Women from YM/WREA discuss their careers: Dana Moskowitz

Name: Dana Moskowitz Title: Executive Vice President Company/firm: ID Real Estate Partners, LLC Years with company/firm: 2 Years in real estate industry: 7 Address: 450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2805 New York, NY 10123 Telephone: (212) 594-9440 ext. 302 Email: [email protected] URL: www.idrepartners.com Responsibilities include: I am a licensed broker focusing on tenant representation in commercial real estate. I am responsible for generating new business, overseeing the day to day operations and business decisions of the company, and hiring new employees. Real estate organizations / affiliations: Vice chairman of the New Leadership Cabinet for Israel Bonds, member of the YM/WREA, member of the Real Estate Board of New York and the Loft Office Committee, and a member of the Cornell University Real Estate Council Professionally, where were you ten years ago and where are you now? Ten years ago I was finishing my sophomore year at Cornell University and was preparing for a summer internship at a fashion public relations firm in Manhattan. It was the first time I thought seriously about my career path. Today, I am a principal of a commercial real estate firm. I have invested in my first real estate acquisition, a medical facility. As a broker, I am representing tenants in an array of different industries, and working to fulfill their real estate needs. As a principal of the firm, I am growing our company and building a platform for our future. What single event professional or personal has most significantly impacted your career? In 2005, I was faced with a difficult decision: move to Chicago to be with my future husband, or stay in New York for my career. I had closed a handful of challenging transactions and started to make a name for myself as a young person in the industry, but I was tired of our long distance relationship. I moved and joined a commercial real estate firm in Chicago. Professionally, that meant starting over since I had to build a new list of clients and make new connections. The two years I spent in Chicago taught me that it if you are work hard and are confident in your skills, you can be successful in any location. How do you stay ahead of the curve? Even though my firm is small, our marketing efforts are extremely important in growing our business and attracting new customers. I spend a great deal of time putting together our marketing materials, developing our website and focusing on our advertising and publicity. I find that these efforts pay off when I pitch new clients and learn that have heard of ID Real Estate Partners and are impressed with our image. The combination of a high level of service and my full energy and attention throughout a sometimes complicated real estate deal sets me and my firm apart from many of our competitors. What impact has social networking had on your success? From the beginning of my career I made a conscious effort to attend as many real estate-related events as I could so that I could meet others in the industry. It is always easier to negotiate a deal when you know the broker on the other side of the table. Now that I am an owner of a small business, social networking is even more important as an effective way to get my name and my company's name out there and to find new business opportunities. I once made a deal where the lead came from someone I bumped into a cocktail party who I had not seen in years. What advice would you give to a woman just starting a career in your field? The commercial real estate industry is male-dominated. As a woman working in the industry, you must develop a thick skin. This is a business of ups and downs, many highs and many lows. Rejection is a part of the business, and you can never take it personally. It's extremely important to keep a balanced attitude and channel your elation and your frustrations into a confident and persistent attitude.