Posted on July 19, 2019
X. Cristofer Damianos, principal at commercial real estate brokerage Damianos Realty of Smithtown, is no stranger to working with family.
He and his two brothers, John and Pelops, learned everything about the industry from the company’s founder — their father, Xenophon Damianos.
Now, Damianos works alongside his daughter Alexandra Damianos.
“She’s my right-hand girl,” he said. “When she said she wanted to come work with me, it was music to my ears.”
Alexandra, 24, who earned a degree in finance from Marist College two years ago, has been working with her father ever since.
Her sister, Markella, 25, an assistant school teacher, and Alexandra’s twin brother, X. Cristofer Jr., who is in architecture, follow different career paths, but she said she always knew she’d end up “here with dad.”
“We’ve always been like two peas in a pod,” she said, remembering weekends when as a little girl she joined her dad at the office.
“I’d color on the floor of his office or hang out with him while he spoke about the business with my grandpa or my uncles. I’d just follow him around everywhere.”
Alexandra is still following her dad but now, it’s to visit construction sites and buildings in their portfolio, or to meet with architects, contractors or potential tenants.
Damianos said he still has much to teach her, but added “she’s already taught me a lot.”
He recalled showing his daughter a spreadsheet he planned to submit for review to a banker.
“She looked at it and said ‘Dad, that’s not what you’re turning in, is it?’ I said ‘Yeah, why?’ She shook her head and said, ‘I think we can do way better.’ ”
The next day, Alexandra showed up “with a fancy presentation with all the financial information the bank needed,” he said. “Needless to say, I was blown away.”
By Daysi Calavia-Robertson
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