2016 Women in Real Estate: April Intrabartola

Name: April Intrabartola

Title: Director of Brand Development

Company Name:  Eastman, Cooke, & Associates, LLC                 

Email: [email protected]                     

Years in real estate:  Construction - 7

Telephone: 212-265-2191

How did you get your start in real estate? 

It started with my father owning a construction company and working there.

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

Associated, Builders, & Contractor’s, Professional Woman in Construction

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

I was recently named a 2016 New York Brava Award recipient by SmartCEO Magazine.  The Brava Award celebrates high-impact female business leaders who combine an entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for giving back, and are exemplary leaders of both their companies and their communities. I am honored to receive this award especially for an industry where women executives are such a minority.  I am hoping, this award will set an example of what’s possible for women in construction, and encourage women to enter the field in the future. I have always believed in “giving back” to my company, my industry, and the community.

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

I take my leadership role very seriously, especially as new and/or younger employees often come to me for guidance/mentoring on how to best do their jobs. Women employees particularly see me as a role model for their burgeoning careers in construction, as this is an industry where they are still very much a minority presence. 

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

I was brought up in the construction industry. My father is a general contractor and I worked for a time in his office, so you could say that construction is in my blood. His insight, intelligence, ethics, and values shaped the way that I conducted and apply myself today.

Also my education, I majored in special education and educational psychology at college and received my master’s degree in educational curriculum and instruction and prior work experience - What I learned from my special education experience was 1) the importance of patience, 2) to be effective, communication should be tailored to the individual’s personality, and 3) that success takes long-term planning and growth. Just as I had to develop individualized education plans for my autistic students, I find that I must customize the way I communicate to the various people I encounter during a work day. The way I speak to prospects will vary from how I communicate with architects, which isn’t the same way I talk to current clients, subcontractors, or my staff.