When Broadway Meets Real Estate Broadway Baby Turned Real Estate Mogul

A native New Yorker, Janet Brenner joins Compass in the Upper West Side Office. Janet is an award-winning producer, writer and educator with more than twenty years of experience in theater, film, and arts administration. She has worked with some of the city’s top non-profit theater companies and commercial producers. Janet also produced two notable independent feature films.

Having raised three children in Manhattan, Janet brings a wealth of knowledge about New York City and the needs of young and growing families to her work. She currently lives on the Upper West Side, and has owned homes in the West Village, East Village, and the Upper East Side, giving her a unique and all-encompassing perspective on the city’s diverse and changing neighborhoods.

Janet has been involved with a number of New York charities, schools, and organizations including Young Playwrights, Inc., Writers’ Guild of America Mentor Program, Collaborative Arts Project 21, and the Tisch School of the Arts.

Janet trained as an opera singer (B.M. Cleveland Institute of Music), and received an M.A. in Arts Administration from New York University. She brings her network of contacts, as well as marketing, selling, and negotiating skills to her real estate practice.

Source: Compass

How did you first get involved with Theater and Film?

I have a Bachelor of Music in Voice (Opera) from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Masters of Arts Administration from NYU.  I worked at the National Endowment for the Arts and awarded grants to opera and musical theater companies around the country. I soon got to know hundreds of the top theatrical artists nationwide. My ex-husband is a Tony-award winning Broadway writer and director, and all three of my children are involved in the arts as a performer, singer, director, choreographer, and as a film editor.

What is your experience in Theater and Film?

I am what you might call a “Broadway Baby.” For most of my adult life, I have worked in theater, Broadway, and film. Mrs. Doubtfire is my most recent Broadway endeavor where I am a co-producer. In addition to Broadway, I also produced two films: The Last Five Years, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, directed by Richard Lagravenese; and Ithaca, starring Sam Sherpard and Meg Ryan, directed by Meg Ryan.

What type of relationship do you have with your theater-life and real estate-life?

My theater life and real estate life are entwined. The vast majority of my clients are TV/Film/Theatrical writers, producers, directors, actors, and dancers. Many of the investors in my theatrical and film projects are now also my real estate clients. A few years ago, I helped a talented young pianist find a small rental apartment and we became good friends. Very quickly, his career started to take off and he is now the Music Director of Hamilton on Broadway. He just bought his first home, and that is one of the most rewarding parts of my job!

Through the magnanimity of Janet Brenner, co-producer of Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway and fellow S&E member, we would like to share an exclusive discount code for tickets to this fabulous production! Tickets to a Broadway show make for a beautiful gift to give to clients going to NYC, family members, or even to treat yourself. Mrs. Doubtfire is taking a hiatus from Jan 10 - March 14 due to Covid, so you can purchase tickets thru November 2022. Thank you very much Janet for this kind gesture!