Bess Freedman

Bess Freedman
Born (1969-05-31) May 31, 1969
EducationJuris Doctor
Alma materUniversity of the District of Columbia
OccupationsBusinesswoman
CEO of Brown Harris Stevens

Bess Freedman (born May 31, 1969) is an American businesswoman.[1] She is currently the CEO of Brown Harris Stevens.[2][3] She previously practiced law.[1][4]

Career

Born in Troy, New York, Freedman got her undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and completed her Juris Doctor degree at the University of the District of Columbia.[1][4][5] She practiced law as an Assistant State's Attorney and worked as an attorney at Legal Aid Society.[1][4][5] In 2003, Freedman joined the Corcoran Group, an American real estate firm. At the Corcoran Group, she served as Senior Managing Director for the East Side headquarters.[4][5]

In 2013, Freedman joined Brown Harris Stevens (BHS) as Senior Vice President.[1][5] In 2017, she was named co-president of BHS alongside Hall Willkie.[1][3] Less than a year later, Freedman was appointed as the company's first CEO.[1][3]

In 2020, Freedman became one of the first NYC-based brokerage leaders to offer Election Day as a paid company holiday to all employees nationwide.[6] In 2022, when Roe vs. Wade was overturned, Freedman announced that Brown Harris Stevens would reimburse travel expenses up to $4,000 for any real estate agent or employee who must travel to access safe and legal reproductive healthcare.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Solomont, E.B. (February 2019). "The Closing: Bess Freedman". The Real Deal.
  2. ^ Brandt, Libertina (August 14, 2020). "The CEO of a top Manhattan brokerage reveals what leaders should focus on during trying times". Business Insider.
  3. ^ a b c Senison, Heather (January 17, 2019). "Top New Real Estate CEO Talks Struggles For Women In Business And The Market In 2019". Forbes.
  4. ^ a b c d Jordan, John (August 19, 2021). "Five Questions With Bess Freedman, CEO, Brown Harris Stevens". Real Estate In-Depth. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d "Meet Bess Freedman, the brokerage boss who won't take any bhs from anyone". Real Estate Weekly. June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Hudson, Erin (2020-09-14). "BHS gives employees Election Day off". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  7. ^ Jones, Harrison Connery and Sasha (2022-06-29). "Brokerage execs condemn SCOTUS ruling, pledge to cover abortion costs". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2026-03-10.