12C — October 25 - November 7, 2019 — Women in Business — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
Women in Business
Janet Bortz, Julie Gralla and Joni Sweetwood The Kislak Company, Inc. recognizes its top women in business
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ell us how and when you be - gan your career
ell us how and when you began your career in
Janet Bortz Vice President The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 20 Years in field/industry: 22 Years in real estate industry: 22 years Real estate organizations/affilia-
Julie Gralla Vice President The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 9 Years in field/industry:9 Years in real estate industry: 9 Real estate organizations/affiliations: NJAA
in the profession you are in: 22 years ago I changed careers, moving from product marketing to real estate. After working two years in real estate development, I joined The Kislak Company, Inc., a commercial real estate
the profession you are in: When I graduated from college, I pursued a career in advertising. After working at one of the top four global advertising agencies, I
tions: NJAA, NJ Professional Real Estate Women and EWGA (Executive Women Golf Association
found that I did not feel fulfilled; I was often sick as the result of working long hours and despite this finance-like atmosphere, I was not making a finance salary. It was then that my mother, Joni Sweetwood, convinced me to shadow her. I had grown up visiting Kislak, where my mother has been the Executive VP and one of the top performers year-after-year. Having grown up in the industry, listening to my mom deal with countless hurdles in the business, I was skeptical at first. However, a short time later I went for my real estate license and 9 years later, I’m still here, outperforming myself year after year! What is your current position? Promoted to VP this year. How do you manage the work/life balance? As they say, I work to live, not live to work. When I look back at my life, it’s the memories and the people I’ve affected that will matter most I also pride myself on being organized which I think helps! Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? My mother. I have HUGE shoes to fill! She inspires me every day to work harder What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in you career /profession to enhance or change them? Early on, I wanted to make more than I did in advertising. That ended up being an easy goal so now I just focus on trying to perform each year better than the last. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? I love being around people and genuinely care about those I work with. I think my clients, who I truly consider my friends, can sense that about me and know I only wish for their continued success. In addition, my clients know I’m an organized, hard worker and will do whatever it takes within my power to get a deal done, even if it means assisting in making repairs myself to secure a CO! the profession you are in: I fell into commercial real estate brokerage. I had been handling REO (real estate owned) for Midlan- tic Bank (now PNC) when I was approached by the then President of Kislak. At first I didn’t like the business. However, over time it became an excellent choice for me. Why did you choose the field/profession you are in today? I didn’t choose it. I fell into it. However I enjoy it so much it became my hobby- something I love to do. What was your most notable project, deal or transaction in 2019? In 2019 I sold Magnolia Luxury Apartments in Fairfield, NJ very quickly. The developer/ owner contacted me as he saw I had recently sold a nearby age restricted luxury property for a record price. I represented both the Seller and Buyer. This was new construction that was delivered stabilized at closing. It was a unique product in that most units had a private attached garage and units had private front and rear entrances. How do you manage the work/life balance? I have a lot of energy and en- thusiasm for work and life. My motto is “life is for living” I work hard all day long. I’m extremely organized and focused. This all comes after my family. Family is always first. I make sure every day I do something, even if small, that is fun. I fit in travel and exercise and am lucky to live a healthy happy life. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? I miss our fearless leader, Jay Kislak. He was a very special and accomplished man. He is missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. He taught those who worked for him to work hard and believe in ourselves. Tell us a little about your family: I’m married with two grown children. My daughter, Julie Gralla, is following in my footsteps at Kislak. My son Matt Gralla is a vice president in NYC real estate with Cain International. T Joni Sweetwood Executive Vice President The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 23 Years in field/industry: 23 Years in real estate industry:23 Real estate organizations / affiliations: NJAA ell us how and when you began your career in
brokerage firm specializing in investment real estate, as a sales associate and was promoted to a vice president in 2006 and then a senior vice president in 2019. Since then I have continued to rank as a top producer. Why did you choose the field/profession you are i n today? After work- ing in the corporate sector for over 10 years I wanted to move to a more entre- preneurial environment with more independence and higher income potential What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2019? I sold a 192-unit, value-add multifamily property in the Hudson Valley (NY) with a challenging ownership structure and differed maintenance. It was an excellent deal for my buyer at 7 cap with 100% occupancy. What impact has social media/networking had on your business? Ex- cellent. The client reach is extensive and immediate and facilitates all aspects of the transaction from listing to closing. The ability to use digital as well as conventional marketing serves my clients with a larger and qualified buyer pool. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in you career /profession to enhance or change them? My initial career objective was to work in product marketing with a national company. My entry began in sales and after a few years, I joined the Continental Group, working in mar- keting management. After ten years in the industry, I was looking for a more entrepreneurial career. Investment real estate was and remains a great fit for my skill set and personal objectives. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? Organized, assertive, persistent, thorough and hard working. Enjoying people and having a sense of humor and a realistic and intuitive feel for what is required to make a deal. Time management is a must. My real estate career began almost 2 decades ago. I started off in tra- ditional residential sales and resale. Not long after, I was introduced to the investment aspect of real estate. I began to grow my personal portfolio of investment properties. Why did you choose the field/profession you are in today? I absolutely love the career choice I have made. I did not fall into it as others may have. My father is a commercial real estate broker in Northeast Pennsylvania. I remember when he was studying to take his real estate exam. I used to study with him. How do you manage the work/life balance? Work/life balance is ex- tremely important and seems to get overlooked when you are an independent contractor. People say that in real estate, you can make your own hours. This is true and false. As a Real Estate Salesperson, I want to make myself readily available to my clients. But, I am also a single mother of 8-year-old twins who need me as well. Now that my children are more independent, I have been able to settle into a more balanced lifestyle. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? There are 2 people who have strongly influenced my real estate career. My father, as I mentioned previously, is a commercial mortgage broker. The other per- son is my past real estate instructor from Polley Associates. His name is Dan Bierne. I have gone to both with questions and advice. What impact has social media / networking had on your business? Oh…social media…When I started in real estate, we didn’t even have a com- puter in the office let alone social media. Social media has definitely made it easier to reach out to perspective clients. It’s a great ice breaker. I have always loved networking events. I am old school and believe in meeting people face-to-face rather than behind a screen. Jamie Lebenson Sales Associate The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 1 Years in field: 20 Years in real estate industry: 20 Real estate organizations / affiliations: PAA-East ell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in: T
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