Two women from the Young Men's/Women's Real Estate Association discuss their careers

How did you get your start? I moved to New York in the late nineties to study philosophy at NYU. After graduating from NYU, I accepted a position to work at a boutique hedge fund. After working at the hedge fund for a short time I quickly realized that I needed to broaden my understanding of finance. A friend of mine told me he had recently taken a job in the research department of a major commercial real estate firm and I took his suggestion to apply for a position and was hired. I immediately knew that I did not want to pursue a career in research. I spoke with my colleagues who worked in the other service lines within the company, as well as a few of the brokerage teams, and then decided to transition to the brokerage department. From the beginning of my brokerage career I was given the opportunity to represent both landlords and tenants which I have continued to do and greatly enjoy. There's no better way to learn the business than by working on a building agency. In the last year I decided to make a change and pursue an opportunity to join a brokerage team at Newmark Knight Frank. How do you contribute to the community or industry? Contributing to both my community and industry has always come naturally to me as it's something that I feel is my responsibility as a citizen and professional. I am a member of REBNY and am an active participant in many of their market lunches and events. I am a member of the Young Men's and Women's Real Estate Association where I have served on the board for the past two years, first as treasurer and most recently as a governor. I am so passionate about this organization that I have decided to run for chairman where if elected, I would serve in the coming year. I am an active member of CoreNet Global and had the pleasure of attending my first summit which recently took place in Orlando and am also involved with Israel Bonds where I serve on their New Leadership Cabinet. Outside of real estate, I am a member of Community Board 5, on the junior board of Project Renewal as well as the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, part of the Gotham Reformers Group of Citizen's Union and have done extensive work with the Alliance for Lupus Research, Habitat for Humanity and NY Cares. What advice would you offer to individuals just starting a career in commercial real estate? I commend and encourage those individuals just starting a career in commercial real estate, especially given the current economic climate. Not unlike anything else, one should not pursue a career in commercial real estate unless they are truly passionate about and interested in the business. I have heard many a young broker speak about getting involved in the business with the hopes of making a lot of money fast which, unfortunately, rarely happens with people just starting off in their careers. It can take upwards of five years for a broker to really start to get traction, which again, is why it is so important for that drive and passion to truly be there. Mentors are not always easy to come by but are extremely beneficial. Those just starting out should try and ally themselves with senior professionals with the time and wherewithal to help guide and encourage new talent. I have always been of the mindset that one cannot have too many mentors and so would encourage young brokers to seek out multiple people in the industry, or even in other industries, that they respect and admire to serve in that role.