By Roslyn Lo
If you recognize real estate agent Dana Power’s face, it’s because you’ve seen her before – she has graced likes of magazines, billboards and popular TV shows. The fresh new face of Town Real Estate is much more than meets the eye. She’s out to change the world.
“I grew up interested in sustainable living. Other countries are more advanced. We need to continue to spread the knowledge. New developments, renovating spaces to keep them eco-friendly,” Power said. “I’m involved with big picture, future projects on how we can revolutionize and save the world.”
Power believes that to be a successful broker, she has to distinguish herself.
“The field is so vast – there’s really no criteria for being a broker. I thought, how am I different, and how can I stand out? I have to be able to add value to the customer’s knowledge,” she said. “They have abilities to research and get different resources on their own, so what can I bring to the table? How can I add value to this transaction, to the personal goal?”
In answering these questions, she said her tremendous confidence in Town was crucial. The company was founded late last year by Andrew Heiberger, the man who built Citi Habitats from a two-man show into a multi-million dollar powerhouse.
“Town offers a lot of resources. I’m surrounded by people with knowledge, people with access, and people with relationships,” said Power.
Within weeks of joining the brokerage, Power had signed her most high-profile deal, leasing New York Yankees star Derek Jeter a $15,500-a-month, two-bedroom, three-bath rental at Trump World Tower.
A former actress and Ford model, Power has appeared in television roles on HBO’s “The Sopranos” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Most recently, she was on the silver screen, acting alongside the likes of Meryl Streep and Sarah Jessica Parker in “It’s Complicated” and “Sex and the City 2.”
Power has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, and previously worked for ABC News. Now, she is taking her experience in media and communication and transforming it into a budding career in real estate. She first worked at Bond NY, and in less than three years managed to make a name for herself as an up-and-coming agent.
Her current projects at Town include luxury property in Midtown East, including a $22,500, 2,854 s/f three-bedroom condominium at 845 United Nations Plaza. Further south in Soho, she is representing a $15,000, 3,300 s/f two-bedroom, pre-war apartment on 544 Broome Street. She also has a listing at 30 West Street, a $2.15 million four-bedroom, 2,385 s/f condominium in Battery Park.
Power works with properties in the most coveted areas of New York City, including penthouses in Central Park West and South. Having lived in many areas in New York City ever since undergrad days in the Bronx, ranging from Park Slope, Gramercy and most recently, Hell’s Kitchen, she has eclectic knowledge of the city.
“In west side areas, particularly the Hudson Yards, there’s a lot of development going on there. There’s something about the west side. Uou’re close to the river, with a view of the sunset, that’s an amazing part of New York that hasn’t been developed,” she said.
The actress-turned-broker first moved to New York in 1997, although she took a two-year break to try LA from 2005 to 2007. She cited her fascination with the city’s varying architecture, from the classic limestone buildings to the newer avant garde developments, as a big draw to the city.
She recounted a childhood moment when she told her father, “Dad, I’m going to sell the Empire State Building some day.” She still maintains that optimism and confidence, a rare quality during an economic downturn. “My goal is to be involved with a revolutionary project,” she said.
Outside of real estate, Power gives back to the community by working closely with charities such as St. Jude’s Hospital and City Harvest.
Her volunteering efforts don’t stop in New York — she is on a host committee for the Somaly Mam Foundation, an organization making strides to end human trafficking and sex slavery internationally. Power stressed her diligence to help end this plight, and the importance of fighting for a cause she believes in.
Though she recognizes that her ambitions are lofty, Power is undaunted by the challenges that may face her. She recognizes that the key to success is knowing that no task is insurmountable.
After earning her real estate license during the market crash a few years ago, Power has thrived. “It can only get better,” she said. “You can’t be deterred, if you can want to make it down this path.”
