Selling Real Estate Dreams in Sunny Florida Batsheva Rivkin @batsheva_sellingmiami is a real estate expert with 15 years of experience in the industry. Having learned the traits of the trade in one of America’s most prominent markets of New York and Miami she has quickly adapted to both the arduous process and the fast-pace skillsets it takes to succeed in real estate. 

Batsheva Rivkin began her career in Brooklyn, New York. Although Batsheva was born and raised in New York, her family moved to Bay Harbor Islands over 20 years ago and she has been passionate about Florida ever since. Because of her time spent in both cities she carries with her a broad network of industry-related professionals and extensive knowledge of the market. Her passion for the industry has led her to become one of the most prominent realtors in Miami and she’s just getting started! 

Find out more about her journey to success.

Take us back to what brought you into the field of real estate?

Honestly I just needed a job (laughs). I was 18 years old and only had one 9-5 job up until that point [but] it was enough to make me realize that that wasn’t for me. My aunt and uncle owned a boutique brokerage in Brooklyn, called Abba Realty Associates, and it kind of became a right of passage in my family; everybody worked there at one point inter career. I was fortunate to be given that opportunity at a young age, and while doing so, did everything I could to excel. I felt then and there that real estate would be a great fit for me.

I loved that I could make my own hours and given that it’s commission based, there would be no limits in terms of salary. It was a perfect match. I got the training that I needed and in return real estate offered me the life, stability, and flexibility that I always wanted. I have always been very ambitious and independent and so it wasn’t hard for me to stay self motivated. I was ready for the hustle, and hustle I did.

What have you learned in your days of hustling that you still use today in your career?

I learned fairly quickly that you get what you put in. The more consistent you are in business, the more you will reap benefits down the road. It’s a numbers game, if you put in the hours, you will start to succeed. If you approach it with enthusiasm and gusto the universe will meet you half way with that same enthusiasm. 

Real estate is very cyclical, so if you stay focused during the high seasons and keep a steady pipeline you’ll be able to coast through the slower seasons like a breeze. Back in New York when I was mostly doing rentals, there were months that were very quiet meaning that if you didn’t set yourself up properly it would feel quite daunting. Once I experienced a few of those seasons I came to expect them and actually appreciate the cycles. I understood that it’s ok to have a slow month, self imposed or otherwise because when you’re ready to give it your all again you can get right back in. You learn as you get older that the quiet time is a gift. 

Did you have any mentors in the industry?

My broker and aunt, Sheina Levin, was definitely my mentor. She was a badass GOSS and the person I always looked up to in the industry. She was young, newly married with a few small kids and without any prior experience she, alongside with my uncle started her own brokerage and just killed it. I would watch in amazement as she’d sell buildings before lunch and arrange multiple housing opportunities for non-for-profit organizations around the city and then she would go home and prepare dinner for her family, and she made it look so easy! 

It is impossible to talk about my real estate career without mentioning my aunt and uncle. It is definitely what gave me my foundation and I will always be grateful for the things I learned and experiences I had working for their group. 

What inspires you about the real estate market and your career?

I have to say — the whole industry inspires me!  Being surrounded by incredible realtors and being able to thrive alongside them is exhilarating. The fact that there is no limit to how much I can earn is absolutely thrilling, and the challenge of securing and negotiating deals in this super competitive market gives me an adrenaline rush and leaves me feeling so alive.

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Throughout your journey what remains a piece of advice you would give yourself or other woman looking back at your journey?

Never compare yourself to anyone else. Don’t let yourself get distracted by the “competition” because it is irrelevant to your growth and success. Stay in your lane and focus on what you want to accomplish because everyone has their own destiny and there is enough to go around. 

I’d also go one step further and say that you should take advantage of the successful people around you and don’t be intimidated to ask for advice. The whole ‘fake it till you make it’ mantra is hog wash. My experience has been that most people are happy to help and you’re not going to build anything authentic if you’re faking it. Be humble, learn and absorb everything around you until you are in a position to pay it forward and mentor someone else. 

Another thing that I think is imperative to remember and applies to all steps of your journey is that every single day is another chance to start again. If you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed or like you’re failing in certain areas of your life (and we’ve all been there) don’t let those negative thoughts spiral out of control and get you down. Recognize them as just thoughts, take a deep breath, sleep it off and try again with the new dawn.

Oh, and always make your bed.

What was one of the biggest challenges in this industry that you had to face and which you surmounted?

I would have to say that it was starting again in Miami. I came from a background of real estate with years of experience from New York, however, coming to Florida I quickly realized that everything is completely different than what I’d been accustomed to. Even though Miami was always my second home and I grew up coming here all the time I still had to get acquainted with a new market, build new relationships and get used to a whole new way of doing things. 

I am a Virgo and it’s important for me to be an expert in my field so the learning curve was definitely humbling and challenging. But ultimately it was an opportunity to learn, absorb and connect and that came along with excitement as well.  

Where do you see yourself in real estate in the next 5-10 years?

5-10 YEARS?! I don’t even know where I’ll be tomorrow! I definitely see myself doing much of what I’m doing now but with many more millions of dollars of transactions under my belt 😊 I know it’s the opposite of what they teach you. That to be goal oriented you have to look ahead and make business plans, but for the most part I try to stay as present and focused as I can in the moment. I don’t get too wrapped up in the long term because this moment is much more prevalent to me and I want to stay open to what Gd has in store- which is often much more exciting than anything we could dream up on our own. What I know is that I am very grateful for the business I’m doing now, especially having two young children, and I just thrive to set new goals day by day. 

What inspires and motivates you?

Everything! The whole world inspires me. There is endless opportunity out there and every minute, at every turn things can radically change. I don’t believe in coincidences and know that everything happens for a reason and recognizing and realizing the tiny little nuances as fait has been very grounding for me. Especially in this industry one day you could have nothing going on and the next you get introduced to someone whose looking to buy a building. I wake up every morning with anticipation and eagerness to meet my destiny. You can wake up today and change your entire life, if that’s not inspiring then I don’t know what is.

When it comes to you career and also having two young kids, how do you keep balance throughout it all?

By trying to do better every day than I did the day before. By grounding my thoughts, staying present and holding myself accountable, by recognizing that life will always be a balancing act and that’s OK. The truth is there is always something you are prioritizing over another thing, you can not possibly give everything 100% of your attention 100% of the time. 

So be kind to yourself but also make sure that you don’t lose sight of what’s most important to you. There are days that I come home and there is literally no food in the fridge for dinner because I forgot to go grocery shopping, but I sold a $5M house that day, and then there are days that I put my heart and soul into making dinner for my kids, that ultimately doesn’t get eaten by anyone, and I say I don’t need this my clients love me! JK The point is it ebbs and it flows and I’m just along for the ride. 

At the end of the day as much as work excites me; my family — my kids and my husband are what drives me. I try to remain steadfast in my growth oriented mindset and wide-lense perspective. We are all just here to work on ourselves and be the best we can be so we can help someone else. This year was really tough for my family as we lost someone very dear to us. But it’s also the year that I completely surrendered and put my trust in Gd and wholly recognized that control is merely an illusion. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that it is ultimately for the best. And I will always come back to this truth.

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