Executive of the Month: Jones-Maturo led complete rebranding of Friedland Realty Advisors to become RM Friedland

Sarah Jones-Maturo, RM Friedland

New York, NY The New York Real Estate Journal recently sat down for a question and answer session with Sarah Jones-Maturo, president and CEO of RM Friedland. Jones-Maturo led the complete rebrand of Friedland Realty Advisors into RM Friedland just months after joining the firm.

Q. How did you get into real estate?

A. As a teenager I always thought that when I graduated from college I would go to law school and become an attorney. The summer before my junior year of college I interned for a large law firm in Manhattan. At the end of the summer, I realized that law wasn’t for me. The following summer I interned for CBRE in their research department. There was an energy in the office that made me want to work there. The idea of being on commission was a thrilling thought. I loved the concept that in a sales role I would be the master of my own destiny. I also found commercial real estate fascinating. A job in commercial real estate brokerage seemed to me to be on the frontlines of the economy. I started with CBRE as a broker the summer after graduating from college and never looked back. 

Q. You had been at CBRE for years. What made you decide to leave and join Friedland Realty Advisors?

A. CBRE is a fantastic company and I honestly did not think I would ever leave. They really are the trendsetters for our industry, the one others look to for best practices. When the opportunity to lead Friedland Realty Advisors was presented to me I initially said no. I was so happy at CBRE and knew that I would miss brokerage if I left for a managerial position. However, the more I thought about it, the more the opportunity excited me. It was my chance to build something. I knew it would be incredibly difficult and I was up for the challenge. Although we may never compete with a company like CBRE for global business, our objective is to become the local market leader in the territories that we cover.  It will take time, but I know we will reach that goal.

Q. Only a few months after you joined FRA you spearheaded a complete rebrand for the company to RM Friedland. Walk us through that decision and what steps you took to elevate the brand to RM Friedland.

A. The Robert Martin Company purchased Friedland Realty Advisors in November of 2015. The Robert Martin name is well-respected in the New York Metro area and particularly in Westchester County. Robert Martin is a real estate developer/owner that brings additional service lines to bear for our company such as project management and financial consulting. These are service lines that we have never had before. While the companies remain separate, the symbiotic relationship between the two is a clear differentiator for Friedland. We wanted the company’s name to represent that, hence the name RM Friedland.

The rebranding initiative was a major undertaking. Your brand encompasses so many things: logo, agreements, letterhead, website, email addresses, marketing materials, etc. The entire process was handled in-house and spearheaded by our marketing director, Joshua Ezman. He and the rest of our team did a fantastic job. The logo paid tribute to the Friedland of the past using the original red. The final piece of the puzzle is the signs (we have over 400 of them posted on buildings in the markets we cover). Our plan is to do a full sign refresh by the fourth quarter of this year.

One of RM Friedland’s exclusive properties: The Waterfront at Port Chester

Q. You also quickly made several key appointments and leadership changes. How do these decisions support your strategy for the future of the company?

A. Within months of my appointment I hired William Anson to lead our industrial team and Colleen Quinn to lead our retail team. Both are industry veterans with a successful track record representing high profile tenants and landlords. The objective in hiring them is to move towards a managed brokerage model. We want to ensure that the most qualified team is assembled for assignments to ensure the highest level of service delivery.

Training is also a keen focus of mine. With their years of experience, Quinn and Anson hold bi-weekly training sessions for our junior brokers. We want to make sure that each of our brokers is armed with the best tools possible to succeed.

Q. As a female executive in a male-dominated industry, any words of advice to women who are considering a career in commercial real estate?

A. Try to meet everyone at eye level. Don’t be intimidated by a person of any age, gender or skill level. A lot of what makes people successful in a sales job (or a leadership role, for that matter) is how they carry themselves and how they interact with others. Confidence in yourself is really half the battle.

The other thing I would say is to not take things personally. This is helpful not only in navigating your way in a male-dominated field, but also specifically for real estate. As the middle man in a transaction there is only so much you can do to ensure that the deal will close. When a deal dies and you have put your heart and soul into it, it can be very discouraging. The only thing that you can do is pick yourself up quickly and get back out there. Try to take the emotion out of it entirely.