Who's Here: Susan Breitenbach Real Estate Agent

To be recognized as one of the top brokers in the entire country is quite an accomplishment in itself, but to be awarded the #2 Ranking in the United States by The Wall Street Journal is one of the highest honors. It means you represent the best of the best. Susan Breitenbach, Senior Vice President and Associate Real Estate Broker of the Corcoran Group, has definitely made an indelible mark in the real estate world.

In her more than 20 years in the business, Breitenbach has climbed the ladder with her dedication, business savvy and talent for closing even the most complicated real estate transactions. In addition to being ranked #2 in the country, Breitenbach has been named the #1 broker in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for the Corcoran Group, as she sold $257,000,000 in volume for 2011 and was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as the #1 broker in the Hamptons in 2010. Prior to that, she was the #1 broker of Allan Schneider for 10 years.

Breitenbach was born and raised in New York City, but took summer vacations with her family in the Hamptons. Before working in real estate, Susan worked on Wall Street in computer sales until she met her husband, Stephen Breitenbach, a high-end custom builder of luxury speculative homes on the East End. It was Stephen’s growing business that brought the family to the Hamptons 33 years ago. The couple moved permanently to the East End to raise their family and provide a great place for their children to grow up.

Susan and Stephen currently live in Water Mill in their elegant custom home built by none other than Breitenbch Builders. They have three children—Matthew (Susan’s partner at Corcoran), Michael who works at Blue Ocean Brokerage and Samantha who works as a junior designer at Mark Cunningham Design. Although Michael and Samantha both work and live in Manhattan, they love to visit on the weekends. Susan has fond memories of raising her family on the East End. “There are so many things to do, we would go pumpkin and apple picking, enjoy a day at the beach or go fishing on our boat,” she shares.

Breitenbach’s real estate career began on the East End when she realized how much she enjoyed working with people. She knew real estate would be the perfect fit. Real estate offers so many opportunities, and Breitenbach’s natural talent in the field and ability to manage and foster business relationships have contributed to her success.

“The most inspiring thing about my job is meeting so many interesting people. I get very close to most of my customers and clients and I work extremely hard and I know they appreciate that. My clients respect my opinion and trust me, and that means the world to me. I am a perfectionist and strive to be the best at what I do,” Breitenbach says.

With the real estate market moving in the right direction on the East End, there are many considerations for potential clients. “The best advice I can offer potential sellers is to hire an experienced broker who they feel comfortable with and have confidence in. Another important factor is not to ‘overprice’ and listen to their broker! As for potential buyers—Buy now. There is an abundance of inventory and mortgage rates are low,” Breitenbach says.

Some real estate brokers make the decision to team up with another agent or broker, and this proves extremely valuable to those who have a large portfolio of homes and properties. The benefit of working as a team offers more opportunity to grow and manage your business.

When I asked her how she feels about her partnership with her son Matthew she shared “Working with my son has been really great. I think it works well because we both have so much to offer and we definitely complement each other. We work well together and we know what the other is thinking, but we also work great separately. He has a lot of enthusiasm and energy, a great way with people, and his technology experience is very helpful. I have of course more than 20 years of experience, lots of knowledge, and I am known for my negotiating skills and expertise when putting complicated deals together.”

There are so many benefits when working as a team and the mother and son duo not only list  properties, but they sell more than 75% of their listings. Breitenbach is involved with some of the most expensive and elite properties that include Two Trees Farm and 263 Surfside Drive in Bridgehampton and the luxurious Lily Pond Lane Estate in East Hampton.

Breitenbach offers properties throughout the Hamptons and knows what each unique town or hamlet has to offer—from Sag Harbor and Montauk’s appeal to avid boaters to the rich oceanfront estates found in East Hampton and Southampton. She works with clients from all over the world.

“Since Wall Street happened, people want to invest their money in something safe,” she said. Investing in real estate in the Hamptons is definitely a safe investment for the future. The market is definitely in a good place if you’re looking to buy, according to Breitenbach.

Breitenbach has sold and managed over two billion dollars in real estate transactions with properties ranging from cozy seaside cottages to $60-plus million estates, and she continues to dominate as the #1 selling agent for land on the East End. To date, Breitenbach has been recognized as making the largest land transaction in the Hamptons (in Bridgehampton) in 2007. Breitenbach brings her superior marketing and negotiating skills to each and every client she works with, and she strives to surpass their expectations.

When Breitenbach is not working, she enjoys spending time relaxing and indulging in all the Hamptons has to offer. “The East End is one of the most special places in the country and in the world. I love that you can still find peace and serenity. I enjoy going to our great restaurants, taking a yoga class, playing a game of tennis, taking a spin class or walking on the beach. I also love boating with my family, specifically Sunset Beach in Shelter Island, one of my favorite places,” she shares. When the family wants to venture a little further, Montauk, Block Island, Newport and even Nantucket are a few of their favorite places to visit.

Breitenbach also stays actively involved in community efforts and charitable organizations such as the American Heart Association and the Parrish Art Museum Committee. She has proven that not only has her career continued to prosper and grow, but so too have her relationships with peers and her respect within the community.

With our economy in constant flux, it is reassuring to know the real estate market on the East End will always rise above as one of the best places to live, vacation or visit. We have so many talented realtors with experience, but Susan Breitenbach remains one of the best! Breitenbach is proof that if you love what you do and work hard, success will follow.

Of course Susan Breitenbach is outstanding in a field of many top-selling agents. Other East End top sellers in The Wall Street Journal’s recent list include Gary DePersia from The Corcoran Group, Beate Moore from Sotheby’s International and Harald Grant also from Sotheby’s, all in the top 20 agents listed.