Bringing Lesbian Representation to Real Estate
After a decade on Broadway, Kristi Ambrosetti fl ourishes in a different career
BY MATT TRACY
Kristi Ambrosetti spent
the fi rst decade of her
career traveling the
world and making a
name for herself as a professional
actress on Broadway. That, however,
all changed when she was
on a break in 2011 and one of her
friends suggested that she consider
a career in real estate — a major
departure from the bright lights of
Broadway.
“I thought, ‘oh, funny,’ because
throughout my whole life, people
said I should be in sales,” Ambrosetti
told Gay City News in a phone
interview.
Maybe it was funny at fi rst, but
Ambrosetti took the suggestion
seriously. She initially thought
she would “dabble” in real estate,
but instead she wound up spending
two years as an assistant
and used that time to absorb as
much information as possible. She
availed herself to senior brokers
and picked up their smaller deals.
In her off time, she read market
reports and stayed abreast of the
state of the real estate market.
In the end, she worked her way
up to her current role as a senior
global real estate advisor and associate
broker for Sotheby’s International
Realty. She said she’s now
one of the top brokers in the fi rm.
Ambrosetti’s career change has
coincided with the growth of her
own family. She is married to Amy
Ziff — who is part of a band named
BETTY, which executed the theme
song for “The L Word” — and the
couple has a two-year-old daughter.
Famed feminist icon Gloria
Steinem offi ciated Ambrosetti and
Ziff’s wedding.
Even as she has laid down roots
and established herself in real estate,
Ambrosetti never shied away
from the importance of her identity
as a lesbian woman. Dating back
to her acting days, Ambrosetti remembers
being one of a few out
women in an industry rife with gay
men, and she realized that parts of
America were not quite as LGBTQfriendly
as others. She set out to
Kristi Ambrosetti has fl ourished in her career in real estate after spending a decade as an actress.
play her own role in changing the
public’s perception of queer individuals
— especially women.
“I took it upon myself to share
my story, to bring awareness,” she
explained. “In my 20s, I would
share I had a girlfriend and people
would look at me very surprised.”
That issue resurfaced for Ambrosetti
during her early years of
working in real estate. She was
once standing by a copy machine
in her workplace when someone
noticed a ring on her fi nger.
“Oh, what a beautiful ring —
your husband must really love
you,” the person said.
Ambrosetti responded by explaining
that she had a wife, not a
husband — and she felt driven to
create a world where queer relationships
are accepted and understood
as a normal part of life. To that end,
Ambrosetti has no issue with sharing
details about her life when potential
homebuyers interview her,
though she also knows when to
“read the room” and avoid sharing
too much with certain people, including
select international clients.
For queer folks looking to purchase
a home, Ambrosetti encourages
them to interview a few different
brokers. Those who are in
relationships, she said, should disclose
the nature of their relationship
and gauge the response before
proceeding further.
“I would be very surprised to
see someone outwardly share that
they’re not supportive,” Ambrosetti
REBECCA ASHER
said. “But on the other side of that,
there are plenty of wonderful gay
people in real estate.” LGBTQ brokers,
she said, are typically equipped
to help folks navigate tricky situations
in which sexual orientation or
gender identity could be a factor.
REAL ESTATE
Ambrosetti also works to change
the landscape for queer people in
her own industry as a member
of the National Association of Gay
& Lesbian Real Estate Professionals.
She looks to give back to the
LGBTQ community in any way she
can — including mentoring young
queer people. She also spoke on a
panel last year as part of a fundraising
effort for the Matthew
Shepard Foundation.
“I take every opportunity I can to
support LGBTQ issues,” Ambrosetti
explained. “I believe in empowering
young people and hope to see a
world where young LGBTQ people
can’t remember what it was like to
navigate a world that we do now.”
She added, “I hope my daughter
someday can sit on our front porch
of our country house and say,
‘Mommy, tell me what it was like
when you and mommy couldn’t get
married.’”
ATTENTION JOURNALISM STUDENTS
Opportunity is Knockin’!
ARE YOU A COLLEGE STUDENT?
DO YOU KNOW A COLLEGE STUDENT WHO WANTS TO EARN $2,600 THIS SUMMER?
Paid Summer Internship Positions Available
paid summer internship at this newspaper for a qualified journalism student.
Any student currently enrolled in a recognized journalism program is eligible to compete for an internship with a
net $2,600 stipend provided by NYPA. Applicants must attend college during the 2022-2023 academic year.
PA New York Press Association
F O U N DAT I O N
The New York Press Association Foundation is sponsoring a
Don’t delay! Application deadline is March 1, 2022.
Application forms available online at:
www.nynewspapers.com
click on NYPA click on Internships
GayCityNews.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 9, 2022 15
/www.nynewspapers.com
/www.nynewspapers.com
/GayCityNews.com
