68 | MARCH 30 • 2023
NEXT DOR
E
mily Kahn spent seven
years working in the
fast-paced fashion
industry in New York City.
She held sales positions for
leading brands such as Ralph
Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Helmut
Lang and more but never
anticipated switching career
paths to real estate.
Kahn, 30, of Birmingham,
studied apparel merchan-
dising at Indiana University.
“I always knew I wanted
to work in fashion,” she
explains.
As Emily was growing
up, her mother, Cindy
Kahn, operated a children’s
boutique in Birmingham
called Kiddlywinks that
introduced her daughters to
the world of fashion. “I grew
up working at the store,”
Kahn says.
Later, her mother
transitioned to working in
real estate, and Kahn began
to learn about the home
buying and selling process,
as well. “Sales has always
been in my blood,” she
explains.
Still, although her mother
expressed interest in having
her children join the real
estate business, Kahn was
firm in her desire to pursue a
field in fashion.
Then, COVID-19 hit.
MOVING TO
REAL ESTATE
Like many young New
Yorkers with family in other
states, Kahn moved home
to ride out the ongoing
pandemic with her family.
She worked remotely from
her parents’ home for eight
months for Marc Jacobs
before realizing staying in
Michigan and remaining in
the fast-paced fashion world
of New York City simply
wasn’t possible.
“Moving back here, I
knew my career would have
to change,” Kahn says. “I
knew my fashion career was
over, but with sales, it’s so
transferable with any kind of
product.
“If you can sell a shirt, you
can sell a house,” she adds.
“You have the skill to sell
anything.”
With her mother’s business
growing, Kahn decided now
was the right time to test
the waters of real estate. She
took a six-week course to get
her real estate license and
never looked back.
“No one can prepare you
for working with a parent,
but it’s been so rewarding,”
Kahn explains. “I’ve learned
so much from [my mother]
and I feel so lucky to have
her as a mentor in the
business.”
Kahn focuses primarily
on homes in the Oakland
County area, particularly
Birmingham, Bloomfield,
Franklin and Royal Oak. She
maintains her own client
roster while also taking
on joint projects with her
mother.
From $250,000 to $6
million homes, Kahn works
with a diverse array of
properties that include both
sales and leases. “We do it
all,” she says. “We don’t say
no to anything.”
MAKING A COMMITMENT
Over two years working in
the real estate industry that
have been some of the most
turbulent times in home
buying and selling, Kahn has
learned important lessons
about what it takes to be a
successful Realtor in Metro
Detroit.
“There were so many
people who, in 2020, went
and got their license to be a
part-time real estate agent,”
Kahn explains. “You have to
do it full time. It’s a seven-
day-a-week job, and you
have to be able to put the
time into it in order to grow
your business.”
It’s the most challenging,
but also the most gratifying
part of the industry, she says.
“You have to be on call and
ready to jump at whatever,”
Kahn describes. “It’s fun
because every day is so
unpredictable.”
Still, Kahn says the
adjustment felt natural
after coming from the fast-
Meet Realtor Emily Kahn,
back from NYC.
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
BACK HOME IN MICHIGAN
From Fashion
to Real Estate