A Discussion with Viet Ha Do on How To Effectively Lead A Team

Viet Ha Do began her professional journey at Merrill Lynch. She worked for several investment firms on Wall Street, before she made a transition to the real estate sector. In 2009 she became involved with real estate investing and management focused on multi-family residential assets.

Throughout her career, Viet Ha Do has played a central role in value-add processes by bringing superior organizational skills, attention to detail, and a positive attitude to daily work. She does not rest when a real estate project’s goals are met. Instead, she seeks new and innovative ways to continually improve day to day management of multifamily and commercial investment properties.

In November of 2013, Viet Ha Do joined forces with a seasoned real estate investor, Paul Folkes, to form Habringer Group, Inc. Since its founding, Habringer Group focused its activities on identifying and investing in underperforming multi-family and commercial real estate assets located in the Mid-South region of the United States. The company was initially headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. In 2016, headquarters were moved to Memphis, while retaining a presence in NYC until March 2020. While active primarily in the Mid-South real estate market, the company maintains strong ties with its NYC roots and international investor partners.

Currently, Viet Ha Do is the CEO and Chairman of a Tennessee-based real estate investment and advisory company, Habringer Group, Inc.

Viet Ha Do continuously seeks out new real estate projects where she can apply her experience from the financial sector and 12 years of wide-ranging experience in multi-family real estate investment, management, and development.

We spoke with Viet Ha Do where she shared her methods for effectively leading her team and creating a positive company culture.

What qualities and skills do you look for when hiring new talent?

Competence, creative thinking, reliability, and above all, integrity.

What questions do you ask during an interview?

I ask a lot of situational interview questions which allow me to assess the integrity of a candidate. At the end of the day, it all starts and ends with the candidate’s integrity for me.

How do you motivate your team for outstanding results?

I always encourage everyone to give their absolute best at all times and to grow personally with all the tasks that they undertake at work. I am not known to be the most benign of bosses and often times I provide constructive criticism to my team.  I am not shy about being honest and I always welcome feedback. I believe in open communication and this is something that most of our employees value tremendously.

How do you help create and sustain the culture of your company?

I try to make everyone feel like they are an integral part of the organization. I don’t stop at just verbal communication and regular team meetings. We try as much as possible to organize team-building activities, both at work and outside of work.

We want everyone to know at all times that their personal success and the organization’s success are strongly intertwined.  A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

How do you handle difficult clients and coworkers?

I take the time to listen to them. Oftentimes, they feel not heard and simply need their problems to be acknowledged. If there is a viable and actionable solution to their issues, I always try to implement it the best I can.

What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen master from my home country of Vietnam. One of the communities that he established, Magnolia Monastery, is nearby. I have had the opportunity to attend a few of his retreats as well.