ABOUT

DOTTIE HERMAN

Dottie Herman is a quintessential New York success story—and one of the most accomplished business leaders in modern real estate.

After attending Adelphi University, Dottie launched her career in 1978 with the national real estate division of Merrill Lynch on Long Island. When Merrill Lynch sold its real estate arm to Prudential in 1989, a pivotal moment emerged. Recognizing both the opportunity and her own leadership capacity, Dottie made a bold, visionary decision: in 1990, she secured a $17 million acquisition loan—with no money down and no personal guarantees—to purchase Prudential Long Island Realty. Under her leadership, the firm was rapidly transformed into the dominant brokerage on Long Island and in the Hamptons.

In 2003, poised to redefine the Manhattan market, Dottie and business partner Howard Lorber acquired Douglas Elliman, the city’s most prestigious residential brokerage. Since that landmark transaction, Douglas Elliman has become the largest and fastest-growing residential real estate firm in New York, cementing Dottie Herman’s reputation as the most successful woman in real estate.