Ben G. Schachter is the Real Estate Broker and President of Boca Raton-based The Signature Real Estate Companies. Ben’s role is critical to Signature’s day-to-day operations and long range goals and his unique and extremely effective hands-on management style ensures top down quality control and proper delegation of tasks for an extremely diverse organization.
As an undergraduate at The University of Florida, Ben majored in Political Science and gained valuable experience working part-time at a Gainesville real estate brokerage. He quickly concluded that real estate was his passion. Upon graduation in 2000, Ben relocated to South Florida, where he became an integral part of his family’s mortgage banking business. He continued his real estate career, concentrating on the luxury and ultra-luxury real estate markets as well as commercial real estate development, which allowed him to develop valuable experience working hands-on with sophisticated customers from around the world. In 2006, Ben joined The Signature Real Estate Companies and soon became President and one of the firm’s owners. Under Ben’s leadership, Signature has grown to 16 residential and commercial real estate brokerage offices with over 1000 Real Estate Professionals! Signature’s exponential growth is evidenced by its approximately 5,000 annual resale and rental transactions, which ranked Signature as the #2 real estate brokerage in Boca Raton and #33 in Florida for transaction volume according to the 2020 Real Trends 500 Report.
With Ben’s guiding hand, Signature has also successfully ventured into several other real estate related industries, including Signature Title Group, LLC, an attorney-owned and operated title insurance company, Signature School of Real Estate, LLC, a fully-accredited real estate licensing and educational school, Signature Insurance Advisors, LLC, a full-service insurance agency, and Signature Senior Placement, LLC, a senior community placement service.
Ben is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Instructor and Property Manager and has earned the prestigious Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI)® designation. With unrivaled passion, a constant hunger for success, an unmatched support for his co-workers and an aggressive plan for growth, Ben is taking Signature in a very positive direction by focusing on the firm’s industry-first, “Agent Centric” culture that can be seen throughout the organization.
Ben is a loving husband and proud father and lives in Boynton Beach with his wife Jodi, two sons, Max and Brody, daughter, Sloane and the family’s two dogs, London and Aspen.
Jack Jaiven, a Florida Certified Public Accountant since 1975, served as Chief Financial Officer, or in other high-level financial capacities, for more than 30 years with several publicly-traded companies, including real estate development companies which constructed more than 35,000 condominium apartments in South Florida active adult retirement communities.
Since 2006, Jack’s business focus has been as an owner and Executive Vice President of Boca Raton-based The Signature Real Estate Companies, which owns and operates a highly successful and rapidly-expanding family of South Florida real estate brokerage firms with more than 1,000 Real Estate Professionals in 16 residential and commercial real estate brokerage offices in Palm Beach & Broward Counties as well as Naples, Orlando and Spokane, Washington. Signature brokers approximately 5,000 sales and rental transactions annually and in 2020, Signature was ranked as the 33rd largest Real Estate Brokerage in Florida and #2 in Boca Raton in the 2020 Real Trends 500 Report Ranking for Transaction Sides. Signature also owns and operates a fully-accredited real estate licensing and educational school, Signature School of Real Estate, and a senior community placement service, Signature Senior Placement. In addition, Signature is one of the owners of an attorney-operated title insurance company, Signature Title Group, and a full-service insurance agency, Signature Insurance Services.
Since 2003, Jack has served on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer of Boca Helping Hands, Inc., a not-for-profit organization which “provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency”. Jack is also a Director and Executive Vice President of Signature Gives Back, the not-for-profit corporation which serves as the charitable arm of The Signature Real Estate Companies. SGB’s mission is “to inspire members of the Real Estate community to support various charities and worthwhile causes through selfless volunteerism and financial contributions.” Previously, Jack served as an officer and Trustee of Temple Beth El of Boca Raton.
Jack has a B.B.A. degree from the City University of New York and served 2 ½ years in the U.S. Army. He and his wife, Grace, have been happily married since 1973, residing in South Florida since 1975. They have 2 sons: Ron, who earned his MBA from UCLA , enjoys a high-level position with eBay in San Francisco, and Eric, Signature’s Director of Agent Services, who earned his MBA from the University of Miami and resides in Ft Lauderdale. Eric's wife, Kristen, serves as Signature's General Counsel. Jack and Grace ‘boast’ three adorable grandchildren; Chloe and Lucas (courtesy of Ron) & Julian (courtesy of Kristen & Eric).
Many of today’s most successful Real Estate practitioners bring to the table a lengthy history of productivity and achievement from prior business ventures. Expertise as a successful negotiator, adhering to detail and the ability to communicate clearly with her clients is what makes Wendy Pressner a truly valuable member of the Signature family.
Prior to relocating to South Florida from her native New York, Wendy was an accomplished Merchandise Manager in the fashion industry who traveled the world overseeing quality control and product marketing for major corporations from Mitsubishi to Lands’ End.
Her commitment to organizing, coordinating, fund raising, and chairing major events including the Maccabi Games, Jewish and Women’s Federation activities and Signature’s Give Back Program with ties to Habitat for Humanity has earned Wendy accolades and praise throughout Palm Beach County.
This proven ability to understand and focus on the needs and concerns of her clientele from different cultural, geographic and monetary backgrounds makes Wendy Pressner an outstanding choice for today’s South Florida buyer or seller.
Kristen joined The Signature Real Estate Companies in 2016. Kristen has diverse corporate and real estate experience, including working for three international companies. While attending law school at night, Kristen worked for Hilton’s timeshare brand, Hilton Grand Vacations, in the areas of regulatory compliance and later as a corporate paralegal. After law school, Kristen went to work for Global Tower Partners, which later merged into American Tower Corporation. As in-house counsel for American Tower Corporation, she focused on commercial real estate transactions that protected company assets. Most recently, Kristen worked with a non-profit food bank, Farm Share, where she tackled the field of food insecurity in South Florida.
Kristen is co-author of The Value of South Florida Real Estate when A1A is Under Water: Sea Level Rise and Private Property Rights (Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar’s Spring 2015 ActionLine Issue), and co-author of a chapter on factory farming in WHAT CAN ANIMAL LAW LEARN FROM ENVIRONMENTAL LAW? (Randall S. Abate, ed., ELI Press, Sept. 2015). Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida, a J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law with a Certificate in Environmental Justice, and an LL.M. in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School with a Certificate in Food and Agriculture Law. In Kristen’s free time, she enjoys hiking with her husband, Eric, spending time with her Australian shepherd, Sebastian, and doing yoga.
Barbara brings a diverse background and experience to Signature Gives Back. She is a graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, and worked as the General Counsel of a manufacturing and distribution company. Her strengths are in transactional law and compliance.
Barbara relocated to South Florida in 2018, and obtained her real estate license. She has been with Signature International Real Estate for just over a year, and with Signature Gives Back for a year as well.
Ivan Benjamin is both a REALTOR® and Licensed Community Association Manager (CAM). Most successful real estate practitioners have experienced a variety of personal and business related endeavors. Ivan’s multi-talented and caring approach to his work has made him one of Signature International Real Estate’s (SIRE’s) most accomplished REALTORS®. He brings over 25 years of banking and investment management experience to SIRE. Following his successful transition from the financial service sector, where he held several senior positions, Ivan started his own small business here in South Florida and served as the CEO for several years. His entrepreneurial expertise as a CEO and business owner further reflects the knowledge, leadership, and drive so important to be successful in the real estate industry. Establishing, as well as earning trust & respect is a challenge that Ivan has met with great distinction, enthusiasm, and commitment. Ivan is also passionate about his community and he has served on the Board of Directors and/or Committees of numerous non-profit organizations from New York to Florida; and, currently he volunteers at the Wayne Barton Study Center, Boca Raton, FL.
Ivan is a graduate of Pace University and holds a BBA in Marketing. Ivan and his spouse have been residing in South Florida for over a decade.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Illana has held many prestigious administrative positions that have given her insight and first hand experience for what customers expect and desire. Having lived in many places around the world added to her international background and multi-lingual expertise just show a few of the traits which make Illana stand out in a crowd!
Fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian.
Always looking to improve her skills for her customers, she holds the REALTOR, Broker-Associate, a Certified International Property Specialist ( CIPS) , Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) and Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) designations.
As your Realtor, Illana will be an advocate for you! Whether you are buying, selling, investing, or renting, she will work tirelessly to promote your best interests while concentrating on lowering your stress level. She understands that purchasing a home is one of the most important investments that most people make in their lifetime.
As a Woodfield Country Club resident, Illana prides herself on knowing what the high end buyers and sellers are looking for. Her international background opens the door to promoting your property world-wide. As Buyers coming to South Florida fully understand, having someone that speaks their language is a valuable asset and one that makes the transaction that much less stressful.
For the past 6 years, Illana has actively been involved with Jewish Family Services, Boys Town Jerusalem and Habitat for Humanity. She loves to draw, cook and sing. (She will tell you she has no talent for singing but that does not stop her!)
Married with 3 college children and 2 dogs , Illana is a loving and supportive mother.
“I am originally from Maryland and came to Florida via a job relocation. My career has encompassed real estate in four states and executive sales in the hotel industry.
I live in Boca Raton. My areas of expertise are from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale and west to Wellington and Parkland. I am with Signature Real Estate Companies, LLC in Boca Raton and associated with Signature Paradise Realty International, LLC.
My passion is assisting buyers and sellers with any of their real estate needs; ie: whether it be a single family home, townhouse, condo, second or vacation home.
By educating them along the way of each step of the transaction they are always in the know and feel comfortable working with me. I am laid back and easy to work
with. I am very motivated to do an outstanding job for my buyers and sellers!
I sincerely hope I get to work for you. “
Cathy is originally from Staten Island, New York and has been living, working and loving South Florida since 1979. She is a Realtor with Signature International Premier Properties, and specializes in South and Central Palm Beach County but is always delighted to help her customers wherever they need her.
She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to going into real estate, over a 17 years ago, Cathy held management positions in industrial training, sales, and customer service. Her strong background and commitment to customer service is evident in the relationships she establishes with her customers. Most of her business comes from referrals and repeat customers.
Whether they want to buy or sell a home or investment property, Cathy always strives to go above and beyond to help her clients meet their goals.
Her passion for working with the 55+ population inspired her to achieve the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation from the National Association of Realtors. SRES designees are trained to help those over the age of 50 to meet their particular real estate goals. Cathy has the skills, knowledge and patience to get the job done with care and consideration.
Cathy also holds the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) and the Performance Management Network (PMN) from the National Association of Realtors®.
She was the 2017 President of the Women’s Council of Realtors Greater Palm Beach network and the 2018 Member of the Year.
Cathy has been married to Jim Lewis for 28 years. They have two sons, Michael and Patrick. Cathy and Jim enjoy ballroom dancing, playing cards with the family, cruising with friends, vacations at the beach and walking their 9 pound Morkie, Maxx.