrected failing businesses, consulted with a variety of different types of businesses and has been a student of business philosophy and practice throughout his life. He helps keep my vision for success focused and my actions on target for getting to the next level. He is always there to support me. How are you using social media to promote yourself and/or your firm? Social media - Facebook, Twitter, LindedIn, etc - are a necessity in today's technology driven world. In the commercial arena, business are improving their tech savvy and are utilizing social media to readily connect with one another. This is an essential for any business. Where would you like to be 10 years from today? Ten years from today I would like to own a few more offices, have people in place to run them and spend as much time traveling around the world and quality time with my family.