When Heidi Burkhart was offered a chance to work as an affordable housing real estate broker in New York City, she seized the opportunity. Her love of challenges and dedication to her work made her a trailblazer in an industry that is often met with criticism. But Burkhart doesn’t match the common perception of a money-hungry agent that often makes many buyers hesitant. In fact, she’s quite the opposite — choosing to focus instead on maintaining positive relationships with her clients, and even taking on community service projects as a means to educate and inspire others. With over a decade of experience under her belt, the entrepreneur is proof that by following your passion, success will follow.
Describe the state of the real estate industry — in relation to affordable housing — as it stands today.
Affordable Housing as a whole is always under scrutiny. The industry is very proactive in advocating for the preservation of affordable housing to ensure its longevity. In NYC, it will be interesting to see how the new mayor [Bill de Blasio] executes his plan for affordable housing, as it was one of his main platforms. I’m hopeful that he will continue to build on what Bloomberg started and will focus on ways to create and preserve housing. As I see it, the awareness to the public of what affordable housing means is of the utmost importance. As for the real estate industry in general, in New York it’s always thriving. New York City is unique in that everyone around the World looks to NYC for opportunity in all industries. The beauty of New York City is that all nationalities around the world invest in each industry locating at least a division of their company here in New York City. As a result, New York City real estate will always flourish as a great investment for parties globally.
What does it take to be successful in real estate?
To be successful in real estate it takes resilience, persistence, integrity, and heart, and in any business it is also about setting goals and not giving up. We just started a new venture called Saxon/Hart in the health and beauty industry. Starting this new venture reminds me a lot of when I first started out in real estate. I’m humbled many times over and there are days when I just want to throw my hands up in the air and give up. But you just have to stay positive, set a game plan, and stay resilient.
What separates you from others in your field? What is the unique experience that you create?
When I first started my career, I think my persistence separated me from others. I also concentrated, and still do, on the relationship rather than the immediate sale. The dollar amounts of brokerage fees get well into the six figures and I have seen many allow their values to be compromised when such numbers are involved. Not to sound cliché, but money is just money. True friendships and relationships, those are priceless. I make sure that this mindset is a part of our corporate culture as well and as we build Saxon/Hart, we have been following the same principals of building a strong base of relationships for an even stronger support system. I have found that if you have a strong support system, they will want to take you on their journey and be a successful with them. It’s no fun celebrating victories alone.
What advice do you have for those looking to go into real estate?
In deal making, it’s important to realize that the best deals are the ones where everyone leaves something on the table in order to create a win-win situation for all. Real Estate takes a lot of persistence, patience, and passion. You will be hit down many times. If you stay down in defeat, you will lose but if you choose to get back up, learn from the mistake, and proceed forward, you will succeed further than you thought imaginable.
What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received?
Execution is everything. Everyone has an idea, but being able to execute an idea is what sets you apart.
You’re big on community service and have volunteered in organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Food Bank NYC. What’s something that you would like to see changed in your community?
On the charity website we started, Saxon/Hart, we started doing our own “Hart Videos.” The website is a way to give back more directly. With the videos we are able to both share the work we are doing and hopefully inspire others. What I would like to see change is for more people to participate, in any way they choose, in helping others. To me, it’s like choosing happiness. If you choose to be happy, chances are you’ll be in a much better mood than if you don’t. I feel like volunteering or helping others is like choosing happiness. The act of doing something for someone else empowers them and makes you feel better all at once. I hope the work that we do in our community inspires others to do the same. In our office, we make a point to handwrite thank you notes. When that person receives the note- you brighten their day and your own. Choosing happiness is difficult, but worth it.
What inspires you in your career?
My team. Everyone at Dane PCG is a truly wonderful and giving soul. Their support and commitment inspires me to be better and to keep persevering. They inspire me to get back up when I get knocked down, to laugh, to smile every day, and to stay true to myself. We truly have something very special.
Detail any innovative methods you apply to your business.
I’m not sure if going back to the old school way of business is innovative but in this day and age, I will say it is. Scheduling meetings with clients rather than texting or emailing, sending thank you gifts with handwritten notes, remembering birthdays, and helping clients not only with their problems but being there if a family member or close friend needs assistance, are all gestures our firm values. While they aren’t all that innovative, we feel it is extremely important to preserve personal human contact whenever possible.
Names three books that changed how you saw life that you recommend to others.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson- “The Journey is the Reward.”
Mastery by Robert Greene- “The mentor is like the philosopher’s stone—through direct interaction with someone of experience, you are able to quickly and efficiently heat up and animate this knowledge, turning it into something like gold.”
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho- “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
Who do you consider your peers in your field? Who do you look to for support and best practices?
The real estate industry as a whole is my peer group and they give me support. One of the biggest attributes of the affordable housing industry is how we all support one another to succeed. We all constantly learn from one another and assist in each other’s growth. Through deals, I have learned the most from working with key attorneys, agency representatives, developers, and underwriters. These are key times, in the deal making and contract period, that I have gained the most knowledge and experience to further my career. I’m very blessed to have the honor to work with such great leaders, mentors, and friends.
