Dottie Herman - Speaker

Dottie Herman is a prominent businesswoman in the real estate sector. She began her real estate career in 1978 at Merrill Lynch's national real estate division while studying at Adelphi University. In 1989, when Merrill Lynch sold its real estate division to Prudential, Dottie borrowed $7 million to acquire Prudential Long Island Realty. Under her leadership, the company flourished and expanded into the Hamptons. In 2003, Dottie and her business partner Howard Lorber acquired Douglas Elliman, Manhattan's largest brokerage firm. She transformed it into the largest and fastest-growing residential brokerage in New York, making it the third-largest independent real estate company in the United States. Today, Douglas Elliman has over 7,000 real estate professionals and 675 employees across more than 110 offices, with a global partnership with Knight Frank Residential. Dottie has received numerous accolades, including the Community Leadership Award at the Heart of the Hamptons Gala in 2008 and the Outstanding New Yorker Award from the Guardian Angels in 2009. She has been recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York by Crain’s New York Business and was named "America’s Richest Self-Made Woman in Real Estate" by Forbes in 2016. In 2017, she received the Business Pioneer Award at the United Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Beyond her professional achievements, Dottie is a dedicated philanthropist, supporting various organizations, including The Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook University Medical Center and the American Heart Association. She has one daughter, Christine, an educator, and divides her time between New York City, Southampton, and Palm Beach. Additionally, she hosts a radio show, "Eye on Real Estate," and is involved in thoroughbred investments through an all-women’s syndicate. Dottie's journey from a challenging childhood to a successful career serves as an inspiration to many.