Amorelli Realty wins Best of the Boro for fi fth consecutive year
Anita Halvatzis and Captain Ray Jenkins speak outside the Amorelli Realty office in Astoria on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. Jenkins
presented the office with a 2021 Best of the Boro award. Photos by Paul Frangipane
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | NOV. 12 - NOV. 18, 2021 19
BY JULIA MORO
Commanding Officer Ray
Jenkins of the NYPD’s 114th
Precinct presented Amorelli
Realty in Astoria with the
Bethpage Best of the Boro 2021
award for its fifth consecutive
year on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
Anita Halvatzis bought the
realty company in 1978 after
working there for six years
with no prior real estate experience.
Halvatzis was newly
divorced and struggled to find
a way to provide for her family.
With her Greek fluency in
a very Grecian neighborhood,
she landed a job at the brokerage
on the spot.
Halvatzis built her family
business over the decades and
has since passed it down to her
children and grandchildren.
Her son, Paul Halvatzis,
a broker at the company,
beamed with pride over the
family-owned business. He
said those who work at Amorelli
Realty genuinely feel the
business is unlike any other.
“We treat our clients like
family. Because we’re a family
type business, we’re very
approachable,” Paul said.
“When you do business with
us, you get the respect, courtesy
and attention that some
people feel are lacking in real
estate.”
Paul’s son, Nicholas, a
salesperson, said he always
wanted to join the family business
as a kid and is proud to
now follow in his father’s footsteps.
“I always wanted to emulate
my dad. I wanted to be a
real estate broker even before I
knew what that meant,” Nicholas
said.
The Halvatzis family likened
their business to a boutique.
“People get one-on-one attention,
and everyone is special,”
Paul said. “No one gets
lost in the corporate shuffle.”
The business has changed
over the years and adapted
to modernity. With the third
Halvatzis generation paving
its way in the real-estate
world, Nicholas feels he can
bring a more modern approach.
“My grandma has worked
in this business, my dad works
in this business, my uncles
work in this business, so I’ve
taken a little bit from each of
them while still being myself,
but I’m taking what works,”
Nicholas said.
Nicholas also said with the
way the company is growing,
he would look forward to the
fourth generation of Halvatzises
working there as well.
Bethpage Best of the Boro
is awarded by Schneps Media,
QNS’ parent company, with
hundreds of businesses nominated
and thousands of public
votes each year.
Joe Vaccaro grew up as
Nicholas’ good friend and has
worked at the realty company
for seven years now. He has
won best real estate agent for
two years in a row. Vaccaro
thanked the Halvatzises for
paving the way and giving him
the opportunity for success.
“I was able to be in a good
position from the path they
created to be here and having
a reputable company behind
me that people trust, that ultimately
is the driving force
behind my success,” Vaccaro
said.
Amorelli Realty staff accepted the award for Best of the Boro 2021 outside their Astoria office.
/QNS.COM