More Than Just a College Job
To help fund her college education, Kathryn Koplinka took a job answering phones at a local real estate office. She got her license and joined Coldwell Banker while finishing her degree at Dowling College. Several years and two mergers later, Koplinka is managing the No. 1 company in Suffolk County, with 70 sales professionals. Along the way, she earned her MBA, also from Dowling.
A Meaningful Career
"I embraced [this business] not as a job but as a career," says Koplinka, who's on the board and several committees of her local association and recently started a chapter of the Young Professionals Network. Her commitment to residential real estate was shaped by a childhood experience: She grew up down the street from a shelter for battered women. It made her keenly aware of the importance of having a home that's a safe haven.
Serve Your Associates Well
"I want my agents to be completely prepared," she says. "Creating a team environment, and making sure everybody sends the same message, is important. Your agents are reflective of your company. So recruiting and training are vital."