The Hot Seat: Jamella Swift

Welcome to the Hot Seat, where we talk with folks who work in Brooklyn real estate, development, architecture, and the like. Introducing Jamella Swift, Senior Associate Broker at Citi Habitats and founder of Karama, Inc., a girl’s mentoring organization.

Brownstoner: What neighborhood do you live in, and how’d you end up there?
Jamella Swift: I live in Bed Stuy. About 13 years ago, all I could afford at the time was an $800 1BR apartment on Clifton between Bedford and Nostrand. I grew up on Long Island, and Bed Stuy had a major negative stigma then, so I was nervous about living here. My dad, who grew up in the Bronx, asked me ‘Why are you moving there, people are trying to get outta there!’ However, I loved my new apartment and the block, so I knew that I’d be fine.

In 2000, I purchased my brownstone in Stuyvesant Heights. This was actually a dream come true because while in college I’d go to the African Street fair at Boys and Girls High, in Bed Stuy. I’d always say to myself, while walking along Stuyvesant Avenue, ‘I’d love to live here’. Thoughts are powerful because it happened years later. Now, I fall deeper in love with my neighborhood. It’s such a great place to live.

BS: You do a lot of work in Bed Stuy. Can you speak a little bit on the current market conditions there, as compared to the rest of Brooklyn? How do you see the rapid residential growth of Brooklyn affecting Bed Stuy?
JS: I believe that Bed Stuy, along with Crown Heights, is one of the last brownstone BK neighborhoods that people can afford and still able to take a vacation every now and then. Fortunately, with the changes in real estate more amenities are coming in. Years ago, we’d have to go to Fort Greene to get a meal that didn’t involve looking through a bullet proof window. Now, restaurants like Crave, Peaches, Saraghina, Black Swan, Mac’s Landing, Tin City and Voodoo Bar are serving the community, which makes it more attractive to live here.

After the jump, Jamella talks about her mentoring organization and a few of her favorite new developments in New York…

BS: How did you first end up in real estate? How has the market changed since then?
JS: I was working as a wardrobe dresser for Alvin Ailey. One of the dressers gave me his business card and said that he just got his real estate license. A light bulb went off in my head; that was 7 years ago and I’ve never looked back since. I got into the game when agents were making a lot of money. Then the crash came in 08’, which distinguished those agents that could swim vs. those that drowned. Talk about survival of the fittest! Plus, buyers were more voracious when I first started, whereas now, they aren’t succumbing to the pressure to buy. They are making more educated choices.

BS: You also tutor girls East New York. Why did you decide to start mentoring? Were there any surprising similarities you found between your job as a realtor and a mentor?
JS: I am very passionate about giving back to the community. It’s something that I have to do. I got tired of hearing some of the conversations that young girls were having on the train and made a choice to do something, rather than shake my head in judgment and disgust. I am one of the founding members of Karama, Inc., a girl’s mentoring organization. Once a month we mentor 12-15 girls at the East NY School of Excellence. I love mentoring the girls but there are times after an outing with them you feel worn out and need a drink! I am equally passionate about our girls as I am my career. With real estate, I’m impacting lives, helping people purchase or rent their home. That’s very important to them so I don’t take it lightly. It is rewarding to make an impact in people’s lives, both professionally and personally.

BS: Finally, your favorites: favorite BK neighborhood, favorite new development, and favorite property – not listed by your firm! – on the market.
JS: Favorite neighborhood – mine, Bed Stuy. New development – 315 Gates in Bed Stuy, the Love Lane Condos in Brooklyn Heights, 85 Metropolitan in Williamsburg and 561 11th Street, a rental building in Park Slope. Favorite property – Rosemarie Coates, of Corcoran, has an adorable studio, with outdoor space at 110 Clinton Avenue, in Clinton Hill.