2016 Women in Real Estate: Viktoria Diskina

Name: Viktoria Diskina

Title: Project Architect

Company Name: FXFOWLE

Email: [email protected]

Years in real estate: 17

Telephone: 1. 646. 292. 8245

How did you get your start in real estate?

Chose Architecture as a profession and went to Architecture School to get my degree

What real estate associations or organizations are you a member of?

American Institute of Architects

What recent project or transaction are you most proud of?

I would highlight two recent projects: the academic buildings for The University of Ghana in Africa I am currently working on, in addition to a 283-unit affordable housing development in East New York I led before I joined FXFOWLE. It may seem like a bizarre pairing but what both projects have in common is the direct and immediate impact they will have on daily lives of regular people whether in Africa or in the USA. Knowing your work changes things for the better is exceedingly rewarding.

What recent honor, achievement or recognition has meant the most to you and why?

Presenting at the international conference in Hong Kong a year ago was a memorable moment. Take the excitement about being selected and add to that a rare treat of deliberating with an incredibly diverse group of professionals and academics from all over the world, all on top of their game. I used some of my past work to talk about designing new communities in the rapidly urbanizing world and the discussion that followed was the most comprehensive and meaningful I had had in a long time.

What have been some of the benefits of being a mentor or having a mentor?

Whether you are mentoring or being mentored you are continuously exposed to somebody else’s thought and problem solving process and you have to step into the other person’s shoes to make the exchange really productive. The experience is as challenging as stimulating and educational. Seeing the situation or a problem through somebody else’s eyes is a constant reminder of the multitude of ways we perceive the same ordinary issues.

Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why?

I have been mentored and influenced by so many wonderful people, both inside and outside the work environment… What comes to mind is not a single person but rather an amalgam of different personalities, perspectives and attitudes. Some of the briefest encounters can teach the most valuable lessons. Bits and pieces come together to make a whole – it truly takes a village.

What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you?

“Morgen, morgen, nur nicht heute, sagen alle faulen Leute” – my dad speaks some German and he kept saying this to me as I was growing up. “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” Every time I do not follow this rule I deeply regret it later.

What is the best advice you have received and who was it from?

“You have to find your own way.” The passing remark from a friend regarding another friend’s choices was never intended for me but, curiously, had a long lasting impact on how I have reflected on my life both personally and professionally.