NAME: William M. Raveis, Jr.
COMPANY: William Raveis Real Estate & Home Services
TITLE: Chairman & CEO
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 30 
ANNUAL SALES: $4 billion (2004 estimate)
SIZE OF SALES TEAM: 1,600 
CLAIM TO FAME: Helping others achieve their goals. I started a residential real estate company above a grocery store that evolved into a family-based business focused on building the careers of our employees and helping our customers.
BIGGEST DEAL: Being married to Candy, who opened a whole new side of life for me, and having my children in the company to ensure the legacy will pass to the next generation.
LIVES IN: Fairfield, CT. 
WORKS IN: Southport, CT. 
HOW HE GOT INTO REAL ESTATE: I worked in corporate America, where being entrepreneurial was threatening to some of my managers. It was hard to be promoted and to assume additional responsibility. I thought that the best way was to start my own company and to succeed or fail on my own. I took an eight-week real estate course and became a broker. I was 28 when I started the company. The first three years were difficult — my earnings were substantially less than what I received in corporate America. I reinvested what little money I had back into the company and we are still reinvesting.
BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB: Helping the people in the company realize their potential and goals, and helping our customers realize their home-ownership dreams.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE COMPANY: We're a family-owned business that focuses on people and provides world-class service.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: There is a new challenge every year whether it be discount brokerage, Microsoft, Lending Tree, MLS fees, commission structures, etc.  
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Surviving all the business cycles and becoming stronger and better at what we do.
GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR: To rapidly expand throughout New England.

NAME: Dean Shapiro
COMPANY: CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
TITLE: Senior Managing Director
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 15
LEASE TRANSACTION VOLUME: Personally, $1 billion +
SQUARE FEET UNDER MANAGEMENT: 822 million companywide
MARKET SHARE: 50% +
CLAIM TO FAME: Structured and consummated a complex transaction for Golf Digest magazine in Wilton, CT.
BIGGEST DEAL: A 600,000 + square foot transaction for Coopers & Lybrand's New York practice headquarters.
LIVES IN: Weston, CT.
WORKS IN: Stamford, CT.
HOW HE GOT INTO REAL ESTATE: I was recruited out of business school.
BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB: Many things, primarily the diversity of responsibilities, which range from people, to transactions, to public-speaking appearances. But, clearly, the quality of the people I work with is a constant joy.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE COMPANY: Our firm stands out by insisting on professionalism, integrity and overall excellence. We tap the diverse resources of our organization to provide superior services to our clients.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Constantly keeping ahead of the competition.
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Successfully integrating two diverse organizations.
GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR: Continuing to evolve our organization into something totally new and cutting-edge.

NAMES: Joseph P. Beninati and James P. Cabrera
COMPANY: Antares Real Estate
TITLES: Co-founders & Managing Members
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 8
TOTAL PORTFOLIO SIZE: $500 million
KEY PROPERTIES: Pickwick Plaza in Greenwich; Delamar Hotel in Greenwich; new 9-acre estate in Greenwich off Round Hill Road, surrounding Lake Carrington; Seaview House in Stamford; CiderMill gated community in Westchester.
CLAIM TO FAME (Beninati): I met my wife, Rhonda – the most wonderful woman in the world – at Choate Rosemary Hall 22 years ago.
CLAIM TO FAME (Cabrera): My family.
BIGGEST DEAL: Growing a $200 million residential development division to complement elite commercial assets such as Pickwick & Delamar.
LIVE IN: Beninati, Armonk, NY; Cabrera, Old Greenwich, CT.
WORK IN: Greenwich, CT, at Pickwick Plaza. Other offices are located on our properties.
HOW THEY GOT INTO REAL ESTATE: Beninati began doing real estate deals with Cabrera during
the ‘90s.
BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB: The family team atmosphere.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE COMPANY: Opportunity fund guys tend to emphasize financials and lack Antares' operating/construction infrastructure. Builder/developers lack Antares' team of Ivy League MBAs to be financially sophisticated.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Keeping up with all of our opportunities.
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Having customers, employees and investors whom we have done business with and became friends with over the years.
GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR: To continue providing our customers with the best quality and value.

NAMES: Stephen Meyers and Christopher Meyers
COMPANY: Houlihan/Lawrence
TITLES: Stephen, President & CEO; Christopher, CFO
YEARS IN BUSINESS: Stephen, 9 years; Christopher, 1 year
ANNUAL SALES: 2.5 billion
SIZE OF SALES TEAM: 850 associates throughout Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties
CLAIM TO FAME: We're the largest independently owned real estate company in the area.
LIVE IN: Stephen, Bedford, NY; Christopher, Greenwich, CT.
WORK IN: Bronxville, NY.
HOW THEY GOT INTO REAL ESTATE: In 1990, Nancy and Peter Seaman purchased the company. After Peter's death in 1994, Nancy took over and asked her brother Stephen, who has had careers in real estate and finance, to get involved. He joined the company in 1995. Christopher, who has a background in technology and finance, became CFO a year ago.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH SIBLING: Nancy had the vision for the Houlihan/Lawrence brand, identity and image. Stephen is behind strategic growth and acquisitions and runs branches and the office sales force. Christopher's role is financial, handling all of the IT infrastructure.
BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB: Getting to work with your family.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE COMPANY: We extend the concept of family beyond ourselves – people feel a loyalty to and a bond with this company; as a result, we have attracted some of the best people in the business.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: How to keep that family feeling while becoming a big company business.
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: We have managed to be the market leader in one of the premier real estate markets in the country. We're large enough to compete with the national franchises, yet small enough to maintain the personal touch.
GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR: Continued success and orderly growth.

NAME: Robert P. Weisz
COMPANY: RPW Group, Inc.
TITLE: President
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 25
TOTAL PORTFOLIO SIZE: Approximately 1.25 million square feet. Over the years we have owned and developed approximately 4 million square feet.
KEY PROPERTIES: Class A office buildings in Westchester and Fairfield counties. We are the largest landlord of medical space outside hospitals in Westchester. We have a number of significant properties along the Platinum Mile on the 287 corridor.
CLAIM TO FAME: Fifteen years ago I purchased Edison High School in Mount Vernon, which had been abandoned Our project turned around an entire neighborhood.
BIGGEST DEAL: We have a complex in Harrison, a $50 million project of approximately 280,000 square feet, including a planned 80,000-square-foot medical complex.
LIVES IN: Greenwich, CT.
WORKS IN: White Plains, NY.
HOW HE GOT INTO REAL ESTATE: As a result of being in the furniture business. In the late ‘70s I purchased warehouses in NJ, and we started buying and redeveloping buildings along the Hudson River – at first it was mostly industrial; then we did retail and office space.
BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB: This is a people business. Most deals are large, most people are honorable and a handshake is meaningful. Sitting down with strangers and making a deal sometimes leads to a long relationship, which is very gratifying.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE COMPANY: We do business the old-fashioned way. While many of our competitors are institutions, we are individually owned. That brings to the table the face, handshake and human touch. Regardless of how technology advances, nothing will replaces people who will stand behind what they say.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: To juggle being a good parent and husband while dedicating time to my business.
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Having been able to dedicate time to my family and grow the business the way I expected. I could not imagine a more fulfilling life.
GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR: We are upgrading our existing properties, and we will continue to focus on acquisitions. We have purchased approximately $100 million of commercial real estate in the past 24 months and we expect to do at least that amount in the next 12 months.

NAME: Salvatore Campofranco  
COMPANY: Reckson Associates Realty Corp. 
TITLE: Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 16  
TOTAL PORTFOLIO SIZE: 86 properties/15.5 million square feet in the tri-state area.  
KEY PROPERTIES: 360 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains; Landmark Square, Stamford, CT. 
CLAIM TO FAME: Establishing Reckson's portfolio in the Westchester and Connecticut marketplace by acquiring over $400 million of Class A office properties.  
BIGGEST DEAL: Fuji Photo Film, USA, Inc., a transaction totaling over 248,000 rentable square feet and involving relocating eight different companies.
LIVES IN: New Canaan, CT. 
WHERE HE WORKS: I travel throughout the tri-state area. 
HOW HE GOT INTO REAL ESTATE: I grew up in a family that was involved in various aspects of real estate. I began my career as a CPA working for a large real estate accounting and consulting firm.  
BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB: The people I work with at Reckson. 
WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE COMPANY: Building great relationships with our customers and business partners as well as our attention to detail.  
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Keeping the balance in life between career goals and family goals.  
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Successful completion of the company's evolution from a family-based company to a “best in class” public company. 
GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR: To achieve strategic growth as the “Landlord of Choice” in the tri-state region.