In an age where it's not uncommon to see husband and wife, even mother and daughter teams, Peggy and Eric Chodorow, share the distinction of being one of the few mother and son teams. "when Eric was growing up," explains Peggy, "there was always talk around the dinner table about deals being made and not being made. My other son took no interest in what I was up to, but Eric found it fascinating. We would talk about every-thing from valuing and selling property to structuring negotiations."

It was no surprise that by the age of 21, Eric had obtained his broker's license. Eric, a Usc graduate, first cut his teeth in the tough world of commercial real estate at Cushman, Wakefield, in the San Francisco area. "it was in commercial real estate that I gained most of my hands-on training. I did a lot of cold calling, research, data verification and follow-up. I observed some very capable agents and learned from them.

For Peggy and Eric, time management and professionalism are paramount in their success. Both try to keep business 8 to 5 and avoid the 60-plus hours that many work in the business. " I realized many years ago that pacing is everything," says Peggy." When you put in crazy hours, you become less productive. You need to be fresh, alert and abreast of current developments."