24 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MARCH 2020
CORNER OFFICE
DOUGLAS ELLIMAN LONG ISLAND DIVISION CEO ANN CONROY THE REAL DEAL
BY CLAUDE SOLNIK
A home is typically the biggest or one
of the biggest purchases in a person’s
lifetime. That makes real estate a big
"The fi rst day I walked into the real estate offi ce,
I knew I found the industry of my dreams."
part of life on Long Island — and a big
business. We talked with Ann Conroy,
who recently became CEO of Douglas
Elliman’s Long Island division aft er
being president, about trends, technology,
and changing times.
How did you get interested in real
estate? Real estate appealed to me.
It probably started when I was 13
or younger. My parents would buy
properties and stay a couple of years,
fl ip and buy. I went around with them
and loved the business of real estate. I
love houses. It’s a hobby and a passion.
When I went to buy my own home, I
was married with no children at the
time. I went to new construction. It
was great, picking things out. I loved
it. I think I fell in love with houses and
decoration before I fell in love with the
business.
When and why did you go from an
interest to the industry? It was a
typical thing in those days back in the
’80s. Women stayed home with their
children until they went to school. I
came out of a Fortune 500 company
in the city. When I decided to have
children, I stayed home. I had to think
of something fl exible so I could bring
up my children and not miss their
soccer games.
What was your fi rst real estate
job? I became an agent with Merrill
Lynch Realty in 1981 at a little seaside
town, Sayville. It was close to
my home. I bought a home in Oakdale,
loved the town of Sayville,
the proximity to the water, the
old architecture. It had a New
England feel. The fi rst day I
walked into the real estate
offi ce, I knew I found the industry of
my dreams. Every day’s a new day. You
meet a tremendous amount of people.
There’s a challenge every day. I loved
the inventory.
What makes a good
real estate agent? A
good agent needs to
be passionate about
the job. They need
to care about the
consumer. They
have to put in the
time and energy
and be tenacious. It’s
good to be smart. However,
it’s more important
to have a high emotional
quotient, to have empathy.
It’s not just about showing
everything you have. It’s
about listening to them, taking
care of them, making
sure you
fol low
up.
How would you describe the Long
Island residential market today? It’s
a strong real estate market. The economy
is great, jobs are great. Interest
rates are low. Our inventory is tight
up to the luxury market. In the luxury
market, we have
increased inventory.
It takes longer to sell those homes.
They’re not fl ying off the shelf like
with the fi rst-time home buyer market.
Buyers are loosening up in this market
and are ready to buy, but at a reduced
price. Those sellers who truly want to
sell are negotiating off their asking
prices.
What trends are there in terms of
what people are looking for? The
vibrant downtowns are attracting
seniors and millennials. People aren’t
necessarily interested anymore in
buying large homes with large acreages.
Not only are taxes very high, but
so is the upkeep. People like to travel
more. The consumer’s wants and
needs have changed.
Do you plan to open more offi ces
on Long Island? My goals are to
expand and penetrate the markets
we need to be in. We opened in Sea
Cliff , which is an area we hadn’t
focused on properly. That includes
Glen Cove, Glen Head, and Glenwood
Landing. We just opened in New Hyde
Park and we’re going into Forest Hills.
We’re opening in Rockville Centre
and in Cutchogue. We’re already on
the North Fork of Long Island. We
are in Mattituck and Greenport,
and we also wanted to be in
Cutchogue.
Ann Conroy was named CEO of Douglas Elliman’s Long Island Division in January.
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