September 22 is the date in which we celebrate the national holiday of American Business Woman’s Day.  National Business Women’s Day was first founded and recognized in 1983 by the American Business Women’s Association – whose date of inception was September 22, 1982. The mission of this association is “to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership; education, networking support and national recognition.”

Here at American Investment Properties, we believe that it is important for women to have just as strong of a professional voice as men.  We have always hired and maintained the best quality individuals that we can, and for a long time now we have had a strong female presence here in our office.  In honor of National Business Women’s Day, we have decided to interview one of our own leading ladies: Samantha Ray.

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Oceanside, New York, which is in Nassau County on Long Island.

Where did you go to college? When did you graduate?

I attended Sienna College which is right outside of Albany in Loudenville, New York.  I attended Sienna on a full ride scholarship to play third base for the women’s softball team.  I graduated in December 2013.

What is your current role at American Investment Properties?    

I wear a lot of different hats here at AIP; however my professional title is Escrow Manager.  I also serve as office manager which includes employee management, interviewing new candidates, and working with interns.

How did you end up working for AIP?

I started as an intern looking for a summer job in May 2013.  At that time I acted as assistant to Ron Koenigsberg (President).  My duties included property owner research and database organization.  When I graduated college in December 2013, I joined the business as an employee.  I decided to stay and work closely with Ron as we had grown to become a team.

What do you believe is your greatest accomplishment thus far in your career at American Investment Properties? 

I believe that my greatest accomplishment to date here at AIP is helping to orchestrate the sale of a multi property estate portfolio.  It took a lot of hard work and extreme attention to detail and I was proud to be a part of it.

What is the most challenging part of your role(s)?

Organization is definitely the most challenging part of my role – there are always a lot of fast moving pieces that I need to constantly be on top of.  Nothing can slip through the cracks.  I also have to be up-to-date with all the information regarding attorneys, environmentalists, and engineers.

What are your future career goals?  

I see myself partnering with Ron more and becoming a bigger part of the business.  It’s been really great working so closely with Ron and learning from him and I am eager to continue to grow here.

If you weren’t working in Commercial Real Estate, which industry do you think you would have liked to work in?

I went to school for biology as I’ve always had a love for animals, so I think I would have liked to become a Veterinarian.

Name two of your favorite things about working at American Investment Properties…

  1. I like that it’s a small firm and therefore, I get to be involved in all projects and work closely to collaborate.
  2. I enjoy being included in culminating deals from the get-go.  It’s satisfying to be able to see a deal go from marketing to the closing table.

 

Name one thing you would change about American Investment Properties…

Although I enjoy working in a smaller setting, a goal of mine will be to expand the office and hire more employees to expand our business.

Last question: tell us the three things you would take with you to a deserted island.

  1. Chocolate
  2. Netflix
  3. And my dog, Jolie