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

A native of Dallas, Jennifer Lee came to New York 20 years ago, originally to study acting. She began her real estate career in 1995, becoming director of new business development at aptsandlofts.com in August of 2008. Lee is responsible for recruiting, training and supporting the sales agents, creating a productive and positive work environment. She also manages the Re-sale Division at aptsandlofts.com, and with David Maundrell, president of aptsandlofts.com, she pitches new development deals. Lee prides herself on the ability "to see the entire picture and then be able to act effectively. I started out as a rental agent then went on to do sales, so part of me always thinks like an agent. Then I bought my first property and the stress of that helped me see the buyer's perspective. Now on the management side I see first-hand the stress developers and sellers go through. Also, when I first started I tried to see small ways to improve the company that cost the company little but made life for the agents much better," she said. Part of her job, listening to the staff and increasing the visibility of aptsandlofts.com, aligns with Lee's deep social commitment, a sense of giving back and the desire for community involvement. She has organized park clean-ups, set up recycling in the office, and is working on reducing paper use. Lee was named one of the Top Women Real Estate Brokers by NY Development Magazine in 2007. What motivates you? Independence motivates me. My mother taught me to not have to be dependent on anyone. How do you stay ahead of the curve? I stay ahead of the curve by watching and listening. Though I am not a selling agent now I still attend and occasionally work open houses, surf the Internet for new marketing ideas, watch what's going on in fashion and pop culture - everything is related. Who/what has been the strongest influence on your career and why? David, president of aptsandlofts.com, has been the strongest influence on my career because he had the confidence in me that I could succeed in my current position and that has allowed me to take risks and help me grow. What excites you most about this industry? What excited me most about the industry is its ever changing status and the art of the deal. There is always a problem to solve, a developer to win over, a new recruit to convince or an objection to disprove. What are your goals for the future? My goals for the future are to grow my current company and develop the current brand profile What's the biggest challenge facing the industry? The biggest challenge facing the real estate industry in 2010 is uncertainty in the market. Everything affects each other from the buyer and seller to the banks and Wall Street to people's emotions and fears about the market. What's the silver lining in the cloud of the current economy? The silver lining in the "cloud" of the current economy is that transactions are always going to happen. We need to adjust ourselves to how many and how much, but good business is transactions. Jennifer Lee is director of new business development at aptsandlofts.com, Brooklyn, N.Y.