Kids today. It is not until they are forced to declare a major at the end of their sophomore year in college that many of them actually think about “what I’m going to be when I grow up.”
Not so for Noa Hubsher, a Real Estate Broker at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City, whose career path began when she was just a freshman in high school. “We were given an English assignment,” said Hubsher. “We had to research a career path that interested us.”
Luckily for Hubsher, her father spent one Shabbat afternoon telling her all about the field of real estate development. “He mentioned Donald Trump, and explained how it is possible to build up an entire city one building at a time,” she explained.
A Livingston resident, Hubsher had access to Ivanka Trump. “I reached out to Ivanka because it’s really a male-dominated field and she is a very successful woman in this field. I asked if I could intern with her. Unfortunately, those opportunities were full, but she emailed me back and wished me good luck.”
Hubsher now had a goal. She was going to enter this field.
After her first year at Stern College for Women she attended a real estate forum and approached one of the panelists. That conversation led to her first real estate internship, with the Plymouth Group, a commercial real estate company.
At the same time, she began watching “Million Dollar Listing” on Bravo and “became obsessed with residential real estate,” Hubsher said. The following summer (2014), she interned with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, the largest residential real estate brokerage firm in the New York metropolitan area and the fourth-largest real estate company in the United States. Her immediate supervisor was Ariel Sassoon, and it was during her internship that he was recruited to the “team” of Luis Ortiz, another colleague at Douglas Elliman, who was one of the Real Estate Brokers on “Million Dollar Listing.”
“Every time I saw Luis I was starstruck,” Hubsher said. “He was a guy from my favorite show.”
Sassoon’s addition to Ortiz’s team meant that Hubsher was indirectly involved with the show as well. “I learned so much, and got to see multi-million-dollar apartments close up.” That only fueled her dedication and ambition.
During this time, Hubsher attended the New York Real Estate Institute and took the classes necessary to get her real estate license, passing both the school’s and state’s exams.
After a very successful tenure with the Luis D. Ortiz Team, Sassoon and Hubsher, now a graduate of the Sy Syms Business School at Yeshiva University, “have advanced ourselves by forming our own team and entity within Douglas Elliman,” said Sassoon. As part of that new team, Hubsher, one of the youngest in her office at age 23, is working to identify potential clients who are looking to relocate to, or purchase investment property in, New York City.
“There are a wide range of ages of people who live in the suburbs and commute to the city,” Hubsher said. “Some of them may be looking to own or rent in Manhattan, and others may be looking for New York real estate as an investment. I live on the Upper West Side and know the many different areas of the city, as well as the different price points. I can help them meet their needs.”
Most important to Hubsher as she continues on the path begun when she was just 14, is honesty.
“My clients are always getting the real me. I will never lie just to get a paycheck. I value the truth and if asked a question to which I do not immediately know the answer, I will find out and follow up,” she said. “I will take as much time as is necessary to make sure my clients are satisfied.”
Hubsher prides herself on the motto that continues to guide her in her chosen career. “Integrity, devotion and time are what I hold most sacred when doing my job. It would be my pleasure to serve you.”
By Jill Kirsch
