She learned from the master.

Although Louise Sunshine, the president and CEO of the Sunshine Group Ltd., did not start her professional career with an extensive real estate background, the education that she got on the job was quite impressive.

Sunshine herself admitted that she learned from one of the best marketing specialists in the industry. "Donald Trump had a lot to teach, and he was a great teacher," she said. "And I like to think that I was an excellent student."

What Sunshine refers to is her twelve-year stint as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, a position in which she was responsible for developing marketing, leasing, and sales strategies for such high-profile residential buildings as Trump International, the Trump Tower, Trump Plaza, and Central Park West. "We could not identify a marketing company that could successfully market and lease the properties for us, so we did it ourselves." Sunshine recalled. "That is precisely how I learned."

Now that Sunshine runs her own marketing firm, she puts the knowledge and skills she acquired during those years to good use. Recently, The Sunshine Group Ltd. was contracted as the marketing and leasing agent for the two luxury hotels that are being developed on Perry Street, in the West Village. The hotels, designed by the world-renowned architect Richard Meier, already have a large waiting list of prospective tenants, the members of which include such notable celebrities as the fashion designer Calvin Kline, the restaurateur Jean-George, and Richard Meier himself. And this high demand has quite a lot to do with the efforts of The Sunshine Group, Ltd.

The secret to her success in this particular endeavor, Sunshine admitted was "playing hard to get."

"The most important thing is that we are not advertising this project," Sunshine said. "Everything that is known about this property so far has been through word of mouth. That is what generates buzz in the entertainment world, the fashion world, and the corporate world. And buzz is something very attractive to celebrities." In addition, Sunshine said she is a great believer in limited edition products. "There will be only 28 Richard Meier-designed homes in New York after the hotels are built," she said. "You'll find that the demand for this kind of residence far exceeds the supply."

In trying to explain what distinguishes The Sunshine Group Ltd. from other marketing companies, Sunshine pointed out that her firm is involved in sales and marketing of any given project from its very conception -- a technique that makes it easier to get competitive prices for the luxury apartments later on. "I would say that the most important principle that guides us is that we look to create value for a given property not when it comes time to sell the product, but during all of the stages of development. Really, what successful marketing is all about is creating value before you come to the market."

It is hard to believe when one looks around Sunshine's elegantly designed Madison Avenue office, that this is a woman who started her adult life as a housewife and mother. Until the early 1970's Sunshine concentrated primarily on her marriage, and it was only when she became involved with the assemblyman Albert H. Blumenthal's and later on governor Hugh L. Carey's fundraising campaigns, that she was able to put her marketing talents to use. Now, Sunshine said she feels it is important to give other women the opportunity to fulfill themselves professionally in an industry that is still primarily dominated by men. "I think that women have an intuitive feeling about sales and marketing," Sunshine said. "And I would like to give them the kind of opportunity that Donald Trump gave me."

The Sunshine Group Ltd. employs about 75 people today, the majority of whom are women, and has offices both in New York and in Coconut Grove, Fla. To ensure that her clients get the best possible service, Sunshine maintains not only leasing and sales professionals on her team, but also market research specialists and an architect. "We need to have someone to analyze the market conditions, and a design expert for the function of developing floor plans," she explained. "I want to use all of the resources available to come up with the best prices for my clients' apartments."

With such a complete list of services as investor sales and leasing, condominium conversions, product repositioning, and private brokerage, in addition to marketing consulting, sales, and leasing, it is easy to understand how Louise Sunshine managed to accomplish so much with her company in a relatively short period of time. But her sense of responsibility toward her clients also reflects the reasons for her success. "Our role is not to give them what they would like," she explained. "Our role is to give them guidance and solid advice on the planning, and the relationship of the products to the rest of the marketplace."

At the present moment, The Sunshine Group Ltd. is involved in the marketing of such properties as The Park Imperial at 225 W. 56th St., The Grand Beekman at 400 E. 51st. St., The Textile Building at 66 Leonard St., The Chatham at 181 E. 65th St., as well as in the planning and development of the Columbus Center and the Alexander's site, which may or may not be the future home of Bloomberg Financial News. In addition, Sunshine and her associates are currently working on their company's website, in an effort to improve the interaction between the user and the homepage, and create a more attractive design. "My challenge is always to grow, and to find talented people to work with me," Sunshine said. "But another challenge is to keep up with today's technology and to apply it to what we are doing in the most effective way."